Displaced Walmart workers hold protest
Displaced workers from Walmart’s Pico Rivera supercenter in California have held protests against the sudden closure of the store last week.
The workers on Monday converged on the store after the mega-retailer temporarily shut down the branch and four others in Florida, Oklahoma and Texas on April 13.
The company’s officials claimed that there were extensive plumbing problems at each location that had to be repaired and that would take six months or longer.
“As we have said all along, these stores were closed temporarily so we could fix the ongoing plumbing issues and it would be unfortunate if this outside group attempts to slow this process down for our associates and customers,” Walmart said in a statement on Monday, referring to a group made up of Walmart workers.
“If this is a plumbing problem, they are full of crap,” said Gilda Valdez, president of Fight for $15 LA, a committee established to secure wages of at least $15 per hour for all workers. “This is not a plumbing problem — this is a union-busting tactic.”
The group is asking labor regulators to go to court to force the discounter to rehire all 2,200 employees laid-off last week following the closure of the five stores.
They want the labor board to seek a court injunction, which can be quicker than typical NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) proceedings.
“This is a new low, even for Walmart,” said Venanzi Luna, a Walmart worker, who has worked for the company for eight years and a member of OUR Walmart. “Through OUR Walmart, we’re going to keep fighting back until the company gives us our jobs back.”
According to one displaced employee, the company said those who cannot be offered a job at other stores will have to re-apply for their old jobs at the Pico Rivera store.
“I have a mortgage to pay with my husband, and this will make things tighter,” said Denise Barlage, 56, of Huntington Park.
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