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Walmart workers are mad. For years, they have faced poverty wages, dangerous working

conditions, and unreliable schedules. Full-time Walmart associates can make as little

as $15,500 a year -- so hundreds of thousands of these

workers are living in poverty, while the Walton family heirs have more wealth than

the bottom third of American combined.

And Walmart workers are standing up for their rights. For the past year, they’ve

been organizing and demanding better treatment. But management has offered little

beyond but threats and retaliation. So now,

Walmart workers are getting ready to go strike on Black Friday

, the biggest shopping day of the year.

This strike could be the straw that finally breaks Walmart’s worker-mistreating back

-- but only if people know about it. Unfortunately, as usual the mainstream media

hasn’t paid it much attention.

Can you show your support for the strike by sharing this image on Facebook or forwarding this email to your friends?

Meet Carlton

Carlton Smith, pictured here, is just one example of a worker risking it all to go

on strike on Black Friday. He isn’t anyone’s idea of a troublemaker or a rabble rouser.

The grandfather of four has worked at a Paramount, California Walmart for 16 years,

starting as an overnight stocker. Over the years, Carlton grew frustrated with the

way Walmart treated his coworkers, who became like a second family to him. As profits

and executive pay climbed higher and higher, Carlton’s friends’ wages shrank and

their hours were cut until they could barely make ends meet.

Carlton wanted to stand up for his coworkers

, so he joined the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart, for short),

a group of workers that advocates for better treatment. Carlton talked to his fellow

employees and did outreach to the community; he flew to Bentonville to talk to CEO

Mike Duke and Walton heir Rob Walton about the need for change at Walmart; he even

introduced a shareholder resolution protesting overpayment of executives.

But conditions at Walmart remain appalling -- so Carlton isn’t giving up

. Not even close. Last month he joined hundreds of other workers at Walmart’s corporate

headquarters to demand an end to retaliation against workers who speak out.

And if things don’t change over the next week, Carlton’s joining the strike on Black

Friday

.

Will you let your friends know the strike is coming by sharing our image on Facebook?

Thanks

Rob, Kaytee, and the team at SumOfUs

P.S. If you haven't yet signed our letter of solidarity to the striking workers yet,

add your name now

.

*****************************

More Info:

"

Alleging a New Wave of Retaliation, Walmart Warehouse Workers Will Strike a Day Early

" The Nation, November 2012.

 SumOfUs is a world-wide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations

accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

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I must shop at Wal-Mart sometimes, due to my income.  But I have seen the way they treat their workers.  A friend of mine was the single mother of two when she went to work at Wal-Mart.  She was promised weekends off, to spend Some time with her kids and to catch up on college assignments.  She was put through hours of testing and training.  Then she began to work on weekends, as well as during the week.  She didn't want to lose her job.  She had to drop Out of nursing school and finally quit Wal-Mart when one of her kids was discovered to have a disability which needed close attention.  She went back to work for a home healthcare agency that pays less and has no health benefits.  But she takes Great care of her kids although her chances of getting more education, leading to a better job are very limited.

And have you heard that creepy cheer they force their workers through each day?  Gives my a Very Bad feeling!