In a long line of Chinese made products found to contain lead, here's the latest from The Consumerist. It makes you wonder what else Wal-Mart is selling that could be leaching poison into our bodies.
read more
In perhaps the saddest example of Wal-Mart's corporate greed and atrocious treatment of workers, Wal-Mart is sueing a former employee to recoup the money they spent on her healthcare. Here's the story from the Wall Street Journal:
read more
Unlike 269 other Fortune 500 companies, Wal-Mart does not offer domestic partner benefits, and the Human Rights Campaign isn't happy about it. Read the USA Today article about HRC's consumer guide:
read more
Wal-Mart used to be happy without the government; content to ignore Washington as long as there wasn't any interference. All that changed when Wal-Mart saw their sales slipping and their stores being blocked because of negative press from campaigns like ours. In response Wal-Mart started lobbying Washington, and last year their lobbying operation grew in leaps and bounds. Here's an exerpt from the Washington Post about Wal-Mart's Lobbying efforts and their attempt to use "going green" to get good press:
Check out this piece from Reuters:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A North Carolina state judge rejected an attempt by Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to block public access to certain court documents in a tax dispute with state authorities, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday in its online edition.Earlier this month, the world's largest retailer filed a motion requesting to have a host of future filings in the case sealed.
An L.A. Times editorial argues that while Wal-Mart may have a legal right to sue the Shanks family to recoup medical costs, but that doesn't mean they should. Like nearly everyone who read this story, the L.A. Times found the story sad, even without Wal-Mart adding law suit to injury. Here's the full article from the L.A. Times:
Wal-mart's lawsuit: legal, but wrong
It's unavoidable. At some point in our lives, we will all have a bad neighbor. You know, the kind that blasts heavy metal at 4 AM or throws raucous parties on Sunday nights.
Typically, you have options: You can walk next door to have a few words, talk to your landlord, or just resort to calling the police. It seems impossible that it would take hundreds of complaints to city officials before your neighbor gets the boot... unless your neighbor happens to be America's largest employer.
read more
Wal-Mart tried to build a third store in Mill Creek, Washington, but local activists fought them. Check out this opinion piece from the Seatle Times about the proposed new store, and the devastating impact that Wal-Mart could have on their community:
A high price to pay for low-cost shoppingBy Karen Lowe and Selma Bonham
Special to The Times
