Dollar General workers gather in Goodlettsville to demand safer stores, better pay

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Dollar General workers gathered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee on Wednesday to protest for better pay and to demand safer stores.

The workers rallied against the corporation's annual shareholder meeting which took place at Dollar General's headquarters in Goodlettsville.

Workers demanded that Dollar General decrease the number of incidents that occur in the workplace, with a three-year goal of zero violent occasions against employees.

Store shareholders said Wednesday afternoon they've approved a resolution to audit the company's health and safety policies.

This comes after a shooting near a Nashville Family Dollar left two people injured, including a 4-year-old child. Employees protesting Wednesday say that story is just one example of what they deal with daily.

One Dollar General employee who came all the way from Louisiana, Kenya Slaughter, says safety is a top concern for workers.

"People are afraid to go to work," Slaughter said. "People are getting guns pulled on them every other day. There are robberies at gunpoint. One lady in particular had a knife put to her throat, put in a headlock and drugged to the back and made to empty contents of the safe."

Some workers also attended the shareholders meeting to voice their concerns to corporate about safety and worker pay.

Dollar General provided the following statement on the workers' protest:

A group of individuals gathered this morning near our Goodlettsville offices to express their opinions regarding the Company. We strive to create a work environment where employees are able to grow their careers, serve their local communities and feel valued and heard, and we encourage employees to share their feedback through the many Company-provided channels so that we can listen and work together to address concerns and challenges, as well as to celebrate successes.

Employees across the country from various labor advocacy groups including Step Up Louisiana, United for Respect, Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility protested at the Goodlettsville headquarters.

Workers protesting gathered at 7 a.m. on Wednesday at the corner of Windsor Green Boulevard and Coreference Drive outside the Dollar General headquarters.

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