The Momentum of the Walmart Workers Movement in 2012 and its Future in 2013

Washington, D.C. – January 4, 2013 – 2012 was a big year for OUR Walmart, Making Change at Walmart, and supporters of Walmart workers who are fed up with being retaliated against when speaking out on the job. Protests, walk-outs, strikes, and other actions caught the attention of the national media and other low-wage workers across the country, and Walmart is on the defense.

With the momentum of the Walmart worker movement, the new year has the potential to see great changes in the labor sector. Walmart, who is largely responsible for the downward spiral in worker’s wages across the retail industry, has the potential to reverse that trend, thanks to its sheer size and influence on retail everywhere. If Walmart listens to its workers, and changes its ways for the better, our country’s economy will benefit greatly, and staggering wage inequality will be reduced.

By utilizing social media, and new labour strategies, these workers have become a force to be reckoned with. Instead of waiting for the government or Walmart to help them change working conditions, workers got together themselves and organized to create a unified voice for Walmart associates. A core group of workers have stood strong against obstacles to the movement, and are continuing to gain supporters and followers, from walmart workers to community allies.
But workers cannot change a system of low wages and poor working conditions alone. So with the new year, OUR Walmart is planning to focus on educating politicians and elected officials about their cause, and creating communities that will stand behind their working fellows.

To read more about the movement, check out the In These Times article.