A nationwide effort to give workers at the nation’s Wal-Mart stores a stronger voice in the workplace came to Renton Thursday morning, with workers, supporters and union members rallying next to busy Rainier Avenue South.
Renton was the only place in Washington state to hold the rally and one of 25 cities across the nation for this show of support for worker rights.
The rallies occurred in front of about 75 Wal-Mart stores nationwide, where workers are not unionized. The company has 1.4 million workers worldwide and more than 1 million in the United States, making it the largest company in the country.
The Renton rally was organized by United Food and Commercial Workers, a union which represents about 35,000 workers in grocery stores, retail, health care and other service-sector jobs in Washington.
The rally drew about 125 people.
Tom Geiger, spokesman for UFCW 21, said Wal-Mart workers have tried to unionize in the past, but those efforts have failed. Workers have felt intimidated by store management, he said.
Now, many workers are buoyed by the election of President Obama, who has expressed support for the rights of Wal-Mart workers. They say they are not feeling alone.
“I am not going to be intimidated,” said Barbara Holland, a greeter at the Renton Wal-Mart who was one of the speakers. She has worked at the Renton Wal-Mart for nearly nine years.
Workers come to her with their concerns, she said. Many are afraid; what they want is fair treatment, she said. They express concern about pay and health benefits, she said.
She said the message from management is that unionizing could put their jobs in jeopardy or even force the store to close.
Kenny James, another Renton Wal-Mart worker, said if Obama can stand up for worker rights, then so can he. Like Holland, he said he’s hopeful for change.
Michelle Bradford, a Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman, said Thursday in a phone interview the company is hearing “great things” from the company’s employees (known as associates) across the country.
“A large majority tells us they enjoy and value their jobs,” she said, because the jobs offer competitive pay and benefits and scheduling is flexible.
“Looking at what we offer, our associates don’t seem to feel that union membership would be a better deal,” she said.
The company has an open-door policy for its workers, so they can approach management with a concern “without fear of intimidation or harassment,” she said.
But Holland, the Renton Wal-Mart worker, said it’s hard to get help from managers. She was asked at the rally by someone in the crowd about the recent shooting at the Wal-Mart in Lakewood that left the driver of an armored car dead.
She said she feels the Renton store needs better security, including police officers in the store.
She said she has had to call 911 three times, using her own cell phone.
At the heart of the nationwide rallies is WakeUpWalMart.com, billed as a campaign to change Wal-Mart’s culture. The campaign is designed to show support for worker rights and the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to form or join a union.
Wal-Mart shareholders are at company headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., and elsewhere in the state Friday for their annual meeting. This week’s worker events were planned to occur right before that meeting.
