Wal-Mart Watch Vigil for Justice

The faith community, along with Wal-Mart Watch Interfaith Coalition, is calling for a National Vigil for Justice because of the unfair treatment of employees by the Wal-Mart Corporation. While acknowledging that Wal-Mart has taken a positive step in partnering with groups like SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to address the health crisis, we in the faith community have decided to watch and pray. Our prayer is that this leads to tangible solutions, yet we are watchful because of past indiscretion. Because of the growing number of workers at Wal-Mart who are forced to suffer from various issues such as discrimination, lack of affordable health care, unreasonable long waiting period and for those working while off the clock; we are calling on people of faith to a Vigil for Justice during the next forty (40) days.

This time coincides with the Christian Lenten season and the Jewish Passover celebration. Upholding their Islamic faith, Muslims also are joining people of all faiths in this vigil of justice, seeking justice for the impoverished, destitute and oppressed. Many traditions embrace vigils with different methodologies. We hope that people of faith will commit themselves to “fast” from buying products at Wal-Mart.

While people have differing capacities to engage in the fast – some might do it one day a week while others might fast throughout the entire period – we hope that everyone will seek to stretch themselves to live out their solidarity to Wal-Mart workers and commitment to justice. This is a moral and spiritual issue.

This is a moral and spiritual issue. Isaiah 58:5-7 called out, on behalf of God:

What is the fast I demand of you? —
What is a day to press down your ego?
Is it bending down your head like a bulrush?
Sitting on sack-cloth and ashes?
No!
This is the fast that I have chosen:
Break the handcuffs put on by wicked power;
Undo the yoke of heavy burden;
Let the oppressed go free.
Share your bread with the hungry;
Bring the homeless to your own house.
When you see the naked, clothe them;
Don’t hide yourself; they are your flesh and blood!

Why a Vigil?

- We are in a vigil for all the women like Betty Dukes who suffered and are suffering from sexual discrimination while working at Wal-Mart.

- We are in a vigil for disabled people like Steve Bradley, Jr. who was discriminated by Wal-Mart because of his cerebral palsy.

- We are in a vigil because of thousand of reported and unreported workers who have been forced to work off the clock with no pay.

- We are in a vigil for thousands of full time workers who have to wait six months to qualify for a health care plan which has a $1,000 deductible for individuals and $3,000 deductible for a family.

- We are in a vigil for part time workers who have to wait one year for this same plan.

- We are in a vigil for people like Cindy Bowling who worked faithful for Wal-Mart until she was injured on the job and then fired because of the injury. 

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, March 26, 2007