. >> the sun is just up when charmaine rides the first of two buses to a store outside chicago. she has been working there for eight years. >> you've been working there eight years and how much do you earn? >> i earn $11 an hour. >> that is more than the $8.25 minimum wage, but for charmaine, supporting her daughter and granddaughter, the hours she works add up to an annual salary right on the u.s. poverty line. >> i got to get up at 5:00 to be there. >> for a family of three, barely enough to cover rental. >> i'm a full time associate at wal-mart, averaging between 32 and 34 hours a week. this past week, i worked 29 hours. with that, it's far below a living wage. >> wages like that are why these union-backed otherwisers are seeking to keep retail giants such as wal-mart out of the city. >> we're asking to you call the mayor and ask him to support us. >> unless they agree a pay at least $12.50 an hour. >> we're saying hey, the door's open, however, you have to share just a little bit of that prosperity with our citizens so they can have an opportunity to have a good quality of l

nhk world's charmaine denagrasias has more. >> subic bay, northwest of manila. this is part of an economic zone. new shopping malls and hotels make it a popular tourist destination. but during the cold war subic was the navy's largest facility in asia. the base played an important support role in conflicts including the vietnam and gulf wars. it was returned to the philippines in 1992 amid a rising sense of nationalism. today, once again, u.s. war ships are using the base. a carrier, a rescue boat and a marine research vessel. port officials say 89 american warships used the facility last year, double the number from a year earlier. the united states has been lobbying hard asking officials to support its joint use of subic. the mayor received a visit from the u.s. ambassador. >> when i talked to him june 26. he just asked me what is your stand. what was my stand as the incoming mayor in case the americans will be coming back. >> reporter: the philippine navy has been involved in repeated standoffs with china. it supports the return of the americans. this former

but for charmaine, the salary she earns winds up on the u.s. poverty line. $19,530 for a family of three, barrel enough to cover rent. >> i'm a full time associate at walmart averaging between 32 and 34 hours a week. this past week i worked 29 hours. so with that, it's far below a living wage. >> wages like that are why these union-backed organizers in washington, d.c. are seeking to keep retail giants such as walmart out of the city. >> we're asking that you call the mayor and ask him to support us. >> unless they agree to pay at least $12.50 an hour. >> and we're saying hey the door is open, however you have to share just a little bit of that prosperity with our citizens so they can have an opportunity to have a good quality of life. >> vincent orange is among a majority of d.c. councilmembers who voted to ban low price retailers. >> they utilize the food stamps, the energy programs, the breakfast and lunch programs for their children and all that cost rises and is passed on to the taxpayers and the government picks up that cost. >> but walma

despite selling electronics full time for eight years at warlmart, charmaine givens- thomas' pay qualifies her for government assistance. walmart employees want 25- thousand a year and also reinstatement of fired workers such as tyrone robinson who participated in strikes including one at walmart's arkansas headquarters in june. fired for protesting? walmart denies wrongdoing with the following statement: "no associates were disciplined for participating in any specific protests." but walmart is now accused of violating federal labor law. it is not an easy time for hourly workers. there is increased competition from those who've slid down the income ladder. and for some, it still hasn't gotten better. three weeks ago walmart cut its profits forecast for this year. it follows last year's 4.6% drop in profits. nonetheless, the world's largest retailer still made 15.7 billion dollars in 20-12. august job gains 176,000 nationwide also from the labor front-- a new survey says 85% of employers plan to give out raises this year. that's up from 57% last year.. according to pay scale, the average r