Hundreds march against Wal-Mart coming to DC
On the 31st of May, several hundred people marched from 801 NJ Ave, one of Wal-Marts proposed DC locations, to 701 8th st, where Wal-Mart has a DC lobbyng office. The march included a float protraying Mayor Gray and Wal-Mart in bed together, with a sign saying “someone’s getting screwed.”
Video Video of the march and float protraying the Mayor in bed with Wal-Mart
Audio Three of the speakers from the rally in front of Wal-Mart’s lobbying headquarters
Mayor Gray in bed with Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart discriminates against women
When the march arrived at Wal-Marts lobbying headquarters, speakers included union organizers and Wal-Mart employees. After the speakers a contingent marched on the door to deliver demands made on Wal-Mart and was initially refused entry. After a flurry of negotiations, Wal-Mart’s lobbyists or their security team thought better of trying to hold the doors against so many people and permitted one person to enter with the demands and hand them off to a Wal-Mart staffer.
Union organizers emphasized that at this point, with Wal-Mart not making any serious offers of better pay and benefits, their campaign is to prevent Wal-Mart from opening in DC at all.They pointed out that normal retailers that allow unions create jobs that allow people to feed and house their families, but union-busting Wal-Mart does NOT!
