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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Indiana Wal-Marts protested

Unions stage rallies against stores' treatment of workers

The voices on the loudspeakers at Wal-Mart stores in six Indiana cities weren't touting the latest specials -- they were urging consumers to pressure the retail giant to provide better pay and benefits for its employees.\nA coalition of unions and nonprofit groups staged rallies at Wal-Mart stores in 100 cities in 40 states Thursday, saying the grin on the retailer's trademark smiley face was forced.\n"Behind that smiley face is a single mother who makes $7.50 an hour and can't afford health insurance for her family because Wal-Mart charges her $400 a month for it," said Rian Wathen of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 700.\n"Now, that's not a very happy face," he told dozens of protesters who gathered in the parking lot of a union-friendly Kroger near a Wal-Mart Supercenter on Indianapolis' east side.\nAbout 250 protesters carrying signs marched through a Mishawaka store despite being threatened with arrest by police. None were arrested.\n"Wal-Mart is supposed to be the 'Great American Company,' but it has turned its back on American workers," AFL-CIO National Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson told the crowd before they entered the store.\n"Wal-Mart makes it their business to make sure employees are intimidated to join unions," she said. "You stand here on their behalf tonight. You will be their voice."\nRally organizers contended Wal-Mart employees did not take part in the protests because they feared for their jobs.\nA company spokeswoman said the rallies were an attempt to boost union membership and generate revenue from dues by targeting Wal-Mart's 1.3 million nonunion employees.\n"We are competitive with other retailers in wages and benefits and offer a profit- sharing program and incentive bonus opportunities for our associates," said spokeswoman Cynthia Illick. "We have to pay competitive wages and benefits to attract the talented people who help us run our stores."\nWal-Mart spokesman Bill Wertz said the union talk was nothing new.\n"This talk about organizing unions has been going on since the late 1990s but always fails," said Wertz. "We are the target of unions because Wal-Mart is a large corporation and there is money for the unions to be made in dues."\nHe said the protesters were allowed to congregate at the stores as long as they did not disrupt business.\nProtesters said that was not their intent.\n"We are not here to tear up their aisles," said Jack Gray, who bought a pack of candy, hamburger buns and popsicles for his daughter before the rally in Muncie. "We are not going to do what they think we were going to do."\nHe said the protesters just wanted to show support for Wal-Mart employees.\nNot everyone was sympathetic.\n"I really don't think it's any of their business," said 17-year-old Kristie Szarmach, who went to the Muncie store to buy a Snapple. "If the people who work at Wal-Mart didn't like it, they can find another job. It's up to them to take action"

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