Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Cynthia Murray. I'm a 64-year-old Walmart employee who just testified to the Senate Budget Committee. Walmart pays its hourly workforce a poverty wage that doesn't cover basic needs, while the company has profited over $50 billion since the pandemic began. American workers need a $15 minimum wage today — we cannot wait for corporations to do the right thing, because they won't. Cynthia Murray is a Walmart associate from Hyattsville, MD. This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.