EAST SYRACUSE (WSYR-TV) -- A group passed out flyers inside the East Syracuse Walmart to Black Friday shoppers protesting the retail giant's treatment of its workforce.
Caroline Kim Tihayni, one of the organizers of the protest, said 22 people went into the Bridge Street store, handing out flyers asking the company to stop retaliating against workers who complain about wages and working conditions.
"Nobody was prevented from passing out the flyers," and some shoppers were happy to have the information, Tihanyi said.
Some members of the group then moved to one of the store's street entrances to pass out flyers and sing protest songs. They moved to a second entrance, where a police officer's arrival caused them to move off store property.
The protest is part of a national effort called OURWalmart, for Organization United for Respect at Walmart.
The group supports higher wages and benefits for Walmart workers, claiming that some workers work full-time for the company but are paid so poorly that they receive public assistance benefits.
They also claim Walmart retaliates against workers who advocate for better conditions or who try to organize unions at the non-union company.
The company claims its pay and benefits are competitive and that it does not retaliate against its workers.
News service reports indicate there have been a handful of protests across the country at Walmart stores.
