New documents reveal that Wal-Mart raised its wages in 2006 as a result of worker protests. (Photo credit: Flickr user Monochrome)

Over the past two weeks, Wal-Mart stores and suppliers have been faced with sporadic one-day strikes all over the country, the first in the company’s 50-year history. Workers are now threatening to walk out on the store’s busiest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.

Many observers are wondering whether these small strikes and walk outs will have an impact on the notoriously anti-labor company. Matt Stoller at Naked Capitalism has the details on how past protests have actually dramatically improved things at Wal-Mart stores.

Stoller points to a document that has a transcript of the remarks of t. Louis Federal Reserve President William Poole where he says a Wal-Mart contact told him there were raises in 700 Wal-Mart stores in 2006 thanks to the “social/political” protests against the company:

Poole offered some very different and shocking news, ai???My Wal-Mart contact also said that ai???Wal-Mart is in the process of raising starting wages in about 700 stores. This is the first time in eight years of talking with him that Iai??i??ve heard any comment like that. He said that some of the raises are part of the Wal-Mart, Iai??i??ll call it ai???Social/politicalai??? agenda because of all the controversy about Wal-Mart.ai???

Recall that 2006 was the year after the premiere of a hard-hitting documentary about the store, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. It was also the same year that the chain was facing a massive worker campaign organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) called “Wake Up Walmart.”

While Wal-Mart stores remain absent of unions, this document proves an important point: the store is willing to respond to protests by raising wages. So if the strikes and walk outs persist, it is likely that Wal-Mart will eventually back down and decide to treat its workers better.

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See our other posts about the struggle for justice for Wal-Mart workers:

Why They Strike: Wal-Martai??i??s CEO Earns 1167 Times As Much As An Average Worker At The Company

Woman Working At Wal-Mart Was Told ai???Single Moms Like You Donai??i??t Deserve To Make As Muchai??i?? As Men

Historic Wave Of Strikes And Work Stoppages Hits Wal-Mart Stores And Suppliers