Wal * Mart: Every Day Low Wages

Wal-Mart…          

  • Exploits immigrant workers

  • Discriminates against women

  • Busts Unions

  • Pays everyday low wages

  • Pressures employees to work unpaid overtime

  • Uses sweatshops around the world

  • Forces U.S. manufacturers out of business

 

Is Wal-Mart the Future of America?

 

In 1970, General Motors was the largest employer in the U.S.; unionized workers earned $17.50 an hour plus benefits.  Today, Wal-Mart is the largest employer; non-unionized workers earn $8.50/hour with no benefits - a third less than unionized grocery workers. Two-thirds of Wal-Mart workers can’t afford Wal-Mart health insurance, which costs $125 every 2 weeks. 700,000 Wal-Mart workers don’t have company health insurance - so who pays?

 

Wal-Mart costs YOU tax money!

Thanks to those everyday low wages, the average Wal-Mart worker receives $2,000 a year in public subsidies for school lunches, health care, housing, etc. (Congressional report, Feb 2004)

Sweatshops:

 

 In Nicaragua, workers at one Wal-Mart supply factory work up to 69 hours per week for as little as 29 cents an hour.

Abuses in Wal-Mart's sweatshops:

  • Forced overtime

  • Locked bathrooms

  • Starvation wages

  • Forced birth control and pregnancy tests

  • Denial of access to health care

  • Workers fired and blacklisted if they try to defend their rights


 

You can order this New Wal-Mart DVD in our IRTF library

 

Wal-Mart is a BAD model for economic development

 

Learn why:

www.afl-cio.org/corporateamerica/walmart/index.cfm

www.ufcw.org/issues_and_actions/walmart_workers_campaign_info/index.cfm

www.walmartwatch.org

www.unionvoice.org/campaign/childlabor

www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

www.policymattersohio.org/walmartintro.htm

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/talk/

 

Wal-Mart Kills Local Businesses

In the first decade after Wal-Mart arrived in Iowa, the state lost 555 grocery stores, 298 hardware stores, 293 building supply stores, 161 variety stores, 158 women's apparel stores, 153 shoe stores, 116 drugstores, and 111 men's and boys' apparel stores. (Source: Iowa State University Study).

 Cleveland is already the poorest major U.S. city.  So why are local government officials trying to lure Wal-Mart to Cleveland?

TAKE ACTION!  Ask your Cleveland city and Cuyahoga County leaders what action they will take to KEEP WAL-MART OUT OF CLEVELAND. 

City Hall: 216.664.2000.  Cuyahoga County Commissioners: 216.443.7184.