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Senator Bernie Sanders led his crusade against Walmart at the mammoth retailer's annual meeting Wednesday, backing an incentive to give the workers a place on the company's board of directors.
The Vermont Independent stopped in Bentonville, Arkansas, in the heat of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary to show support for Walmart's hourly collaborators. Sanders – who has long pushed the retailer to raise wages and benefits – sees in the condemnation of corporate titans a way to part with an overcrowded Democratic field.
The senator presented a shareholder proposal – on behalf of Cat Davis, a Walmart employee and worker rights advocate – that would allow the company of about 1.5 million hourly employees to qualify for the services. appointments to the board of directors. The founder's family, Sam Walton, owns the majority of the company's shares and opposes the measure.
"Walmart can be a blow to corporate greed and a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality that exists in our country," said Sanders in a two-minute commentary introducing the proposal and calling for salary increases at Walmart.
The results of the shareholder vote were expected later in the day.
The appearance of Sanders has obvious political advantages for the senator. He criticized Walmart's leadership while standing in the same room as his CEO, Doug McMillon, and supported working-class voters who, he hopes, will help propel him to the Democratic nomination. to the presidency.
"Frankly, the American people are fed up with subsidizing the greed of some of the largest and most profitable companies in the country," said Sanders, noting that some Walmart employees have been resorting assistance such as Medicaid.
Protesters gather in front of the Walmart shareholders meeting while Senator Bernie Sanders was scheduled to speak at the event.
Amanda Lasky | CNBC
Protesters gathered outside the meeting – some of the "United for Respect" group, who called for workers on the Walmart board – held up signs supporting the Sanders & # campaign 39, 2020 and claiming a minimum wage of $ 15 per hour.
When Sanders confirmed last month that he would attend the meeting, Walmart said he hoped the senator "would approach this visit not as a stop to the campaign, but as a constructive opportunity to discover the means by which we work to increase economic opportunities, mobility and security, advantages for our associates. "
Before Sanders speaks, McMillon highlighted the company's efforts to increase his starting salary to $ 11 at the hour. He also called on Congress to adopt a "thoughtful plan to increase" the federal minimum wage, taking into account "gradual increases in the cost of living and the cost of living in order to avoid unexpected consequences".
On Wednesday, Sanders argued that a minimum wage of $ 15 / hour "is not a radical idea". He pointed out that Walmart's competitors such as Amazon and Target have begun to gradually apply a payment threshold of $ 15 per hour.
While criticism from wealthy individuals and businesses has spread across the political spectrum, the 2020 Democrats have more directly targeted large corporations. Along with Walmart, Sanders criticized Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, and helped the company raise the minimum wage to $ 15 at the time.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., S is also interested in US companies, striving to dismantle technology companies like Amazon and Apple and giants such as Monsanto. Warren has proposed a plan allowing employees to select at least 40% of the board members of a company.
The positions of Sanders and Warren have removed them from rivals such as former Vice President Joe Biden, who has tried not to appear too hostile to US companies.
Until now, during the election campaign, presidential candidates have demonstrated their support to the striking workers of the Stop & Shop grocery chain and other companies.
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