by DC Jobs with Justice | Jan 15, 2016 | Campaigns, Projects, Walmart: Respect DC, Workers' Rights Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, January 15, 2016 CONTACT Ari Schwartz, DC Jobs With Justice, (202) 674-3228, ari@dcjwj.org For a PDF of the release, click here District Officials Ignored Residents and Got Duped By Walmart Countless residents knew better than to trust Walmart, but were ignored by elected officials eager to believe the company’s false promises WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nikki Lewis, Executive Director of DC Jobs With Justice, released the following statement today after Walmart announced it will not open two stores planned for the District and will close 269 stores worldwide: “I wish I could say that I am surprised by Walmart’s plans to cancel two stores, but the sad truth is, I am not. Today’s announcement proves once again that Walmart is a company that cannot be trusted. “In meetings with residents and community leaders, the company promised to bring much-needed retail to Ward 7. Some residents were even told that wages would start at $13.50 an hour at these stores. “Unfortunately, when residents attempted to codify these promises in a written agreement, and later the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA), Walmart responded by threatening to cancel their plans to open three additional stores – effectively forcing Mayor Gray to veto the LRAA. “With today’s announcement of store closures, Walmart is canceling these plans and footing the residents of D.C. with the bill. Make no mistake, Walmart has duped the District with false promises and is now earning profit at the expense of everyone who lives here. “The District should have ignored Walmart’s threats instead of its own residents. Moving forward, the District should be cautious about believing other retailers...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Feb 18, 2015 | Walmart: Respect DC
Melinda Gaino has a full-time job in DC, but she struggles to make it. She earns $9.90 an hour as a cashier at Walmart on H Street, NW, bringing home about $20,000 a year. That is too little to support the 45-year old mother and her four children in their SE apartment. Melinda is an example of the many workers who have been left behind in DC’s growing economy, according to a recent report from DCFPI. She is a victim of an economy that is failing to create shared prosperity, to ensure that everyone who works hard can get by. Melinda’s life as a low-wage worker is not unique. There are thousands who work in DC every day but barely stay afloat: the lot attendants who park our cars ($9.72 average wage), the cashiers who check us out ($11.03 average wage), the people who make our sandwich for lunch ($11.43 average pay for food prep workers). These workers have not fared well, according to DCFPI’s report. Hourly earnings for DC’s lowest paid workers grew just 7 percent over 35 years, adjusting for inflation – about 2 cents per year – while the highest paid workers saw paychecks grow by 55 percent. The pay gap between the people who earn the least and those who earn the most in DC is at a record high. Melinda typifies the challenge to stay ahead in other ways. She worked at Blue Cross/Blue Shield for three years earning $15.60 an hour, but then got laid off. She searched for employment for 6 months before starting at Walmart at a much lower salary. Her...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Dec 1, 2014 | Projects
Last week was a week of “firsts” for Respect DC and Walmart associates in the District. Throughout the week, we witnessed the first-ever Black Friday for Walmart in Washington, DC, the first sit-down strike in Walmart history, the first Walmart worker strike in the DC stores, and the first-ever community occupations (twice!) of the H Street store. Leading up to the Black Friday action, OUR Walmart members, inspired by the widespread demonstrations seeking justice in Ferguson and for Michael Brown, joined the Tuesday #DCFerguson march. When the march reached the H Street Walmart store, demonstrators flowed into the store, drawing the connection between economic inequality and our broken criminal justice system. The next day, on Wednesday, around 30 Walmart associates from DC, Maryland, and Virginia walked out on strike and held a sit-down strike in the H Street store. The next day, on Thanksgiving, they arrived at the Georgia Avenue Walmart to talk to customers about why they were striking and to deliver a letter to store management demanding no retaliation. Finally, on a brisk Friday morning, more than 400 community allies rallied with the Walmart strikers in front of H Street. Workers from VA and H Street told their stories: working full-time yet still needing public assistance; or unable to get enough hours to get benefits and provide for their families. At every action, workers departed chanting, “we’ll be back!” And when they return, they’ll return with the force of the community and the entire DC JWJ coalition, until Walmart jobs become living wage, full-time jobs...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jan 21, 2014 | Actions & Events, Campaigns
In case you missed it: DC Jobs with Justice, Respect DC and a large, diverse coalition of workers, community organizations, labor unions, faith groups, and businesses won two historic victories for workers’ rights in the District. After years of pushing for living wages for all workers (and specifically at Walmart) and expanding paid sick days to all workers, both campaigns came to an sudden, successful end in December of 2013. Starting in July of this year, the DC minimum wage will climb annually until it reaches $11.50 per hour, and will rise with the cost of living thereafter. And several years after DC became one of the first jurisdictions in the country to pass a paid sick leave law, the Paid Sick Days campaign was able to remove several exclusionary loopholes. What a way to end the year for working families in the District! Stay tuned for more updates as we ensure these laws get funded, go properly enforced, and become public knowledge. See here for an in-depth look at what these two bills offer for workers, courtesy of the DC Employment Justice...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 24, 2012 | Campaigns, Press, Walmart: Respect DC
Coalition says developer does not deserve Developer of the Year Award when their projects are harming communities and displacing residents. WASHINGTON, D.C., October 24 – Calling for an end to development that has been bringing low wage, part time jobs and displacing longtime residents, Respect DC rallied at noon today outside the Wardman Park Marriott in DC where the JBG Companies were receiving the “Developer of the Year” award from NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, at their annual meeting, which costs over $1000/per person to attend. “Developers should not be rewarded for displacing residents and bringing jobs that make it impossible to live in the area and support a family,” said Mike Wilson, with DC Jobs with Justice. “DC and the region need more affordable housing, and jobs that allow people to work full time for a living wage. Fighting to stop the First Source hiring law, bringing a low wage employer like Walmart, and replacing affordable housing units with luxury condos and hotels, only harms our community.” Respect DC is calling on JBG to bring Walmart to the table with community groups and sign a Community Benefits Agreement before they move forward on any projects with the retailer. They also demand that JBG, which sits on the board of the Associated Builders and Contractors, the group suing the DC government over the recently strengthened First Source Hiring Law, call on ABC to drop the law suit. In addition, they joined with Tenants and Workers United in calling on JBG to preserve affordable housing and not displace more than 2,000 working families residing the Beauregard redevelopment zone...
