Colby Harris
Colby Harris is from Desoto, TX. Despite being illegally terminated by Walmart for speaking out, he continues to make his voice heard. In a 2012 story by the New York Times, Colby addressed why this struggle is important to him, “We’re protesting because we want better working conditions and better wages and because we want them to stop retaliating against associates who exercise their right to talk about what’s going on in their stores.” After Walmart committed the Unfair Labor Practice against Colby, he brought national attention to Walmart’s retaliatory practices in stories by NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN.
Presentations from Facing Race 2014
Hard Labor: Inside the New Movement for a Higher Minimum Wage and the Freedom to Unionize
Over the past two years fast food and other low-wage workers have been staging high profile protests to demand a higher minimum wage and the right to unionize. Businesses such as IKEA and The Gap have responded by raising their minimum wages as did the federal government. This panel will put this bustling movement into historical context, explore why workers are willing to strike now, and explore key moments in the fight.
Speakers: Colby Harris, Douglas Williams, Patricia Cruz