This summer, the Wakeup Walmart bus tour is stopping in over 35 cities across the country. The tour stopped in Pittsburgh on August 4th, and featured a speech by Senator John Edwards about the negative impact that Walmart is having on American jobs. The Pittsburgh League of Young Voters turned out 400 people, or four times the number of people that came out for the tour stops in Brooklyn, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Our success in bringing out young people, labor unions and their supporters, and Democratic elected officials illustrates the power of local organizing and the impact that young people can have when they are supported in their own communities.

The Pittsburgh League of Young Voters mobilized its organizational partners to assist with turnout for the event. Besides working closely with Gabe Morgan of Change to Win and John DeFazio of the United Steelworkers of America, we partnered with a diverse group of organizations including Allegheny County Central Labor Council, Allegheny County Democratic Committee, ACORN, Democracy 4 Pittsburgh, Progress Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Young Democrats, Just Harvest, South End Active Democrats, CLUW, Labor and Religion Coalition, Mon Valley Unemployed Committee, CBTU, Pennsylvania America Votes, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, and Working Families Win.

Click here for more information on the Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaign.

Click here to read about creative direct action in the fight against Wal-Mart.