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Black Friday strikes expected at dozens of Walmart stores

By UPI Staff
Police tell protesters to disperse in a demonstration demanding higher wages for Walmart workers as they sit in the middle of K Street in downtown Washington, DC on October 16, 2014. The protest outside of the Walton Family Foundation at K Street and 18th Street blocked the intersection for more than an hour leading to massive traffic jams a few blocks from the White House. Sixteen protesters were arrested. UPI/Pat Benic
Police tell protesters to disperse in a demonstration demanding higher wages for Walmart workers as they sit in the middle of K Street in downtown Washington, DC on October 16, 2014. The protest outside of the Walton Family Foundation at K Street and 18th Street blocked the intersection for more than an hour leading to massive traffic jams a few blocks from the White House. Sixteen protesters were arrested. UPI/Pat Benic | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Walmart workers across the country will be striking on Black Friday, calling for better hours and a $15 per hour wage.

The group OUR Walmart, which is backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers, is representing the strikers, who have so far presented formal strike notices in at least six states, with more to follow.

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Marches and strikes are planned in over a dozen cities across the country, but they are not expected to disrupt the retailer's operations. In previous years, strikes have not been designed to interrupt shoppers or at-work Walmart employees, and there is no indication that this year could be any different in that regard.

The company's estimate of striking workers has traditionally been much lower than the organizers'. Walmart has released numbers saying "dozens" of workers have gone on strike, while the unions regularly claim "hundreds." According to organizers, Friday's Washington, D.C. rally is preparing to host 300 protesters, 30 of whom are workers, in a march from Union Station to a nearby Walmart store.

While protests have not hit Walmart's retail operation, they have been damaging both legally and in terms of public relations. In 2013, the National Labor Relations Board accused Walmart of punishing or intimidating workers who considered taking part in strikes. Walmart contested the claims and the case has not yet been resolved.

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