Hide Transcript Show Transcript

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS IS COMING TO BENTONVILLE NEXT MONTH. HE WILL JOIN THE THE WALMART EMPLOYEE GROUP- "UNITED FOR RESPECT" AT THE WALMART SHAREHOLDER'S MEETING IN JUNE. SENATOR SANDERS AUTHORED THE "STOP WALMART ACT" -- WHICH ASKS FOR HOURLY EMPLOYEES TO HAVE A SEAT ON THE COMPANY'S CORPORATE BOARD. WALMART SENT A STATEMENT TO 40/29 NEWS ABOUT SANDERS' VISIT: "We hope he will approach his visit not as a campaign stop, but as a constructive opportunity to learn about the many ways we're working to provide increased economic opportunity, mobility and benefits to our associates." THE GROUP UNITED FOR RESPECT ALSO SENT A STATEMENT SAYING, "This is fundamentally about hourly associates having the power to drive corporate change at the top, because C-suites and corporate boards are leaving us behind."

Advertisement Bernie Sanders coming to the 2019 Walmart Shareholders Meeting Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders plans to come to Northwest Arkansas for the 2019 Walmart Shareholders Meeting, a spokesperson for the campaign told 40/29 News Tuesday.Sanders will introduce a measure to give Walmart workers representation on the company's Board of Directors. In November, Sanders introduced the "Stop Walmart Act" which is intended to get Walmart associates better pay and benefits. It also attempts to stop corporations from buying back their own stock unless they pay all workers $15 an hour, offer paid sick leave up to a week, among other things. This year's Walmart Shareholders Meeting will be held from June 5 to June 7. The formal business meeting will be held at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers on Wednesday June 5, starting at 10 a.m. It will be streamed online at stock.walmart.comThe celebration event, which typically includes live music and celebrities, will take place at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville on Friday June 7, starting at 8 a.m.Walmart sent a statement to 40/29 News about Sanders' visit:"The company will respond to specific shareholder proposals once they are formally presented at our June 5 shareholders meeting. Since the beginning, a cornerstone of Walmart’s culture has been engaging frontline associates in the management of the company, and we’re proud of the fact that 75% of our U.S. management associates began their career as frontline hourly associates. If Senator Sanders attends, we hope he will approach his visit not as a campaign stop, but as a constructive opportunity to learn about the many ways we’re working to provide increased economic opportunity, mobility and benefits to our associates — as well as our widely recognized leadership on environmental sustainability." The group United for Respect is calling for worker representation on the Board of Directors "to ensure we have a say in decisions that impact our work and our lives," according to the group website.Its Walmart campaign, which has included protests outside the Home Office in Bentonville, has been ongoing since 2011. Walmart currently has 12 people on its Board of Directors, including Rob Walton, Rob Walton's son-in-law Gregory B. Penner, and Jim Walton's son Steuart Walton.Sanders has served as U.S. Senator from Vermont in 2007. He ran for president in the Democratic primaries in 2016 and has announced a campaign to secure that party's presidential nomination in the 2020 election.