Is every day Halloween at Walmart headquarters?

It seems like it, because Walmart has been dressed up as a health care champion for months: trumpeting support for the employer mandate and running ads about how "proud" it is of its health care record.

We aren't buying the spin. All of Walmart's talk simply masks the reality of its health care failures. So, in response, we came up with up with a coordinated Halloween field/internet action campaign to "take the mask off Walmart."

Our supporters are signing an open letter to Walmart CEO Mike Duke and attending events in their areas. Consider this your invite to join us. Here is what you can do:

• Sign on to our open letter to Walmart CEO Mike Duke, calling for Walmart to live up to its health care rhetoric.

• Get Local: find out if there are events in your area.

• Call your Members of Congress: use HCAN's click-to-call system to lobby your legislators and let them know you support substantive health care reform.
  

Walmart claims it offers quality plans. Yet, an average full-time Wal-Mart employee on the least expensive family coverage plan must spend over 20% of their yearly income before the health insurance provides any reimbursement.

When it comes to health care, Walmart is still part of the problem. You can help us make it part of the solution. Take action today!

Our friends over at American Rights at Work just sent out this email and we're asking you, our supporters, to help them out. Here's their email, check it out and then go send Mike Duke a letter.

Low wages and unionbusting have been par for the course at Walmart.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Walmart has a new CEO, Mike Duke, who has a chance to take Walmart on a better path.

Tell Mike Duke to do the right thing for workers and bring respect to Walmart.

As Walmart's new CEO, Mike Duke has the power to stop intimidating and firing workers who want a union, to provide fair wages and better working conditions, and to stop fighting against the Employee Free Choice Act – a bill that would level the playing field for workers who want to form a union and improve their lives.

At his first annual meeting as CEO, Duke reiterated the company’s stated commitment to "... helping our customers to save money and live better."

But don’t both customers AND workers deserve to "live better?"

Take Eugene Hart, a 33-year-old Walmart associate whose work helps support the company’s bottom line. "I can’t eat, I can’t pay my bills, I can’t do the things I want to do," he said. "The insurance is garbage. Before they kick in, you’ve got to pay a $350 deductible."

Walmart posted a record $400 billion in sales last year, and over $13 billion in earnings. The company can afford to do better for workers.

Tell Mike Duke it’s time to start a new legacy at Walmart – one that ensures workers like Eugene have fair wages and a voice at work.

Thanks for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Liz, Manny, Elizabeth B. and the American Rights at Work team

P.S. For a quick rundown on Walmart's anti-union record, watch this video and pass it on to your friends!

Check out this article from the Hunterdon County Democrat about a Walmart rally planned for today. We'll try to get some pictures up later in the day!

A demonstration is planned for today at the new Walmart here, with some 300 to 400 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 1262 expected to hold what it calls a “consumer education rally” outside the store.

The local represents some 30,000 food service workers, mostly in supermarkets, in the northern half of New Jersey. The demonstrators gathered at a hotel in Woodbridge yesterday morning and would board seven or eight buses to come here, said Cyndi Spill, local communications director.

The rally was planned “to make the public aware of Walmart business practices, as far as not providing health care to their employees” and paying low wages. She said that in the union’s view the health insurance takes a long time to quality for and its cost puts it “out of reach for most workers” at Walmart.

Also, in the union’s opinion “they do not pay what we call a fair, living wage, something that you can raise your family on.” The rally was to “educate the public on Walmart’s impact on and cost to the local community,” she said.
While the union internationally has an initiative to try to unionize Walmart, Spill said “we’re not as a local to try to organize this location.”

Raritan Township police said they were aware of the demonstration.

Check out this video from GRITtv. In it, host Laura Flanders discusses Walmart, health care, unions, and more. The guests are Walmart employee Mark Moore, UFCW organizing director Pat O'Neill, and labor expert professor Nelson Lichtenstein. Watch it here

Our tele-press conference yesterday was a great success, and we've been seeing some great coverage. Here are some of the articles:

New Coalition Targets Policies Of Wal-Mart [Washington Post]

Union launches anti-Wal-Mart ads [UPI]

Coalition of labor groups challenge Wal-Mart to change [Digital Journal]

WakeUpWalmart.com Launches Heathcare Ads [WWD Reatil]

Labor-Environmental Coalition Targets Wal-Mart [Huffington Post]

This Labor Day, Wake Up Walmart, along with a large coalition of labor, environmental and community groups, are challenging Walmart to live up to their PR promises and join us in supporting the American Values Agenda for Change at Walmart.

The coalition includes: AFL-CIO, Change to Win, Sierra Club, Campaign for America’s Future, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National Consumers League, AFSCME, American Rights at Work, Communications Workers of America, Interfaith Worker Justice, LIUNA, National Labor Coordinating Committee, Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Auto Workers, United Farmer Workers and United Steel Workers.

The American Values Agenda for Change at Walmart issues a direct challenge to Walmart in five key areas: worker rights, quality jobs, equal opportunity, corporate responsibility and a healthy environment and lays out the next steps for how the coalition, led by the UFCW, will hold Walmart accountable for those challenges.

