The Dollar General store in Wisconsin made headlines recently as its entire staff resigned due to issues of underpayment and overwork. On March 9th, six employees, including manager Trina Tribolet, made a bold statement by not showing up for work. Instead, they left a handcrafted sign announcing their collective resignation.
Tribolet shared her experience of working seven days a week for an extended period. As the manager, she was limited in the number of paid hours she could allocate to her team. It wasn’t until this past weekend that she finally had a break from work, the first since Christmas. The stress of overwork and feeling unappreciated had reached a breaking point for the entire team.
One sign displayed at the storefront simply said, “We quit!” Another sign highlighted the team’s grievances, which included a lack of appreciation, excessive workloads, and inadequate compensation. These frustrations led to their mass exodus.
The final straw for Tribolet and her colleagues was Dollar General’s policy on food donations. The policy required the disposal of items nearing their expiration date or those no longer stocked by the store. Despite their attempts to donate items labeled as damaged, management intervened and forced them to stop, ultimately resulting in their resignation.
In response to the employee walkout, Dollar General temporarily closed the store for three hours on March 9th due to staffing shortages. Soon after, new personnel were hired to fill the void left by the departing employees. The company defended its practices, emphasizing its partnership with Feeding America and its commitment to food safety. In fact, the Mineral Point store alone donated nearly 7,500 pounds of food to local food banks over the past year.
While Tribolet and her former colleagues have already found alternative employment opportunities, their departure sheds light on broader issues within the retail sector, especially wage disparities. According to the Economic Policy Institute’s Company Wage Tracker, a staggering 92 percent of Dollar General employees earn less than $15 per hour, with many receiving wages between $10-12 per hour.
The events at the Mineral Point Dollar General store serve as a clear reminder of the challenges faced by frontline workers in terms of fair compensation, workplace conditions, and corporate policies. As discussions about labor rights and wage equality gain momentum, the actions of Tribolet and her team underline the pressing need for systemic reforms to ensure the dignity and well-being of all employees.
