Wal-Mart Protests Staged

August 29, 2007

Walmartopia, the musical, begins a run in New York City on Labor Day. According to the Walmartopia website, "It's MOM vs. MART". Walmartopia tells the hilarious and timely tale of Vicki Latrell, a single mom and Wal-Mart employee who speaks out against her company's working conditions and finds herself and her young daughter jettisoned to 2036, into a future where Wal-Mart dominates the entire world!

Walmartopia pokes fun at the largest employer in the U.S. by taking a humorous approach while ranks of grassroots activists continue to raise awareness by holding demonstrations at stores across the country. The largest sex-discrimination suit in history continues to move forward with Wal-Mart facing 1.6 million current and former female employees in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart class action lawsuit. This landmark lawsuit serves as a reminder that, despite passing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discrimination based on gender has yet to be eradicated in the U.S. Wal-Mart, the largest employer in the country continues to discriminate women in pay and promotions, offers a stingy health insurance plan, low wages and allows poor working conditions to exists in their factories abroad.

Without sustained grassroots activism, Wal-Mart would be free to continue paying and promoting women less than they pay their male employees. The visibility of NOW's five year campaign against Wal-Mart continues to raise public awareness of the company's bad business practices. NOW has endorsed an international day of action on November 17 against the five largest supermarket chains in the world and Wal-Mart is one of the U.S. targets. Details will be finalized as actions are coordinated across the U.S. In the meantime, if your plans take you to New York City, go see Walmartopia!

For tickets: NOW activists can attend a special performance on Thursday, September 27, discount tickets available at http://www.walmartopia.com/now/ or call (212) 307-4100. Use the special NOW discount code of NOW092. Join NOW for a talk back after the show featuring Olga Vives, NOW's Executive Vice President, originator of the Wal-Mart Merchant of Shame campaign.

Other performances of Walmartopia at the Minetta Lane Theatre are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are priced at $65 and $45, and may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 212-307-4100.