What's this Wal-Mart? Do they like, sell wall stuff?

No, it is a HORRIBLE store that uses sweatshops....and so many bad things. They sell cheap things like clothes, toys, food, etc.

Earning Less, Holding Fewer Senior Positions. In 2003, Dr. Richard Drogin, professor emeritus at California State University-Hayward, conducted a study on wages for female employees at Wal-Mart and found that:

* female hourly workers earn up to 37 cents less per hour than their male counterparts;
* female managers earn nearly $5,000 less than male managers in yearly salary;
* women make up 72 percent of Wal-Mart's total workforce, but only 33 percent of its managers; and
* women make up 92 percent of Wal-Mart's cashiers, but only 14 percent of Wal-Mart store managers.With its collection of far-flung suppliers and stores, Wal-Mart spans the globe -- and its operations have a major impact on the environment. Judging by the record, the company has much ground to cover toward making its business practices consistent with a healthy planet.

Recently, Wal-Mart has promised to be an industry leader for environmental sustainability. If Wal-Mart makes good on its promises to use 100% renewable energy and produce zero waste through its supply chain, the positive effects on global warming, the use of toxic chemicals in production and sustainable product sourcing could be tremendous.

Labor Relations

Ignoring Labor Laws

State and federal regulators have hit Wal-Mart for violating rules on work hours and leave:

* Family Leave Laws. Wal-Mart has received numerous fines for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act in locations all over the country -- firing workers while on federally protected medical leave. In 2005, Wal-Mart was fined $188,000 by the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission for violating California state law by failing to reinstate a woman after she completed her maternity leave. [U.S. Department of Labor, via Freedom of Information Act; California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, case no. E 200203 M-0774-00-pe, C 03-04-026; Sacramento Bee, 6/14/05.]
* Off-the-Clock Work. In 2000, Wal-Mart paid $50 million to settle a lawsuit that involved 69,000 workers in Colorado who had allegedly been forced to work off the clock. In 2002, a federal grand jury in Oregon found Wal-Mart employees were forced to work off the clock and awarded back pay to 83 workers. In December 2005, Wal-Mart was ordered to pay $172 million to 116,000 current and former California workers for violating a 2001 state law that requires employers to give 30-minute, unpaid lunch breaks to employees who work at least six hours. In the United States, Wal-Mart has 53 class action lawsuits over wage and hour violations. [New York Times, 11/19/04; Associated Press, 2/17/04; Associated Press, 9/19/05; Associated Press, 12/22/05.]
* Hiring Undocumented Workers. Wal-Mart paid $11 million to settle a federal investigation called "Operation Rollback," which found hundreds of undocumented immigrants working off the clock to clean stores. In 2003, federal agents raided 61 Wal-Mart stores and arrested 250 undocumented immigrants. [Washington Post, 3/19/05; Los Angeles Times, 10/24/03.]
* Skipping Work Breaks. In 2000, an internal Wal-Mart audit found that of 128 stores, 127 of them were "not in compliance" with company policies providing for work breaks. [Indiana Lawyer, 5/7/03.]

Using Child Labor

Federal investigators found Wal-Mart complementing low wages with low ages:

* Employing Teens in Unsafe Conditions. In January 2005, after an investigation of 27 stores in three states, Wal-Mart reached a settlement with the United States Department of Labor for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Wal-Mart paid a $135,540 fine for allowing 85 workers, aged 16 and 17, to participate in activities prohibited to minors -- "including loading and occasionally operating or unloading scrap paper balers, and operating fork lifts." Wal-Mart signed an agreement with the Department's Wage and Hours Division regarding future child labor conditions. [U.S. Department of Labor Press Release, 2/14/05.]
* Negotiating for Weak Enforcement. An audit by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the child labor agreement between Wal-Mart and the Department of Labor found "serious breakdowns in the WHD [Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division] process for negotiating, developing, and approving such agreements. These breakdowns resulted in the WHD entering into an agreement that gave significant concessions to Wal-Mart. Specifically, the agreement provided for advance notification by WHD of Wal-Mart investigations, and gave Wal-Mart the ability to avoid civil money penalties (CMP) under certain conditions. In exchange, the agreement primarily committed Wal-Mart to continue measures that were already in place or required by law. Also, WHD did not consult with the Office of the Solicitor (SOL) in developing and approving the agreement."

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said: "This report constitutes an unexpected and virtually unprecedented indictment of the U.S. Department of Labor's sweetheart deal with Wal-Mart. [It] should lead us to be more vigilant and vigorous in enforcing our state child protection laws." [U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Audit, 10/05; Hartford Courant, 11/1/05.]

LABOR RELATIONS LINKS

* Read more about discrimination at Wal-Mart. GO >
* Click here to visit the SEIU homepage. GO >
* Click here to visit the LAANE homepage. GO >
* Click here to visit the Center for a Changing Workforce homepage. GO >
* Click here to visit the Jobs with Justice homepage. GO >

What You Can Do

Ready to act for fairness for Wal-Mart workers?

* Join thousands in signing the Handshake with Sam agreement and calling on Wal-Mart to live up to its moral responsibilities
* Tell friends and family about Wal-Mart's responsibilities to workers -- and how the store falls short