President Barack Obama is expected to visit a a Walmart in Silicon Valley on Friday.
But the leader of the free world is not planning to be there to pick up a pair of cheap sweats.
Instead, Obama plans to speak at 10 a.m. at a Mountain View Walmart about solar energy, and the employment numbers that are expected to rise with creating jobs to cut carbon pollution. (A livestream of the event can be found here.)
And the site he is choosing to talk about those efforts is drawing swift criticism from labor unions who are arguing that the retailer isn't kind to its workers. Walmart employee Pam Marley said on Thursday night that she plans to attend the speech. She is hoping to hand Obama a letter she wrote about what it's like living pay check to pay check in the Silicon Valley. Marley said Walmart's low wages, inadequate benefits and unreliable work hours make it tough to get by.
Protesters from "Raise the Wage Mountain View Coalition" also plan to attend Obama's Walmart visit. The group said it does not make sense for a president who is supporting an effort to raise minimum wage to have a photo opportunity at Walmart.
.@Walmart workers march to protest Pres @BarackObama's appearance at the Mt View store. pic.twitter.com/YJ0zUeNWPT
— Nannette Miranda (@NannetteNewz) May 9, 2014
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is on the board of directors at Walmart, and she also is hosting Obama on this trip - his 17th visit to the Bay Area during his presidency.
While Walmart stores across the country have gained a dubious reputation for selling cheap products and paying non-union workers low wages, the chain is also credited for its more recent renewable energy efforts.
The company's first solar project took off in 2005, and last year, Walmart had more than 335 renewable energy projects in operation or under development across the world, according to its website.
Obama is expected to announce new executive actions that his administration said will lead to an additional $2 billion in energy efficiency investments, better buildings, and smarter appliances, cut carbon pollution by more than 380 million metric tons - equivalent to taking 80 million cars off the road for one year. The Obama administration also said it will save businesses nearly $26 billion on their energy bills and support training programs at community colleges across the country that will assist 50,000 workers to enter the solar industry by 2020.
NBC Bay Area's Nannette Miranda and Mark Matthews contributed to this report.
Photo Credit: Getty Images