CREDO boosts Walmart workers’ activism at company’s shareholder meeting

Last week, as company executives and the Walton family convened for Walmart’s annual shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas, workers with OUR Walmart gathered to take actions and deliver more than 200,000 petition signatures to these decision-makers, calling on them to pay workers $15 an hour and offer full-time, consistent scheduling.

They aimed to highlight the Walmart’s poverty wages, understaffed stores, and inconsistent schedules to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the Walton heirs and other Walmart executives and shareholders.

CREDO teamed up with OUR Walmart to co-sponsor a mobile billboard truck that carried the workers’ message throughout Bentonville during the shareholder meeting. The workers also executed a banner drop inside the shareholder meeting to deliver the call for change directly to investors.

The billboard, which read “Walmart’s CEO earned $9,323/hr last year. Walmart can afford $15/hour and full time,” went to Walmart’s home office, the town square offices of the Walton family heirs, and Bud Walton Arena, among other places.

Many of those workers’ actions were captured in this storify and on the workers’ Facebook page.

In addition to supporting the workers on the ground, we showed solidarity with those courageous workers online as more than 125,000 CREDO members signed petitions launched on CREDOMobilize.com, that were delivered to Walmart decision makers last week.

CREDO is proud to stand with Walmart workers in their fight for $15 an hour and full-time, consistent schedules. It is long past time for Walmart executives to treat their workers with the respect they deserve and heed the demands of these courageous workers.

We will continue to support the workers’ inspiring fight for fair wages, predictable scheduling and the respect and dignity of all workers, particularly those at one of the world’s largest and most influential retailers, Walmart.