The Virginia chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined in the Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaign because we are concerned about fair treatment of workers, especially at Wal-Mart. For the past few years the SCLC in Virginia has had various rallies on the Wal-Mart issue and tried to apply some pressure so that employees earn a living wage. Also, some women Wal-Mart workers contacted our organization to discuss their working conditions. They were not getting promoted or getting the hours and benefits they felt they should.

At our candlelight vigil last weekend, I made a statement about our hope that Wal-Mart will wake up and start to share a slice of the economic pie with its workers, so they will no longer work for low wages and insufficient benefits while this company makes billions of dollars.

With hard economic times around the nation and especially in the state of Virginia, people have no choice but to take jobs at Wal-Mart and other companies that do not provide a living wage. Families are being forced to work two or three jobs without benefits. That’s widespread throughout our state and nation. We do not want workers to be exploited in these hard times by corporations that are making billions of dollars but refuse to give a fair share to their employees. People are working hard at Wal-Mart but they’re just inching by, while the company makes billions – we’re just asking that they return some profits to their workers.

- Reverend William Avon Keen of Traynham Grove Church, Virginia