As shoppers drove into and out of the Walmart store at Brooks and Miller Creek Road on Black Friday, November 29, they encountered a handful of protesters with signs asking the company to pay their workers a living wage.

Political Organizer Chad Bishop with the AFL-CIO in Missoula said he and his fellow protesters were trying to raise awareness about the plight of low-wage workers.

"Low-wage employees work at places like Walmart here, as well as fast food places along with our medical facilities here in Missoula, and they don't make a lot of money " Bishop said. "Their labor raises a lot of money for corporations like Walmart, McDonalds, Burger King, you name it. Ultimately, we'd like Walmart to pay fair wages to their workers. They can afford it, because they record record profits year after year, and yet 95% of their workers live in poverty."

Bishop also argues that the low wages paid by corporations like Walmart force their workers to depend on government services.

"These workers also rely on social services provided by social services here in Missoula, so in that way citizens of Missoula are subsidizing the profits of companies like Walmart," Bishop said. "The fact of the matter is that within ten years there are projections that say two-thirds of our economy will be made up of these jobs. So, if you work for a corporation that can afford to pay you, you should be paid a living wage."

There were many honks and waves by people who drove by, many of whom stopped in to shop at Walmart.

Political Organizer Chad Bishop with the AFL-CIO in Missoula

 

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