By Susan Misur, Register Staff smisur@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrsusan

This is what the health care workers are passing out Friday at the Walmart in Milford. Susan Misur/Register

MILFORD Friday might have kicked off the holiday shopping season, but the animated group that gathered in front of Walmart to share its voice wasnt there to sing Christmas carols.

About 25 union workers from a local health care facility staged a brief protest of the retailer and its employees wages, benefits and ever-expanding Black Friday shopping schedule. The West River Healthcare Center employees, who are members of the New England Healthcare Workers Union, Local 1199, have been on strike since summer and said they wanted to support Walmart workers by picketing.

Other union members protested at store locations in Hartford, Danbury and Stamford, and additional supporters and some Walmart workers held similar events across the country. Many protests and walk-outs were held last week at stores, but several were planned for Black Friday, typically viewed as on of the busiest shopping day of the year.

Walmart systematically impacts communities by lowering wages and by providing poor jobs to communities, union organizer Jesse Martin said outside the 1365 Boston Post Road store. As union workers who literally work in this town and are fighting for good wages and to take care of our families, a company like Walmart undermines that struggle.

Members handed out fliers concerning the stores employment practices inside to customers and in the parking lot before marching outside in a circle directly in front of Walmarts entrance. They chanted Down to Walmart, and Down to that boss, for about 15 minutes before two police officers told them to move to a public sidewalk in front of the shopping complex because the store area is private property.

Union workers looked to give fliers to customers, rather than Walmart employees, and many patrons could be seen reading the hand-outs.

You dont want somebody whos been drinking the Kool-Aid. Just be cordial, say happy holidays, Phillip Bradeen told Julia Attruia as they finished distributing the memos. Were not anarchists. We just want to give out some information.

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Health care workers union protests outside Walmart in Milford (video)