Fired Wal-Mart worker still on hunger strike

[struggle4progress]

Tom Fasano
March 16, 2005

<snip> Heading into Day 7 of a hunger strike -- he started two days after being fired from his job as a $15.95 per hour verifier at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Loveland -- Ryszard Tomtas isn't ready to give up. <snip>

Tomtas, a Polish immigrant who worked at the distribution center for 13 years, said Wal-Mart accused him of kicking somebody.

"I never kicked anybody," said Tomtas, who was fired on March 8.

Tomtas said he's not hungry, he's feeling great and that he's in good spirits. <snip>

http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20050316/NEWS/103160060/0/FRONTPAGE/?rs=2

[whistle]

1. This is a lone courageous worker protesting his right to not be

...fired just because management can hire someone for less pay! But, Wal-Mart workers at that location have to rise up and unite to show their support, or his effort will have no impact. Does anyone believe that Wal-Mart management gives a rat's ass about whether or not this man was treated fairly by their his supervisor.

Companies all across the country have ignored the rights of workers and have actually broken the organized labor movement in this country. We are seeing a return to the early 20th century in labor/management relations in the United States. This is a beginning, but others must join the cause and organize against policies of giant corporations like Wal-Mart.

[ninkasi]

4. When I still worked

I was a member of a union, the CWA. One year when contracts came up for renewal, we had t-shirts that said, "United we stand, divided we beg." That's still true.

[CanuckAmok]

5. Nor will Wal*Mart care if he dies.

They won't cave-in... it sets a dangerous (for Wal*Mart) precedent. But, yeah, if I worked in that guy's Wal*Mart, I'd go "tools down" until he stopped his strike.

Guess I'd get fired, too.

[w4rma]

2. Walmart will lie to, cheat, and slander anybody that stands in the way of

profits for the Walmart family inheritors.

[bush_is_wacko]

3. He'[s not hungry because he worked for Walmart for 13 years!

He probably had a hard time putting food on his table (or his family, if your GWB) every single day of that 13 years!

Walmart doesn't get ANY money from me EVER! And I found out today one of the women I work with, who has a part time job with Walmart on the side has a daughter that won't buy anything there either! Seems even the employees of that despicable company are sending their family elsewhere these days!

I still don't quite understand WHY this woman works for Walmart and not some other place for extra money. Strange, don't you think?

[area51]

6. "don't quite understand WHY this woman works for Walmart ..."

Maybe it's the only other job she could get. It's extremely hard to get a job in this economy.

---

"Prosperity is just around the corner." -- Herbert Hoover
"The economy has turned a corner." -- GW Bush

Herbert Hoover = GW Bush

Neither man cared about the Depression their economic policies created.

[bush_is_wacko]

7. Yeah! That probably is why she works for Walmart but there are other jobs

out where we are and she is a pretty highly educated person. She has worked for Walmart for almost the exact amount of time GWB has been in office. I wonder what Walmart was like four years ago? I've been hearing stories about them for ten years or so.

[Voltaire99]

8. With all due respect to Mr. Tomtas...

...who is hardly the first victim of Wal-Mart...

...Sir, desist.

The very last thing to do is harm oneself in a futile effort to send a message to our heartless, corrupt overdogs. You'll only be giving them entertainment.

[MrSlayer]

9. I don't get the whole Hunger Strike thing.

I don't see how harming yourself is putting any pressure on your opponent. With all due respect to the hunger strikers out there, I think it's stupid.