UFCW Joins 2011 MLK Peacewalk

Yesterday the UFCW joined together with community-based organizations from all over Washington, DC to take part in the 5th annual MLK Peacewalk, to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His inspirational words and moral leadership ring especially true in light of the struggles D.C. residents face today.

"It is a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King put his life on the line to stand up for Memphis sanitation workers who were on strike for their right to dignity, respect, and a living wage. UFCW Local 400 and its partners in the Living Wages Healthy Communities Coalition are drawing on his wisdom and courage as they face Walmart's plans to open four stores in our nation's capital. The coalition has been organizing to demand that no Walmart opens in DC without a strong community benefits agreement that protects workers and communities.

We are standing together to tell Walmart that D.C. residents, and all Americans, deserve respect. From America's largest employer, we deserve more than the below-poverty wages and few benefits Walmart gives its employees. We deserve basic dignity at work. We deserve good jobs in our communities.

That's why yesterday, the UFCW joined with our brothers and sisters and marched behind the "Walmart: Respect DC" banner in the MLK Peacewalk. In the spirit of Dr. King's work, and in order to keep our D.C. communities healthy, we stand united to say:

Walmart: Respect DC

To learn more about the work of the Living Wages Healthy Communities Coalition, visit http://www.respectdc.org/