Wal-Mart Faces a New Round of Historic Strikes… But Why Now?

stian%20good%20works%20to%20working%20hard%20in%20the%20checkout%20line%E2%80%94made%20good%20business%20sense.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CEveryone%20wants%20to%20feel%20that%20what%E2%80%99s%20important%20to%20them%20can%20be%20serviced%20in%20their%20labor,%E2%80%9D%20Moreton%20said.%20Wal-Mart,%20she%20noted,%20%E2%80%9Cmanaged%20very%20cannily%E2%80%9D%20to%20allow%20workers%20to%20feel%20that%20their%20values%20were%20being%20respected,%20so%20that%20they%20could%20get%20away%20without%20providing%20for%20other%20needs%E2%80%94like%20a%20living%20wage.%C2%A0%20%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Low%20wages%20and%20few%20benefits,%20then,%20were%20an%20integral%20part%20of%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20business%20model%20from%20the%20beginning.%20But%20a%20show%20of%20respect%20for%20the%20workers%20was%20part%20of%20the%20deal,%20part%20of%20what%20made%20them%20loyal%E2%80%94and%20hard%20to%20organize%20into%20traditional%20unions.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20But%20then%20even%20this%20uneasy%20balance%20began%20to%20unravel%20for%20some.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Janet%20Sparks,%20a%20member%20of%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%20from%20Baker,%20Louisiana,%20started%20working%20at%20Wal-Mart%20in%202005.%20She%20told%20Religion%20Dispatches,%20%E2%80%9CTo%20me,%20Mr.%20and%20Mrs.%20Walton,%20they%20had%20their%20Christian%20beliefs%20and%20I%20truly%20believed%20they%20had%20done%20great%20things%20for%20associates.%E2%80%9D%20The%20company%20had%20worked%20with%20single%20mothers%20on%20their%20scheduling,%20Sparks%20explained,%20and%20made%20sure%20that%20the%20workers%20had%20enough%20hours%20to%20pay%20their%20bills.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20But%20in%20the%20seven%20years%20since,%20she%E2%80%99s%20felt%20a%20change%20within%20the%20company%E2%80%94something%20she%20attributes%20to%20the%202007%20death%20of%20Helen%20Walton,%20the%20wife%20of%20founder%20Sam%20Walton.%20At%20the%20Pennsylvania%20store%20where%20she%20worked%20at%20the%20time,%20the%20workers%20were%20switched%20from%20a%20set%20schedule%20to%20%E2%80%9Coptimized%E2%80%9D%20scheduling,%20done%20by%20computer%20according%20to%20the%20previous%20year%E2%80%99s%20sales%20on%20that%20day.%20What%20that%20meant%20for%20employees%20was%20that%20they%20saw%20their%20hours%20cut%20and%20their%20wages%20capped,%20which%20meant%20no%20more%20raises,%20ever,%20even%20for%20longtime%20employees.%20%E2%80%9CIt%20just%20seemed%20to%20change%20from%20associate-friendly%20and%20family-friendly%20to%20more%20corporate-friendly,%E2%80%9D%20she%20explained.%20%E2%80%9CThey%20set%20goals%20up%20for%20us%20to%20meet%20that%20we%20can%E2%80%99t%20possibly%20meet,%20then%20people%20get%20written%20up%20for%20things%20they%20can%E2%80%99t%20possibly%20accomplish.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20In%202010,%20she%20was%20one%20of%20the%20associates%20invited%20attend%20to%20the%20Wal-Mart%20shareholders%E2%80%99%20meeting,%20and%20listened%20to%20presentations%20on%20the%20great%20things%20the%20company%20said%20it%20was%20doing,%20for%20women,%20or%20against%20hunger,%20while%20its%20workers%20weren%E2%80%99t%20making%20enough%20to%20pay%20their%20bills%20and%20were%20subjected%20to%20unpredictable%20scheduling.%20She%20was%20shocked%20when%20an%20executive%20wanted%20to%20close%20the%20meeting%20with%20his%20favorite%20verse%20of%20Scripture:%20Luke%2012:48,%20%E2%80%9CFor%20unto%20whomsoever%20much%20is%20given,%20of%20him%20shall%20be%20much%20required.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%20%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20For%20her,%20that%20moment%20of%20disconnect%20between%20the%20Christian%20values%20the%20executives%20professed%20to%20uphold%20and%20the%20reality%20she%20knew%20at%20work%20was%20the%20last%20straw.%20%E2%80%9CRight%20there%20I%20started%20praying%20for%20the%20Lord%20to%20expose%20these%20things%20in%20Wal-Mart.