As the ad boasts of raising pay for workers, the number 15 flashes across the screen. While $15 an hour may be a national goal for minimum wage campaigners, the company says the number was “chosen at random.”
Walmart
It has been a good week for the Fight for 15, the national movement to raise pay for low wage workers to $15 an hour. From New York to California and D.C., cities and public institutions have moved closer to pay hikes that center around the number, more than twice the current federal minimum.
Today, a union-backed campaign is calling for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into a Walmart commercial it claims is "unfairly implying that workers are paid enough to support themselves and their families."
While campaigns are complaining the ad as a whole is misleading, there's one moment in particular that stands out to those who have been following the Fight for 15 (remember to turn the sound on):
Walmart announced earlier this year that it would raise entry-level wages to $9 an hour in 2015 and $10 next year.
The commercial's full voiceover is: "There are no medals won for earning a living. It's just what you do for family. But it's hard to build a future if you can't see past today. That's why Walmart is investing in the most important part of our company. Our people. Because a raise in pay raises us all."
That message didn't sit well with some campaigners.
"While it is true that Walmart announced wage increases this year, it is a flat out lie to imply that workers now make enough to live on, especially since so many still struggle to get full-time, consistent hours," said Jess Levin, communications director for the union-backed Making Change At Walmart campaign.
Here's the full commercial:
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