Standing in solidarity with striking Walmart workers, community allies poised to gather at all 48 retail stores across the state!
In a mass mobilization of community support for striking Walmart workers, hundreds of labor and community allies will descend on Massachusetts Walmart locations on Black Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year. Employees of the world’s largest retailer have walked off the job in a rolling series of workplace actions in recent weeks, protesting unfair labor practices that have included the firing of workers who have dared to speak out.
Since October, Walmart employees have taken action at warehouses and retail stores across the country, speaking out about low wages, unsafe working conditions, and the company’s continued attempts to silence workers’ voices on the job. Strikes have taken place in California, Washington and Texas, and continue to spread to new locations every day. From hour reductions to outright termination, Walmart has retaliated against the workers – even going so far as to file a frivolous complaint with the National Labor Relations Board regarding the legally protected actions of their employees.
The Black Friday actions come on the heels of statewide actions just a month ago, where delegations of concerned customers and community leaders fanned out to Massachusetts Walmart locations to demand an end to the retail giant’s retaliation against its employees. Walmart has yet to respond to the public outcry, prompting Black Friday protests nationwide.
Walmart workers from across the country have come together in recent months to form the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart). OUR Walmart members are demanding basic rights on the job – including fair wages and benefits, safe working conditions and the right to organize. In Massachusetts, support for this effort is being coordinated by the Massachusetts Stands Up to Walmart campaign – a coalition of workers, community organizations, and faith and labor leaders that led the successful effort to halt Walmart’s planned expansion into the Greater Boston Area.
Details on several local Black Friday protests follow. For additional information, please contact Russ Davis at Massachusetts Jobs with Justice: (617) 413-0713 or russdavis@comcast.net.
WALMART FALL RIVER
Friday, November 23 @ 11:00am
374 William S Canning Blvd, Fall River
WALMART FRAMINGHAM*
Friday, November 23 @ 12:01am
121 Worcester Road, Framingham
*This event will include a light display at a nearby overpass/intersection
WALMART LYNN
Friday, November 23 @ 10:00am
780 Lynnway, Lynn
WALMART METHUEN
Friday, November 23 @ 9:00am
70 Pleasant Valley Street, Methuen
WALMART NORTHAMPTON
Friday, November 23 @ 10:00am
180 North King Street, Northampton
WALMART NORTHBOROUGH
Friday, November 23 @ 11:00am
200 Otis Street, Northborough
WALMART ORANGE
Friday, November 23 @ 1:00pm
555 East Main Street, Orange
WALMART QUINCY*
Thursday, November 22 @ 11:45pm
301 Falls Blvd, Quincy
*This event will include a light display at the store
WALMART SALEM
Friday, November 23 @ 10:00am
450 Highland Avenue, Salem
WALMART SEEKONK
Friday, November 23 @ 1:00pm
1180 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk
WALMART SPRINGFIELD
Friday, November 23 @ 10:00am
1105 Boston Road, Springfield
WALMART WALPOLE
Friday, November 23 @ 10:00am
550 Providence Highway, Walpole
WALMART WORCESTER
Friday, November 23 @ 12:00pm
25 Tobias Boland Way, Worcester