The Black Friday sales are weird. People subject themselves to crowding and pushing and manic people fighting over an item that will soon likely be forgotten anyway. They wait in lines at ungodly hours, all to save a few pennies. And low-wage workers are made to smile and help the angry mobs.
In the past couple of years, the start time for Black Friday has inched ever earlier, now starting before Thanksgiving Thursday has ended. The losers in this scenario are those low wage workers who have no other recourse…. until now.
Walmart workers are going on strike. More power to them. And damn you if you dare to cross the picket lines.
Today, on both my show and the Randi Rhodes Show, we’ll examine the trend toward paying workers less and less, while the C-level executives and members of the lucky sperm club (Walton family, I’m talking to you!) reap the obscene benefits.
Between my show and Randi’s today, I’ll speak with a few people on the subject, including Arne Kalleberg, author of Good Jobs, Bad Jobs and professor of Sociology at UNC/ Chapel Hill, and The Nation’s Josh Eidelson, who’s covering the Walmart action planned for Black Friday.
On my show, Amy Simon of She’s History will check in to tell us about performing as Bella Abzug for Gloria Steinem and others this week, and Crooks & Liars’ John Amato will join us too.
On The Randi Rhodes Show, I’m thrilled to welcome Jim Hightower to weigh in on, following the re-election of President Obama, what comes next, and Richard Eskow of the Campaign for America’s Future to bring us up to date on the “fiscal cliff” negotiations…
