As shoppers all over the country stormed store doors early Friday morning, another group lined up with banners and signs, chanting. These are Wal-Mart employees, demanding higher wages from the world’s largest retailer and the nation’s largest retail employer. Many are taking to social media with #WalmartStrikers to show their protests. 

The movement to raise wages planned for protests at around 1,600 stores in 49 states, according to Mother Jones. The protesters, organized by the labor group Organization for Respect at Wal-Mart (OUR Wal-Mart), are demanding a $15 hour wage instead of the current wages, which leave many employees in poverty or very near poverty.

Workers, in protests, began walking off Wednesday, until Black Friday protests.

Wal-Mart has been laying the blame at union organizers and a few workers, saying they do not speak for the rest of the work force.

"Unfortunately the labor unions, who do not represent the 1.3 million associates that work at Wal-Mart in the US, use the holiday season to support their agenda," Wal-Mart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan told the BBC, adding that the company has an open-door policy for problems and concerns.

However, many workers continue to struggle economically, unable to make ends meet or have full medical coverage.

The website BlackFridayProtests.org has helped organize this week's actions as well as gather signatures and donations.

In a tweet, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed her support for improved conditions at the retailer.

.@Walmart, America's largest employer, can & should lead on the #minimumwage, #equalpay &#schedulesthatwork. It's about economics & values.

- Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 18, 2014

Backing the protests and strikes is the largest union group in the country: the AFL-CIO.

In a statement on the group's website, AFL-CIO president, Richard Trumka expressed his support for the protests and condemned Wal-Mart.

"The low-down, low-cost, low-wage, low-road Wal-Mart model is wrecking America, causing real pain for workers, and it's wrong," he said. "On Black Friday, the entire labor movement will proudly stand with the brave workers at Wal-Mart as they lead the largest mobilization to date for better wages and schedules," he said, calling their actions courageous and inspiring.

OUR Wal-Mart was founded in 2011, and since then, they have been advocating for better labor rules within the company through a campaign of public shaming, circumventing the big-box retailer’s strict anti-union regulations. Their efforts have been somewhat successful, leading to new pregnancy and scheduling policies. However, higher wages remains a contentious issue.

Raking in $16 billion in profits each year, Wal-Mart is the nation’s largest retailer, employing 1.4 million people. The Walton family, which holds the majority of stocks, is collectively worth $145 billion.

However, the company's employees cost the U.S. around $6 billion in public assistance like Medicaid, food stamps and subsidized housing, according to a report cited by Forbes. One Wal-Mart Supercenter in Wisconsin can cost almost $1 million in public assistance.