Walmart strikes are underway as Black Friday begins

Consumers headed to Walmart for an early start on Black Friday were likely greeted by protest signs as the employee group OUR Walmart held strikes against the retailer. Walmart employees in Florida, California, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas, Massachusetts and Louisiana walked out on their stores Thursday (Nov. 22) evening as shoppers prepared to come by to get great deals thanks to Black Friday sales. 

Some of the protests were shut down by police, according to The Nation, while others continued on. The idea was not to stymie Black Friday sales, but rather have the nationwide consumer holiday help OUR Walmart's issues reach a wider audience. Over 1,000 stores  nationwide had planned petitions on Black Friday, and the OUR Walmart declaration has over 1,800 signatures.

The strikers against Walmart are protesting low wages, a lack of benefits and Walmart's tendency to retaliate against their "complaining." In a statement, Walmart responds by saying, "Our stores will be operating normally on Black Friday and our customers will see nothing unusual when they shop."