Local UAW Members to Protest Canton Walmart on Black Friday

Out among the thousands of savvy Black Friday shoppers, a small group of local union members will try to make a difference as they protest at the Canton Walmart.

Local UAW members from several different chapters will meet Friday afternoon to protest Walmart's treatment of its employees on the biggest shopping day of the year

Alison Hug, President of UAW Local 845 in Canton, has been the yearly event's organizer the last several years.

"It's going to be civil," Hug said. "We want Walmart to succeed, but we want our workers to be treated better. It's about the higher wages. Walmart's one of the biggest profitable companies in the world, and they retaliate against the workers that do speak up. That's going to be the message that we convey to people."

Hug said the group would be small, probably about 10 people, and she would try to go inside with some of the others to talk to associates and customers and tell them why they were protesting.

Hug said they chose the craziest shopping day of the year because there's a larger audience to reach.  

"The average Walmart worker makes $8.81 an hour... The taxpayers need to know that almost all Walmart employees are enrolled in medicaid and food stamps," she said. "That comes out of taxpayers' money. Now if they made better wages, they wouldn't have to be doing that."

The UAW members will be at the Canton Walmart, located on Ford Road and Lotz, from 12-1 p.m. on Friday. 

What do you think about the way Walmart treats its employees? Tell us in the comments.