Workers Allege Forced Labor at Walmart, Plan March in NYC

Workers say they were forced to work up to 24 hours without overtime pay and faced threats of violence from a Walmart supplier.

By Jamilah King Jun 18, 2012

Mexican guestworkers who exposed forced labor on Walmart’s Louisiana supply chain will march on the New York City offices of Walmart board members on Tuesday. They will be joined by community and labor allies. According to a [press release from the National Guestworker Alliance](http://www.guestworkeralliance.org/2012/06/walmart-supply-chain-workers-hit-nyc-to-expose-forced-labor-cover-up/): > The workers went on strike from Walmart supplier C.J.’s Seafood on June 4, reporting to the federal Department of Labor (DOL) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that they had been subjected to forced labor, shifts of up to 24 hours with no overtime pay, constant surveillance, and threats of violence against themselves and their families in retaliation for seeking basic labor and civil rights. > > Within days, Walmart attempted a cover-up, sending company representatives to meet with the supplier while refusing all contact with the whistleblowers. A Walmart representative attempted to mislead a reporter about the status and findings of three federal investigations. Probes by the DOL Wage and Hour division, OSHA, and EEOC are ongoing. The workers also [plan to deliver a Change.org petition](https://www.change.org/petitions/walmart-stop-profiting-from-forced-labor-in-louisiana) with over 5,000 signatures demanding that Walmart be held accountable for its labor practices.