Walmart Protesters Demonstrate On Black Friday To Call For Higher Wages, More Hours
STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) -- About 200 protesters gathered Friday morning outside the Walmart in Sterling Heights upset with Walmart workers' pay.
The protesters claimed the retail giant doesn't pay its workers enough money and demanded $15 an hour and full-time hours for workers. Rabbi Alana Alpert was among those supporting the cause.
"[We're] demanding justice for workers -- that they receive fair wages and benefits so they can actually take care of their families," Alpert said.
A Walmart spokesperson told WWJ Newsradio 950 that the demonstrators do not work for the company, and were put together by an outside union group.
Similar protests took place at Walmart locations in Woodhaven, Ypsilanti, Saline and Monroe -- as well as across the country. Organizer Reverend Edwin Rose said that the average Walmart employee makes around $25,000 per year.
"They're having food drives for their own employees -- most places have food drives for other people, for poor people," Rose said. "In this case, the poor people are inside working."
Organizers gave petitions to store and district managers stating that they should give employees $15 and hour, 40 hours a week and a union.
"This is exactly what I think we all need to be doing on a day like today," Alpert said. "I wore my prayer shawl, because for me this is very much an act of prayer."