Diversity: Keeping DC Walmart Free

Local rapper Head-Roc has a message for Walmart

Diversity: Keeping DC Walmart Free

By: Tamara Braunstein

Local rapper Head-Roc released a new track last week calling out the social justice issues of allowing Walmart to infiltrate some notoriously impoverished neighborhoods in DC.

The video, produced by Empower DC, is shot in black and white and relies heavily on imagery reflective of the Chocolate City moniker, especially small, minority-owned and operated businesses. Subtitles are provided, but one of the most interesting moments occurs around the 1 min. 23 sec. mark, when Dr. Jared Ball, “the Funkinest Journalist,” cuts into the track with the “Three Walmart Commandments”:

1. Move in and crush competition by underselling
2. Pay workers nothing and block unionization
3. Take all that money, put it into the Walton Family Foundation, and turn that into political influence to protect yourself and make even more

Mr. Head-Roc goes on to rap that “the Walton families are big contributors to bigoted representatives and senators…results in Black and Brown casualties.” Despite Walmart’s conspicuous self-promotion to win our approval, it’s clear from this video that some residents are aware and wary of the big-box’s intentions. But what does it mean on a broader scale?

Has Walmart become just another embodiment of DC’s classic racial socio-economic disparities debate?

To The Left (Social Justice): Know History... Know Labor!

Know History... Know Labor!

On this Labor Day, as some people assault the American worker’s right to organize, protest and collectively bargain, it is appropriate to take a few minutes to remember -- and learn -- on whose shoulders we toil.

Workers fighting for their rights is as American as apple pie. Strikes, protests and walk-outs have been part of this country from its earliest beginnings.

●    First recorded prosecution against strikers occurs in New York City (1677)

●    Artisans and laborers in the Sons of Liberty protest against oppressive British taxes (1765)

●    Philadelphia printers conduct first successful strike for increased wages (1786)

●    Philadelphia carpenters strike for and win a 10-hour work day (1791)

Many lost their lives in service to their fellow workers.

●    Ten Molly Maguires, Irish coal miners, were hanged in Pennsylvania (1877)

●    Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York kills nearly 150 workers (1911)

●    Ludlow Massacre of 13 women and children and seven men in Colorado coal miners’ strike (1914)

The strides made garnered by tradesmen and laborers have not only helped them, they have helped us all.

●    Department of Labor is created (1912)

●    Fair Labor Standards Act established the first minimum wage and 40-hour work week (1938)

●    César Chavez formed AFL-CIO United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (1965)

●    Occupational Safety and Health Act passed (1970)

Submitted by Shannon Mouton

Economy Recovers for Corporate America, Not for Everyday Americans

Economy Recovers for Corporate America,

Not for Everyday Americans

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria reports there’s a tale of two economies in America, where the haves are big business and the have nots are the unemployed and average American worker. Corporate America has rebounded from the nation’s financial crisis while the jobless rate continues to grow. Zakaria offers a five-step plan to rescue America’s workers:

1. Revitalize manufacturing in this country. Germany offers a powerful example of how to do this. They have managed to maintain high-end manufacturing in their country.

2. Focus on retraining workers. We have a generation of people whose skills are not going to provide them with employment in the current global economy.

3. Focus on the growth industries like entertainment, healthcare and tourism. One of the simplest things to do in life is double down on things that are succeeding.

4. Promote small business. Small business creates most of the new jobs in this country. The single biggest thing the U.S. government could do to help small businesses is allow more skilled immigrants into the country.

We train the world’s best and brightest - often at public expense since they go to state universities or they get grants from the U.S. government - and then just at the point at which they’re about to start filing patents, making inventions, creating jobs and paying taxes, we kick them out of the country. It’s an incredibly counterproductive policy.

5. Invest in infrastructure today. The crisis is now and we know that a large number of unemployed people in America come out of the construction and housing industry. We also know we have a huge crisis in infrastructure. We have bridges falling down, highways that need repair and airports that need building. We’ve got to come up with some way to finance infrastructure that will allow us to employ hundreds of thousands, if not millions of American workers.

