Walmart Black Friday 2012 strike, walkout update: Dozens protest at Boynton Walmart over 'low wages'

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Sporting neon green shirts, about 50 people protested outside of a Boynton Beach Walmart this morning, marching down the street and chanting loudly.
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Posted: 11/23/2012

By: Ryan Calhoun

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- Sporting neon green shirts, about 50 people protested outside of a Boynton Beach Walmart this morning, marching down the street and chanting loudly.

At 10 a.m., the group, heavily made up of supporters of Walmart workers, started their protest of what they call unfair labor practices by the large superstore off Federal Highway and Gulf Stream Boulevard.

Most were holding signs which stated "low wages, low morals" in support of striking workers of the chain.

An organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union mobilized a group of about half a dozen workers from the Miami area to protest in front of the Boynton Beach store.

As a group, they tried to march into the store to speak with the managers, but they were stopped quickly by workers from inside the Walmart store, who were supported by Boynton Beach Police officers.

When they were denied the opportunity to have the entire group speak to the management of the Boynton Beach team, the group started chanting a prayer.

Shoppers still trickled into the store and told NewsChannel 5 that during this time, many of the workers protesting have a right to protest if that's a way to get what they want.

Shoppers also said that they should be grateful to have a job right now when many don't.

Despite being told to get off of Walmart's property and go back to the sidewalk, the protesters continued to march and chant until a little after noon.

Walmart statement from David Tovar, Vice President, Corporate Communications:

The number of protests being reported by the UFCW are grossly exaggerated. We are aware of a few dozen protests at our stores today. The number of associates that have missed their scheduled shift today is more than 60 percent less than Black Friday last year.

It was proven last night – and again today – that the OUR Walmart group doesn’t speak for the 1.3 million Walmart associates. We had our best Black Friday ever and OUR Walmart was unable to recruit more than a small number of associates to participate in these made for TV events. Press reports are now exposing what we have said all along – the large majority of protesters aren’t even Walmart workers.