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2013 was a year full of actions and in no particular order, we wanted to share the highlights.  We got everything from Santa Claus getting arrested to workers speaking out at the Walmart shareholder meeting.  

Email trina.tocco@uniglobalunion.org if you have a highlight you'd like us to add to this list.

1. 1. The UNI Alliance @ Walmart marked its one year anniversary in October 2013.  With Walmart stores in 27 countries, we recognize the need to coordinate and collaborate.  We even had new unions join us such as UASENZEN from Japan.
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3. 2. The global action went from a one day action in 2012 to a week of actions in November 2013.  Workers and their supporters in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Mexico, El Salvador, India, Bangladesh and Nicaragua all held actions to show support for better working conditions at Walmart stores and throughout Walmart’s supply chain.You can view some of the pics here.
   

    

4. 3. In June 2013 Walmart Union leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and South Africa travelled all the way to Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, USA.  Workers took part in protests, trainings and even Walmart’s annual shareholder meeting where workers from the USA and Bangladesh both spoke demanding the Walmart Board of Directors do better by workers.
   
5. 4. Walmart has had to delay and slow down its expansion plans because of the allegations and ongoing investigations of bribery under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  Walmart’s stock even pummeled by 8% when the initial media report came out in 2012.  Hearings, commissions and investigations continued in El Salvador, Mexico, USA and India to determine how wide scale the problem has become.  
   
   Image courtesy of SumofUs
    
6. 5. The UNI Alliance @ Walmart Facebook page grew to more than 92,000 followers.  Our most popular post was a solidarity message from unions around the world to OUR Walmart members in the US. 
   
    
7. 6. Outrage spread quicking in November 2013 when a Walmart store in Ohio, USA started to ask Walmart workers to donate food for fellow workers.  This story of Walmart workers not earning enough to afford food for their families became a rallying cry for Walmart associates leading up to Black Friday.  
   
8. 7. BlackFridayProtests.org was launched and there were protests at almost 1,500 Walmart stores on Black Friday.
    
    
9. 8. Walmart was fined $250,000 in Brazil because of fire safety violations.
   
    
10. 9. Workers and their supporters in the US stood bravely as they were arrested en masse in several cities while demanding that workers are reinstated who have been fired for speaking out against Walmart’s low wages and disrespect.  Even Santa Claus got arrested!
     
    Image courtesy of OUR Walmart
     
11. 10. Walmart workers from around the world gathered in Buenos Aires in June 2013 to celebrate the reinstatement of a fired worker in Argentina.
    
12. 11. With the announcement of a new Walmart CEO, we launched an online petition to be delivered early this year.  We want RESPECT and a LIVING WAGE!  If you haven’t signed it yet, don’t miss your chance here.