Wal-Mart Gets Failing Grade at News Conference

"Wal-Mart is a giant corporation with a giant responsibility ... to set the standard to build a better America," says Daniel Welch, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1444.

Leaders of Milwaukee's education and labor communities Wednesday (August 10, 2005) urged parents throughout Wisconsin to cross Wal-Mart off their "back-to-school list" this summer.

"We've been told you get what you pay for," said John Goldstein, president of the Milwaukee County Labor Council. "Wal-Mart's low prices get us exploited children, high taxes, lost jobs and destroyed communities."

At a news conference outside Milwaukee's Neeskara School, Goldstein and others said Wal-Mart has failed America by breaking child labor laws, discriminating against women, relying on taxpayers to provide health care to many of its employees, and paying poverty-level wages.

"America's largest employer must reflect America's values," said Daniel Welch, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1444.

Milwaukee School Board member Peter Blewett, Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association President Dennis Oulahan, MTEA Executive Director Sam Carmen and WEAC Vice President Terry Meyer were among those attending the news conference and showing support for the Wake Up Wal-Mart campaign.

In a news release, Oulahan said America's children deserve better than Wal-Mart.

"There is no excuse why Wal-Mart, a corporation with $10 billion in profits, fails America and exploits taxpayers, their workers, our families and worst of all our children," Oulahan said.

Blewett urged people to read the book "The Case Against Wal-Mart" and asked parents to do their back-to-school shopping at stores that support union workers, provide good jobs for young people and invest in communities.

"Wal-Mart, your report card is in, and you failed," said Bonnie Brusky, a teacher at Riverside High School. Among other things, she said, the giant corporation has failed to provide equal pay for women and failed to provide adequate health care for its employees - carelessly leaning on the taxpayers to fill the void.

Adam Breihan, a senior at Riverside, referred to a letter to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, signed by himself, Blewett, Oulahan and Darcy Haber of Wisconsin Citizen Action.

"Every tax dollar we use to needlessly subsidize Wal-Mart's poor health care is a tax dollar we could be using to buy books, repair schools, hire more teachers, and improve the education of all our children," the letter states.

"Please help us send Wal-Mart back to school by signing a pledge card and let Lee Scott know we don't see our kids as a commodity," Breihan said.

Rosalie DeFino, a recent Riverside graduate, said Wal-Mart violates child labor laws by requiring young employees to work too many hours and work too late.

"Wal-Mart is setting a dangerous precedent by using and exploiting children for profit," she said.

In a flier distributed at the news conference, organizers said:

• Child labor: Wal-Mart agreed to pay $135,540 to settle federal charges that it broke child labor laws in 2005. Three Wal-Mart stores in Connecticut were fined just weeks ago for child-labor law violations.
• Gender discrimination: Wal-Mart is facing the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in history affecting more than 1.6 million female employees.
• Taxpayer-funded health care: Fewer than half of Wal-Mart’s workers are covered by the company’s health plan. Wal-Mart costs American taxpayers up to $2.5 billion per year in public health care and public assistance programs.
• Poverty-level wages: Wal-Mart pays workers too little to keep a family of four out of poverty.

Organizers asked citizens to participate in the Wake Up Wal-Mart campaign by signing a pledge to buy back-to-school supplies at stores other than Wal-Mart. To sign the pledge online and for more information, go to www.wakeupwalmart.com.

Posted August 11, 2005