Sen. Bernie Sanders turned over his social media accounts to Walmart workers on Tuesday—one day before the Democratic presidential candidate is set to attend the retail giant's annual meeting, at the invitation of some employees, to advocate for higher wages and introduce a shareholder's proposal that aims to ensure hourly workers are represented on the company's board.
Sanders is a longtime supporter of expanding labor rights and critic of Walmart. During the last congressional session, Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the Stop WALMART Act, which would bar major American corporations that don't pay employees $15 an hour plus benefits from buying back their own stock.
"What the workers want is a seat at the table," the senator said in an introductory video posted to Twitter Tuesday. "My message to the Walton family will be: We are tired of subsidizing you, pay your workers a living wage."
I'm going to the @Walmart shareholders' meeting tomorrow to end the greed of the wealthiest family in America.
Walmart workers deserve a living wage and seats on the board.
Today, I'm handing over my social media to Walmart workers to tell their stories and #EndWalmartGreed. pic.twitter.com/e8jAuAtUrH
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 4, 2019
Walmart workers shared their stories in additional videos posted to the presidential hopeful's Twitter profile and Facebook page.
Adriana Bautista, who lives in Texas and has worked at Walmart for 14 years, said in Spanish, "I'm a mother for four beautiful girls and they are the ones who suffer when my employer gives me only 15 hours of work per week."
"It's time for workers like me," Bautista continued, "to have a voice at Walmart's executive table."
“I’m a mother of 4 beautiful girls and they are the ones who suffer when [Walmart] only gives me 15 hours of work per week.”
Adriana has worked at Walmart for 14 years. Tomorrow I will join Walmart workers to demand workers like her have a seat on the board. #EndWalmartGreed pic.twitter.com/oye3Ilrruv
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 4, 2019
Cynthia Murray, a 19-year Walmart associate based in Maryland, highlighted the profits of the shareholders, most notably the Walton family, compared with "workers who can't even afford to buy food at the end of the day."
"That's a shame," Murray said. "The Waltons' greed must end."
Calling on politicians to "stand with the people that elected them," Murray added, "Join me and Bernie Sanders in demanding that the wealthiest family in America pay all their workers a living wage of $15 an hour."
The shareholder's proposal that Sanders plans to introduce was filed by Cat Davis, a Walmart employee and leader of labor rights group United for Respect. Walmart's annual shareholders' meeting is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Bentonville, Arkansas at 10am local time. According to a press release, the meeting will be streamed on the company website here.