On Saturday, September 15, workers at a key Walmart distribution center here joined warehouse workers from Mira Loma, CA on strike to protest illegal retaliation and other labor abuses. On September 17 they planned to visit Walmart's regional offices in Rosemont, IL to deliver tens of thousands of signatures in support of the workers. Read more about the walkout by clicking here.
The Southern California work stoppage began September 12 among warehouse workers protesting retaliatory actions by their employers, NFI and Warestaff. The California workers also move Walmart goods. For more information about the Southern California strike at Walmart warehouses, click here.
The Illinois workers walked off the job to protest intimidation and retaliation against workers, following the filing of a federal lawsuit on September 13 against Walmart contractor Roadlink Workforce Solutions. The workers who are plaintiffs in the suit charge the company with wage theft. This is the sixth lawsuit against a Walmart contractor at their Elwood warehouse.
"We are on strike to protest violations of our rights. We are tired of retaliation and threats every time we speak up about unsafe working conditions and other abuses", said Eric Skoglund, a striking warehouse worker.
Walmart has been harshly criticized for the legal violations of its contractors and towards its store associates. In California, contractors at warehouses serving Walmart were fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for violations of workers' rights and a federal judge issued several orders and injunctions in favor of the workers, including an injunction stop the mass firing of workers who had filed the lawsuit.
Warehouse workers labor under extreme temperatures, while lifting boxes that can weigh up to 250 lbs. each. Workplace injuries are common, and few workers earn a living wage or have any benefits.