Karla Salazar holds a sign before getting arrested by LA police.
Los Angeles police arrested more than 50 people outside a Chinatown Wal-Mart store for wage dispute.
By H. Nelson Goodson
November 8, 2013
Los Angeles, CA - On Thursday, police arrested at least 54 wage protesters including Wal-Mart employees, teachers and nurses in front of a newly opened Chinatown Wal-Mart store. More than 200 people participated in a major protest targeting alleged unfair employment practices and low wages by Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has an estimated 13,000 employees nationwide.
The protesters staged a sit-in on the street and when police asked them to disperse, the protesters refused. They were arrested for unlawful
The detained portesters who couldn't post a $500 bail were held overnight, according to police.
The wage protest was organized by the Los Angeles County Federation of Workers, AFL-CIO union, which is demanding better wages for Wal-Mart workers. Organizers said, the protest was organized to draw attention to the inequality wage earnings at Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart spokesperson Kory Lundberg says that there are virtually no Wal-Mart associates participating in such orchestrated events because they know the truth about working at Wal-Mart, according to Reuters.
Last month, Wal-Mart began helping their employees in other parts of the country to apply for federal food stamps as a result of low wages earned. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) also known as the Food Stamp program offers millions of low-income families with their nutritional needs.
Wal-Mart is currently preparing for the holiday season, which starts during Thanksgiving.
