A Walmart workers group is stepping up its campaign for $15 an hour and a union.
On Friday, OUR Walmart sent a letter to the Democratic presidential candidates, urging them to address the minimum wage issue in Saturday’s debate in Des Moines, Iowa. The letter came hours after the start of a 15-day fast in which 1,000 supporters and hundreds of Walmart workers have committed to a liquids-only diet until Black Friday to protest low wages.
All three Democratic candidates have addressed the issue during the campaign. But they’ve been responding largely to the demands of fast-food workers, who have mobilized a powerful campaign. Until now, retail workers like those at Walmart have played second fiddle, though they say they face many of the same struggles as employees at McDonald’s or Burger King.
“Too often, [Walmart workers] are hungry because we have to choose between paying the rent and having enough food to eat,” the group said in a statement Friday. “This isn’t right and we need a President who will champion our cause. While this is a problem nationwide, it is also a major problem in Iowa where you will be Saturday night. In Iowa alone, Walmart has nearly 700 stores and more than 16,500 employees.”
In February, in response to protests, Walmart increased its minimum wage to $9 per hour, and it plans to raise that number to $10 for current employees by February next year. Department store managers, who currently make $13 an hour, will receive $15 next year.









