https://themilitant.com/2018/12/22/walmart-worker-hits-bosses-abuses-over-intercom/
Walmart worker hits bosses’ abuses over intercom
By Brian Williams
Vol. 83/No. 1
January 7, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Jackson Racicot was fed up with the way the Walmart
bosses where he worked constantly mistreated workers. What attracted a
lot of attention is how he went about making his opinions public.
He handed in a letter of resignation and then went on the intercom
system at the Grande Prairie Walmart where he had worked in Alberta,
Canada, Dec. 6. “Attention all shoppers, associates and management,”
Racicot announced. When he had gotten everyone’s attention, he said,
“I’ve been a loyal employee here for over a year and a half, and I’m
sick of the bulls—, bogus write-ups, and my job.”
Racicot said managers “will make promises and never keep them.” He also
said that his boss was disdainful, and had called Racicot “a waste of time.”
He described some of the things he’d seen while working there. “They
preach to us about how they care about their employees,” Racicot said.
“But management will try and save money every step of the way, cutting
benefits and a full-time associate down to part time.”
On a one-minute video he made of his announcement and posted to his
Facebook page, cheers and applause can be heard after Racicot finished
his speech. They came from both customers and some other workers. The
video has since gone viral, viewed over the next week more than 180,000
times, attracting thousands of “likes” and comments.
“I’m just a customer and we get treated pretty bad at Walmart, so I can
imagine how bad they would treat their employees!” said one.
In an interview with the Star Edmonton, Racicot said that he decided to
quit publicly to raise awareness of working conditions and other “labor
issues” at the country’s largest retail company. “Don’t be treating your
employees as if you own them, as if they are your property,” he told the
paper.
Racicot said he’s been contacted by other Walmart workers and they’re
discussing other pro-labor actions.
On the Picket Line
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In This Issue
Front Page Articles •‘Yellow vest’ protests force gov’t concessions
•New Year’s greetings to our readers behind bars!
•Join SWP in taking books, ‘Militant’ to workers doors
•‘We are human beings, not robots!’ Amazon workers protest conditions
•Turkish rulers threaten to attack Kurds seeking autonomy in Syria
•Rail bosses push crew cuts, longer trains, risk lives in drive for profit
Feature Articles •‘What does Cuba teach? That revolution is possible’
Also In This Issue •Hungary protests oppose law letting bosses force
overtime
•Workers donate ‘blood money’ bribes to build SWP
•Celebrate Nan Bailey’s five decades building SWP
•UK out of EU is best terrain for workers’ struggles there
•Join fight against prison censorship of ‘Militant’!
On the Picket Line •Mental health clinicians strike across California
•United flight attendants protest crew size cuts, grueling schedules
•Oakland teachers rally for smaller class sizes, higher wages
•Walmart worker hits bosses’ abuses over intercom
Books of the Month •Workers take political power or face ‘Iron Heel’ of
capitalist rule
25, 50 and 75 years ago
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