Employees Protest Black Friday Hours
By: Rachel Stone Nov. 20, 2012
Many retailers like Wal-mart and Target increased the Black Friday craze a few years ago by opening their doors extra early. This year is no different. Wal-mart announced last week that rather than waiting until Friday, stores will re-open at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day. Some employees, however, are not as thrilled as the bargain hunters.
In October, the groups of Our Wa-Mart and Making Change at Wal-Mart led a strike against the store. Since last week's announcement, WWD reports that these groups promise to launch 1,000 store protests, strikes and rallies leading up to (and on) Black Friday.
In response, Stores Inc. has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, asking the National Labor Relations Board to stop recent demonstrations that they called "unlawful attempts to disrupt its business."
Wal-Mart isn't the only retailer facing opposition from their employees over early Black Friday hours. Employees at Target, which plans to re-open at 9pm on Thanksgiving Day, have organized petitions through Change.org. According to an email Casey St. Clair of Corona, California, sent to Racked via Change.org, she will be presenting this petition to Target CEO:
I'm not complaining about being a minimum wage worker. Target, as a company, does some good and maintains a commitment to charity. Thanksgiving, though, is one of the three days retail workers get off a year, a day most spend with family. The issue is not black Friday, though it's not exactly this country's shining moment. Every year the opening time gets pushed up more and more. Midnight last year was pushing it. How can you expect workers to spend time with family and then stay up all night. It's inhumane and inconsiderate. You are most likely tucked away in bed while workers are in the stores pushing back a rabid crowd of shoppers trying to get an iPod. A 9pm opening disgusts me and symbolizes everything that is wrong with this country. Give Thanksgiving back to families. The world won't end if people have wait 7 more hours to buy useless junk that will be outdated in a year anyway.
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with your family. People can wait, or should learn how to wait, until Friday to shop. What do you think?
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