As reported by LongmontFYI, Tomtas has ended his hunger strike in front of WalMart which he alleges fired him for joining a union.
Tomtas “gave out” around 5:30 Thursday evening. He’s now weaning himself off his fast with applesauce, grated vegetables and tea. Tomtas has lost 15 pounds and now weights 150.
“That’s my exact weight when I came here from Poland 17 years ago,” he said with a laugh.
Tomtas came to Loveland in 1988 with his wife and son, all refugees because of his involvement with Poland’s Solidarity movement in the 1980s.
Now he plans to pursue wrongful termination charges against Wal-Mart through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.
John Bowen, an attorney with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, said the union filed charges Monday against Wal-Mart. Tomtas is scheduled to meet with labor board representatives early next week.
I wish Ryszard great success in standing up against the corporate bullies of Walmart and a healthy, prosperous future for him and his family.
Unions are a vital part of a health economy. Because people are not widgets.
