As a former employee myself, I'm glad to see Wal Mart Employees are finally protesting nationwide in numbers big enough to make the news and give the corporate giant troubles.
See these articles for details:
Hallandale Walmart workers join protest
Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Walkout
I am presently watching Current TV's replay of their "Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Price."
All this has inspired me to share my own story (below the squiggle):
"Portrait of an Abusive Boss - or - Why I Quit Wal-Mart"
In April 2007, at approximately 6:10 AM, Assistant Manager Alpha called for all Associates then working in the Grocery Dept. to meet him at the tortilla-and-taco rack, next to Aisle 10. Support Manager Beta, and Mom, Ketone, Lipid, Alemeda, and I all responded. Assistant Manager Alpha had placed a bakery item on the floor. There was a ladder leaning against the taco-and-tortilla rack. Alpha then began to harangue us about safety issues.
He asked if we had children. He pointed to the bakery item on the floor. When we looked at it, he slapped the ladder violently, causing it to slam into the floor. IF I HAD NOT JUMPED OUT OF THE WAY, THE LADDER WOULD HAVE HIT ME.
"That," he said, "could have been an accident. If it had hit a child, or if it had hit YOU (pointing at me), it would have gone on my record..." Assistant Manager Alpha then harangued us about leaving ladders out, about how he is tired of going around the store picking up ladders that have been left out, and about how an accident would affect his bonus, "after I've worked my butt off," he said.
All during this, he stared directly into my eyes, as if blaming me for leaving out the ladder (I didn't -- in fact, earlier I'd put that same ladder away three times myself). I am not the only one who noticed this, because the witnessing Associates commented to me about it after the incident.
The next day, I asked Support Manager Beta about filing a complaint. She said that I should calm down and forget it, "because the ladder didn't hit me".
She also implied that no one, including her, was going to witness to it against Alpha for fear of their own jobs. Unfortunately, this is true.
I ended up having to quit a few months later due to physical problems because of the stressful work environment.
8:19 AM PT: It seems they may have Wal Mart worried:
Walmart Strike Memo Reveals Confidential Management Plans