• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

2

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

3

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: 'Nobody on that list gets that job'

1

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

2

Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026

3

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: 'Nobody on that list gets that job'
RetailWalmart

Sen. Bernie Sanders to Crash Walmart Annual Meeting

By
Matthew Boyle
Matthew Boyle
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Matthew Boyle
Matthew Boyle
and
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 21, 2019, 5:22 PM ET
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  And Bernie Sanders Attend Green New Deal Rally At Howard University
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 13: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally at Howard University May 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Sunrise Movement held an event for the final stop of the "Road to a Green New Deal" tour to "explore what the pain of the climate crisis looks like in D.C. and for the country and what the promise of the Green New Deal means." (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)Alex Wong—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to crash Walmart Inc.’s annual shareholder meeting next month, but he won’t get the VIP treatment the retailer usually extends to famous guests.

Sanders, a longtime critic of labor practices at the nation’s biggest private employer, will introduce a shareholder proposal at the June 5 meeting in Rogers, Ark., a spokeswoman for his campaign said. The proposal, which has no chance of passing, calls for Walmart to give its hourly workers a board seat.

Sanders also introduced a bill last year to improve pay and sick leave at Walmart and other large companies. He will speak as a proxy for Cat Davis, the Walmart employee who filed the latest action, according to United for Respect, a workers’ rights organization. The Vermont senator and presidential aspirant, who is originally from Brooklyn, may have little more than the proverbial New York minute to speak on workers’ behalf, however. Last year Walmart rushed through all shareholder proposals in less than half an hour.

“We should have the power to decide what happens at the company many of us have given our working lives to,” Davis said in a statement. “Associates deserve more from Walmart than we’re getting right now, especially as we’re the ones who create the company’s profits. Senator Sanders recognizes that.”

‘Constructive Opportunity’

It’s not yet clear whether Sanders will meet with Walmart’s directors or executives at the event.

“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,” company spokesman Randy Hargrove said in an emailed statement.

The proposal Sanders will introduce is buried at the end of Walmart’s annual proxy statement under “Other Matters.” In the proxy, Walmart said that even if the plan is “properly presented,” it will be voted down. Walmart has separated shareholder proposals and other formalities of its annual meeting in recent years, conducting them a few days before the big “Celebration Event” at the University of Arkansas’s Bud Walton Arena that has featured performances from Katy Perry and Jamie Foxx.

Sanders has pointed to Walmart as an example of inequality in America—comparing the vast wealth of the Walton family, which owns the majority of Walmart shares, to the low income of its employees, some of whom receive government benefits like food stamps and Medicaid. He regularly claims the Walton family collectively has more wealth than the bottom 40% of Americans.

‘Sick and Tired’

“Walmart workers are sick and tired of being paid poverty wages, while the Walton family is worth over $170 billion,” Sanders said in a Twitter posting on Tuesday. “I’m honored to have been invited by Walmart workers to demand they have a seat on the company’s board.”

The ratio of Walmart CEO Doug McMillon’s $23.6 million pay package last year compared with that of the median associate was 1,076 to 1.

Sanders last November introduced the Stop Walmart Act, a bill that would prevent large companies from buying back stock unless they pay all employees at least $15 an hour, and allow workers to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave. Walmart has raised its starting minimum wage several times in recent years to the current $11, which is still below what rivals like Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp. pay.

Walmart has revamped its paid sick leave policy to include as much as 48 hours of paid time off, while expanding benefits for new parents. The company says these moves and others have lowered employee turnover by more than 10 percentage points in the U.S.

That’s not enough for critics like Sanders. But the Democratic presidential candidate might not get much time on the soapbox.

“We’ve given Walmart proper notice, but what they do now is up to them,” Campbell said.

About the Authors
By Matthew Boyle
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

teens
EconomyJobs
Teen summer employment is headed for its worst year since 1948
By Matt Sedensky and The Associated PressJune 18, 2026
4 hours ago
The U.S. Polo Assn. CEO
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Meet the CEO of US Polo Assn: He grew up in one of America’s poorest regions and now hosts Prince William and runs a $2.7 billion brand
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
10 hours ago
The froyopocalypse is over. Gen Z is swarming frozen yogurt shops like it’s 2010
RetailGen Z
The froyopocalypse is over. Gen Z is swarming frozen yogurt shops like it’s 2010
By Sam Klebanov and Morning BrewJune 17, 2026
20 hours ago
retail
EconomyConsumer Spending
Americans are still spending their tax refunds — for now, as retail sales jump in May
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
A man sits at a red checkerboard table with a Tiffany-style Pizza Hut lamp hanging above him.
RetailFood and drink
Pizza Hut is getting the private equity treatment in a $2.7 billion deal as its owner offloads the brand that defined 1990s dining nostalgia
By Sasha RogelbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago
butter
RetailFashion
Welcome to the summer of ‘Butter Yellow,’ the shade of consumer anxiety
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
21 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: 'Nobody on that list gets that job'
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring a recent role: 'Nobody on that list gets that job'
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
10 hours ago
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
Arts & Entertainment
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
By Christian SyltJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
2 days ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.