From the Associated Press via BusinessWeek:

Executives from Wal-Mart and three other large U.S. employers on Wednesday joined union leaders in calling for "quality, affordable" health care for every American by 2012.

However, they did not propose any specific policies to achieve this goal, or commit to spending any extra money in the near-term to provide health coverage to more workers.

Joining Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Lee Scott and Service Employees International Union leader Andrew Stern at a Washington press conference were top executives from Intel Corp., AT&T Inc. and Kelly Services Inc., a temporary staffing agency. Yet some critics of Wal-Mart's health care policy remained unsatisfied.

"2012 is a still long way away. What about now?" said Dana Rezaie, a widow with three children who works nights stocking shelves at a Wal-Mart store in Fridley, Minn...

Joseph T. Hansen, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, was critical of other union leaders for teaming up with Wal-Mart.

"It's not appropriate to take the stage with a company that refuses to remedy its mistreatment of workers," Hansen said in a prepared statement. The union he represents funds the WakeUpWalMart campaign, which challenged the company to immediately provide health care to all of its uninsured employees and their families.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based company, which employs more than 1.3 million U.S. workers, has made several changes to its health care policy since 2005, including lowering premiums and shortening eligibility periods.

Yet Scott said Wednesday he would not withhold financial support from lawmakers and candidates who oppose universal health care. WakeUpWalMart spokesman Chris Kofinis called that stance "hypocritical," pointing out that Scott blamed politics as the main reason the nation lacked universal health care.

"Anybody can say they support something. They need to show they really do," said Rezaie, a six-year Wal-Mart employee who says she cannot afford the company's existing health plan and instead relies on state-funded care. WakeUpWalMart supplied Rezaie's name to The Associated Press.

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