There are ways to do this that are not as costly to the public. We can develop infrastructure banks and forge public-private partnerships. America is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t allow the private sector to participate in building and financing public infrastructure. Why shouldn’t we open it up so that we can get the capital we need, which will in turn create more jobs?

In short, we need to do all of these things because America faces a huge structural problem – a jobless recovery – and no single action will be enough to help American workers recover and prosper.

Highlighted Clip for Thursday, May 19, 2011:

"A tale of two economies: How to save the American worker"

By: Fareed Zakaria

 I have been thinking a lot about America's economy and American jobs lately, and have an essay on the subject in this week’s TIME Magazine. As we emerge from the financial crisis, we are witnessing the extraordinary tale of two economies.

Wal-mart: The People’s Self-Inflicted Weapon

Wal-mart: The People’s Self-Inflicted Weapon

Today the Supreme Court justices heard arguments in the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in our nation’s history against the big-box retailer, Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart Stores vs. Betty Dukes class action suit involves more than 1.5 million women throughout the retailer’s 3,400 stores seeking back pay for practices of sex discrimination and unequal pay.  While Supreme Court justices will deliberate if such discrimination is valid and how to award billions of dollars to the women if vindicated, Wal-Mart continues to push its presence into urban markets like Washington, D.C.  With plans to open a store in each of the city’s four quadrants, DC residents hope to end what seems a common flawed practice with Wal-Mart: paying poverty-level wages, poor benefits and forcing closure of competing small businesses.  Respect DC, also known as “Living Wages, Healthy Communities” is a grassroots coalition telling Wal-Mart, to “Respect DC” by paying potential employees living wages (more than $11.75/hour which is below the Federal Poverty Level of $22,500 for a family of four) and good benefits.  Unfortunately, the very people who shop at Wal-Mart to save money, are contributing to a devastating event beyond the cash register. Wal-Mart has used their mass patronage as a weapon to crush those who can least afford injury. But for those familiar with the story of David and Goliath, we know giants can fall. Here's hoping!

Highlighted Clip for Tuesday, March 29, 2011:

"Justices question next step for massive Wal-Mart discrimination suit"

By Robert Barnes

Even Supreme Court justices who sharply questioned Wal-Mart’s pay and promotion policies regarding female employees expressed concern at Tuesday’s oral argument about how the largest gender discrimination class-action suit in history might proceed.

Also visit Respect DC to learn how DC is responding to Wal-Mart and learn how you can get involved!

The Lady Is a Leader! AFL-CIO Names Jeter Year’s ‘Outstanding Trade Unionist’

The Lady Is a Leader

AFL-CIO Names Jeter Year’s

‘Outstanding Trade Unionist’

The Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO presented Jackie Jeter, president of ATU Local 689, the JC Turner Award for Outstanding Trade Unionist of the Year at its annual dinner at Washington, DC’s Omni Shoreham Hotel on Saturday, March 12. Now in her second term as president, she led the local through a run of challenges, including the 2009 fatal Red Line metro crash, which killed nine and injured at least 75 more.  In accepting the prestigious honor, Jeter acknowledged the hard work and dedication of her local, which represents the nearly 11,000 current and former transit worker members who keep this nation’s second busiest system moving.  For more on the labor evening, see http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/91060.

Hey Walmart—Try a Little “Conscious Capitalism”

Hey Walmart—Try a Little “Conscious Capitalism”

Putting employees before profits (and even customers) is very profitable.  Just ask Container Store co-founder Kip Tindell, who not only boasts excellent profits this year for the 50-store chain but actually exceeded promised performance in the first year of the recession.  Although Tindell gives the retail industry as a whole a ‘C minus’, Tindell’s peers give him an ‘A’.  The National Retail Federation awarded the retailer and his stores this year’s Gold Medal, the most coveted award in retail, given to individuals who have served the industry with distinction and achieved a national reputation for excellence.

According to Tindell, retail success comes from balancing the needs of all stakeholders - employees, suppliers, customers, community and investors. A business has to have a purpose other than profits in order to achieve profitability. Under “conscious capitalism,” the shareholder isn't Number 1.  In the case of the Container Store, the employee comes first.

Walmart certainly could use a lesson in this refreshing approach.  For more about the Container Store strategy, see www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358608n.