This holiday season, every employee at Wal-Mart is projected to generate more than $2,000 in pure profit for the company. The numbers are staggering: from the work of 1.4 million Americans, Wal-Mart will reap billions of dollars in sales. But, is Wal-Mart holding up its end of the bargain?
We don't think so.
Wal-Mart is thriving in today's faltering economy, yet its employees struggle to keep their heads above water. Instead of giving back to working families, Wal-Mart is lobbying against overtime regulations aimed to benefit working Americans. Instead of giving business to America's struggling manufacturers, Wal-Mart continues to import over 70% of its goods from China. And, of course, Wal-Mart still pays poverty wages and offers unaffordable health care benefits.
If Wal-Mart won't give back to its hard working employees, we will. We're on a mission to give financial support to struggling Wal-Mart employees this holiday season, but we can't succeed without your help. Please contribute to our new Wal-Mart Workers' Holiday Fund today and give struggling Wal-Mart workers a chance at the kind of holiday they deserve.
Join our mission to benefit Wal-Mart workers this holiday season
While Wal-Mart's lavishly overpaid executives can afford to spend the holidays at ease, the average Wal-Mart worker will scrape by on poverty-level wages. Each week between now and the new year, we will shine a light on this inequity, beginning with the story of Beth Woods.
As a full-time Overnight Stocker, Beth has given Wal-Mart nearly three years of her working life, yet she makes only $10.47 an hour. Even with a full-time schedule, she can not afford to keep the health insurance her family needs. Wal-Mart's coverage is so expensive, she had to drop her plan after just two months of enrollment.
Now, just in time for the holidays, management has slashed Beth's schedule to 15-16 hours per week. Thanks to Wal-Mart, Beth may be spending her holiday season at the unemployment office. She has been forced to apply for state benefits in order to support her family.
We can't let Wal-Mart cast a shadow on Beth's holiday season. The hard working employees at Wal-Mart deserve better than poverty wages and unemployment lines. If you take action, you can give workers like Beth what Wal-Mart will not: hope.
Together, we can show Wal-Mart some real holiday spirit.
The Team
WakeUpWalMart.com
P.S. Thanks for kicking off our 2008 Holiday Campaign. Stay tuned for new actions, videos, and more stories from the aisles of Wal-Mart.
Posted by Taylor - November 24, 2008 11:20 AM - Action
I would like to know more about how this money will be used or distributed before I decide to give.... there are a LOT of Walmart employees in the country (will they all get $2?, etc.)
Posted by Laurie - November 24, 2008 08:14 PM
Ummm yes, overnight stocker Beth makes 2 more dollars an hour than I do as well as works 5 more hours. I also have applied for Government benifets and they turned me down. I dont work at wall mart and no one is raising funds for me, so excuse me for not donating this go round. Mabye Beth might consider a budget and use her employee discount.
Posted by Blyhe Henderson - November 25, 2008 09:48 AM
Well as much as I feel for Beth I also feel for my son who lost his job at a wisconsin walmart because of his learning disablities. Oh yes, they made up a bogus excuse saying it was tardiness when he had to wait for a train to go by before entering the mall to where the store was located, he told them why he was late. But, in speaking to his co-worker in his area of the store it was brought to our attention that the supervisor was tired of dealing with my sons disabilities and needing extra attention. I HATE this store!
I am sick and live 20 miles from town, sent my daughter to buy some items for me and the store would not take the check made out to them and signed by me because her name wasn't on the account...So she called me and thought i could give the cashier my credit card or debit card to enter in her till to make the purchase, they would not do that either. So , I recieved nothing from an attempt to purchase from WalMart. I personally will NEVER shop there again and if I did, there's likely an illegal standing somewhere in the store with my sons job. Sorry Beth but we all have less than you per hour and at least you have a job
Posted by Bonnie - December 5, 2008 03:06 PM