In this season of giving thanks, we are again reminded that our neighbors, our friends, our family are abused by corporate overlords who treat their employees as chattel, mere serfs, by the world’s largest retailer, which is headquartered in Arkansas, in the United States of America – land of the free, and home of the brave, land where our fathers died, land of the Pilgrims’ pride.
That is abuse and injustice.
Plain and simple.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
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Wal-Mart’s 6 biggest blunders
Haven’t we been here before? Remembering the biggest public relations crises in the company’s 50-year history.
Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that Walmart allegedly covered up an internal investigation proving its Mexican subsidiary bribed officials in the country. The retail giant’s stock fell sharply Monday following the expose. Should the market be really that surprised? Over the years, Walmart has made headlines for behaving badly even as executives work tirelessly to maintain its all-American image. Here, take a look at Walmart’s blunders.
1. Working conditions
A worker’s got a right to lunch. And get paid for overtime. That wasn’t always the case at some Walmart stores.
In 2005, a California jury awarded $172 million to thousands of workers who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks. The case was one of at least 40 similar suits filed nationwide at the time, alleging workplace violations.
The outcomes of the cases varied, but those that stood in court brought bad news for the company. In 2002, a federal jury in Oregon found Walmart employees were forced to work off the clock and awarded back pay to 83 workers.
And in a similar case in 2000, Walmart settled a class-action lawsuit against Read the rest of this entry »
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