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CNot%20Supposed%20to%20Live%20in%20Poverty%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Kim%20Bobo%20of%20Interfaith%20Worker%20Justice,%20who%20has%20worked%20for%20some%2025%20years%20as%20an%20advocate%20for%20workers%20within%20religious%20communities,%20told%20Religion%20Dispatches%20that%20one%20of%20the%20top%20questions%20she%E2%80%99s%20heard%20over%20her%20career%20is%20about%20Wal-Mart.%20%E2%80%9CPeople%20understand%20that%20the%20way%20Wal-Mart%20treats%20its%20workers%20is%20really%20setting%20the%20tone%20for%20the%20nation,%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.%20%E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s%20certainly%20setting%20the%20tone%20for%20retail%20workers.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20The%20company%E2%80%99s%20ability%20to%20stave%20off%20unions,%20both%20through%20a%20deliberate%20and%20concerted%20campaign%20against%20labor%20as%20well%20as%20its%20early%20history%20of%20cultivating%20worker%20loyalty,%20has%20also%20set%20a%20precedent%20nationwide.%20Even%20workers%20in%20union%20supermarkets%20in%20Los%20Angeles,%20when%20Wal-Mart%20moves%20in,%20face%20the%20threat%20of%20lowered%20wages%20and%20benefits%20as%20their%20employers%20feel%20forced%20to%20compete.%20But%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%E2%80%99s%20work%20has%20been%20different,%20and%20has%20succeeded%20in%20a%20way%20that%20traditional%20union%20organizing%20has%20failed,%20in%20part%20by%20replicating%20an%20older%20model%20of%20organizing%20that%20draws%20on%20the%20support%20of%20allies%20in%20the%20community,%20including%20faith%20leaders.%20They%20have%20thousands%20of%20members%20now%20in%2044%20states,%20including%20the%20heart%20of%20Wal-Mart%20Country:%20Texas,%20Louisiana,%20and%20Arkansas.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20As%20Wal-Mart%20expanded%20outside%20of%20its%20rural%20Southern%20base%20and%20particularly%20into%20urban%20areas,%20Bobo%20noted,%20it%20came%20into%20contact%20with%20different%20community%20values%20and%20a%20different%20religious%20culture,%20with%20ministers%20like%20Pastor%20Edwin%20Jones%20of%20the%20Living%20Faith%20Baptist%20Church%20and%20International%20Ministries%20in%20Washington,%20D.C.,%20who%20are%20already%20engaged%20with%20community%20organizing%20around%20economic%20justice%20issues.%20Jones%E2%80%99s%20community,%20which%20has%20the%20second-highest%20unemployment%20rate%20in%20the%20Washington,%20D.C.%20area,%20has%20been%20fighting%20a%20Wal-Mart%20in%20their%20neighborhood,%20pushing%20for%20a%20community%20benefit%20agreement%20with%20the%20retailer%20that%20would%20guarantee%20jobs%20for%20local%20residents%20who%20desperately%20need%20them.%20As%20a%20faith%20leader%20in%20an%20African-American%20congregation%20with%20a%20social%20gospel%20history,%20Jones%20was%20deeply%20involved%20in%20that%20struggle,%20and%20it%20was%20through%20that%20work%20in%20D.C.%E2%80%94a%20long%20way,%20both%20literally%20and%20metaphorically,%20from%20Bentonville%E2%80%94that%20he%20was%20connected%20with%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%20and%20their%20campaign%20for%20Wal-Mart%20workers.%20For%20him%20it%20was%20an%20easy%20decision%20to%20get%20involved%20and%20to%20travel%20the%20country,%20organizing%20with%20the%20workers.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Rural%20Southern%20churches%20have%20little%20structure%20for%20engaging%20with%20such%20fights%20even%20if%20individual%20pastors%20might%20be%20interested%20in%20doing%20so,%20said%20Bobo.%20But%20pastors%20like%20Jones,%20whose%20church%20has%20always%20been%20steeped%20in%20social%20and%20economic%20justice,%20represent%20a%20different%20strain%20of%20Christianity%20that%20Wal-Mart%20is%20having%20to%20contend%20with%20as%20it%20expands%20into%20the%20North%20and%20especially%20into%20urban%20areas,%20where%20low-wage%20workers%20aren%E2%80%99t%20just%20white%20women,%20but%20are%20increasingly%20immigrants%20and%20people%20of%20color.%20Catholic%20churches%20with%20ties%20to%20Latin%20American%20progressive%20traditions,%20African-American%20Protestant%20churches%20with%20roots%20in%20the%20Civil%20Rights%20movement%20and%20white%20Protestant%20churches%20in%20the%20social%20gospel%20tradition%20have%20a%20very%20different%20standard%20for%20how%20to%20care%20for%20the%20community.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20The%20irony%20that%20Walmart%E2%80%99s%20expansion%20outside%20its%20Bible%20Belt%20roots%20has%20resu
