Update on NOW's Wal-Mart Campaign

January 13, 2005

We are finally getting their attention! This morning, the public was greeted with full page ads in major newspapers from Lee Scott, President and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. The ad blames "special interest groups" and "critics" for spreading "misinformation about Wal-Mart." He says that the public "deserves to hear the truth."

We agree. The National Organization for Women declared Wal-Mart a "Merchant of Shame" in July 2002 because we want consumers to hear about the largest employer in the United States and the widespread allegations that it denies equal wages and promotions to women employees in addition to engaging in unfair labor practices, such as punitive measures against employees who advocate for union representation. Wal-Mart faces today the largest class action suit in history, which was brought by current and former employees (about 1.6 million people) for gender discrimination in pay and promotion across all of their stores.

Here are a few facts:

• Women are about 2/3 of the lower-paid "associates" in Wal-Mart stores, yet are only about 1/3 of store managers.
• And when women reach for management jobs, male trainees earn an average of $23,175 a year, compared with $22,371 for female trainees.
• Even in top management positions, held mostly by men, the average male senior vice-president earns $419,435 per year, while women earn $279,772 in the same position.

We congratulate and thank NOW activists and supporters everywhere for taking on the largest employer and retailer in the United States to reveal the real story behind Wal-mart's so called LOW prices. Our actions are having an impact and we encourage you to continue the pressure until we see real changes at Wal-Mart, and fair and equitable treatment of women and all of its workers.

Until they do so, the "friendly" faces that are so prominently displayed at their stores will continue to convey the sad faces of workers who have been discriminated against and continue to suffer the low wages and lack of benefits under their employment.