lted%20in%20the%20greatest%20threat%20to%20its%20stable,%20anti-union%20culture%20has%20not%20been%20lost%20on%20critics.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIf%20you%20want%20to%20expand%20into%20those%20places,%E2%80%9D%20Bethany%20Moreton%20said,%20recalling%20the%20influx%20of%20protestors%20from%20Southern%20California%20to%20Wal-Mart%E2%80%99s%20Arkansas%20headquarters,%20%E2%80%9Cthose%20are%20currents%20that%20are%20going%20to%20come%20all%20the%20way%20back%20to%20Bentonville.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20While%20he%20was%20working%20with%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%20in%20California,%20Jones%20met%20a%20young%20Latina%20woman,%20a%20Wal-Mart%20employee,%20who%20was%20pregnant.%20The%20company%20had%20given%20her%20no%20time%20off,%20had%20pressured%20her%20not%20to%20take%20sick%20days,%20and%20implied%20that%20maybe%20she%20should%20just%20quit%20her%20job%20if%20she%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20feeling%20well.%20One%20day,%20Jones%20said,%20her%20manager%20told%20her,%20%E2%80%9CYou%20didn%E2%80%99t%20come%20to%20this%20country%20just%20to%20have%20babies.%E2%80%9D%20It%20stuck%20with%20him,%20he%20said,%20the%20dehumanization.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Protesting%20this%20kind%20of%20treatment%20of%20mothers%20and%20mothers-to-be,%20Moreton%20noted,%20epitomizes%20different%20kind%20of%20%E2%80%9Cfamily%20values%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94not%20about%20gay%20marriage%20or%20abortion,%20but%20the%20value%20of%20taking%20care%20of%20one%20another.%20%E2%80%9CThere%20are%20a%20whole%20lot%20of%20ways%20to%20see%20family%20values%20as%20economic%20values%20as%20well,%E2%80%9D%20she%20pointed%20out,%20and%20the%20marriage%20of%20Christian%20values%20and%20free-market%20conservatism%20has%20always%20been%20in%20some%20ways%20an%20unstable%20one.%20The%20workers,%20too,%20see%20the%20value%20of%20solidarity,%20of%20supporting%20their%20colleagues,%20as%20a%20%E2%80%9Cfamily%E2%80%9D%20value.%20%E2%80%9CWhat%20people%20are%20saying%20publicly%20is%20we%20want%20recognition%20of%20the%20dignity%20of%20service%20work,%E2%80%9D%20said%20Moreton.%20%E2%80%9CI%20think%20that%E2%80%99s%20really%20powerful%20and%20potentially%20very%20legible%20to%20people%20whose%20primary%20framework%20for%20thinking%20about%20policy%20and%20economics%20starts%20with%20their%20faith.%E2%80%9D%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%3Cp%3E%20Vanzell%20Johnson%20is%20an%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%20member%20from%20Lancaster,%20Texas,%20not%20far%20from%20original%20Wal-Mart%20country.%20For%20him,%20faith%20was%20what%20made%20him%20speak%20out%20at%20work.%20%E2%80%9CI%20don%E2%80%99t%20believe%20that%20we%E2%80%99re%20supposed%20to%20live%20in%20poverty,%20not%20the%20Father%20that%20I%20serve.%20But%20that%E2%80%99s%20how%20they%20got%20it%20set%20up,%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.%20The%20kind%20of%20attention%20and%20respect%20that%20workers%20like%20Janet%20Sparks%20used%20to%20feel%20they%20got%20from%20the%20company,%20Johnson%20feels%20he%20gets%20instead%20from%20OUR%20Wal-Mart%20and%20from%20working%20together%20with%20his%20colleagues%20to%20make%20their%20workplace%20better.%20The%20service%20ethic%20that%20Wal-Mart%20built%20its%20business%20around%20is%20now%20coming%20back%20to%20haunt%20it,%20as%20workers%20like%20Johnson%20and%20Sparks%20see%20organizing%20and%20fighting%20for%20better%20conditions%20as%20a%20more%20meaningful%20extension%20of%20the%20ideals%20of%20service%20in%20helping%20one%20another.%3C/p%3E%20%C2%A0%20%C2%A0%20%C2%A0%20%C2%A0″ style=”color: #f43940;text-decoration: initial”>abusive labor practices, and for leaving its workers dependent on public assistance while making the Walton family rich beyond imagination. And it has been nearly impossible to organize.