Check out the full American Values Agenda for Change at Walmart

Barack Obama "has exposed himself as a guy... who has a deep seated hatred for white people or the white culture." "This guy, I believe, is a racist."

This is the kind of drivel Glenn Beck has been spewing lately. We know. We know. Not much that comes out of the Fox News host's mouth surprises you anymore, but guess what: Glenn Beck's hate speech is being sponsored by, you got it, Walmart.

Other major advertisers (i.e. Geico, Proctor and Gamble, and Lexis Nexis) are pulling their ads from Glenn Beck's show in response to his disgraceful rhetoric. Not Walmart.

It's time for that to change.

Join the fight to end Walmart's financial support of Glenn Beck's televised hate. Tell Bentonville that you demand Walmart pull its ad dollars from Glenn Beck's show right now.

Send a letter to Walmart executives denouncing their financial support of hate speech

Walmart has inserted itself into the public discourse on everything from health care to the environment. Because of Walmart's size, its messages reach many. But, with great power comes great responsibility.

It is imperative that Walmart takes a stand against hateful and extreme rhetoric, and they can start by pulling their financial support of it. Other major advertisers have already taken the lead: it's time for Walmart to step up and do the right thing.

Write Walmart today: help kick racism and hate speech off the airwaves

Thanks for all you do,

The Team,
WakeUpWalMart.com

For Immediate Release
August 13, 2009

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM

Press conferences across the country highlight Walmart’s poor record on health coverage; call on elected officials to support quality, affordable coverage for all

Washington, DC – WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, with more than 450,000 members nationally, this week launched a new campaign to demand health insurance reform. Walmart workers, community leaders, and members of Walmart Workers for Change, Health Care for America NOW and WakeUpWalMart.com will join together in front of district congressional offices to demand quality, affordable health coverage for all Walmart associates and all workers.

President Obama has made health insurance reform his number one priority, and people all across the country are coming out to show their support for this important issue. While Walmart has attempted to use this opportunity to gain good PR, they remain one of the worst offenders. Walmart recently released an ad claiming that 94 percent of their associates have some type of healthcare, but what they don’t say is that only 52 percent get it through the company. Walmart insures far fewer employees than most large companies, who, on average, cover 65 percent of their employees

Walmart’s coverage is also far too costly. If an average full time Walmart Associate faces a serious family health issue, they have to pay the entire out-of-pocket maximum for the least expensive health plan, which adds up to 53% of their income.

"Yes, Walmart offers us options for health care,” said Mark Moore, a Walmart associate in Dallas, Texas, “but it doesn't cover what we really need. If Walmart was more responsible, they could stop making us decide between health coverage and paying our bills."

This unacceptably high price forces many Walmart employees on to public programs like Medicaid and SCHIP. Between Medicaid and SCHIP, taxpayers are paying over a billion a year to provide healthcare for Walmart's employees.

As part of the campaign, local Walmart associates will speak out about their experience with Walmart and health care. They will urge the public, and elected officials to support comprehensive health insurance reform. Other speakers will include local community leaders, Health Care for America NOW activists, and others.

The campaign will also feature a petition drive, asking community members and Walmart customers to support real health insurance reform. Workers, community leaders and local WakeUpWalmart.com activists will distribute 50,000 petition cards that read “I think Walmart should stop forcing taxpayers to cover its workers’ health care. With $13 billion in profits just last year, Walmart can afford to provide all its workers with affordable health care. As the largest retailer in America, it’s time for Walmart to do right by its workers.” The petition card drives home the message that, when it comes to health care, Walmart is “all talk and no action.”

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2009

WAKEUPWALMART.COM CALLS ON WALMART TO PULL ADS, STOP SUPPORTING HATE SPEECH

Other companies pull ads from Glen Beck’s show, Walmart continues its support

Washington, DC – Today WakeUpWalmart.com, America’s campaign to change Walmart with more than 450,000 members, is calling on Walmart to pull its substantial advertising dollars from the Glen Beck Show on Fox News. Recently many groups have called for a withdrawal of advertising support from Beck’s show because of his extreme and hateful rhetoric. Several companies, including Geico, have pulled all their ads from the show, but Walmart continues to support Beck’s hate speech.

“Walmart must stop supporting Glen Beck’s show with its advertising,” said Meghan Scott, Director of WakeUpWalMart.com. “Money talks, and it is simply unacceptable for the country’s largest retailer to endorse this hate speech.

“Walmart is a major player, both in terms of advertising and in terms of the discussion on major issues facing our country. Walmart has inserted itself into the public discourse on everything from health care to the environment. Because of their size, their messages reach many -- and with great power comes great responsibility. Walmart has a responsibility to stand up against this kind of hateful and extreme rhetoric, and they can do their part by pulling their advertisements.”

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For years, Wal-Mart has tried to drape itself in environmental correctness, promoting its image as a "green" developer. Despite its environmentally wasteful habit of building stores that consume far more land than necessary, and its inefficient habit of shutting down hundreds of stores--only to build bigger ones across the street--Wal-Mart has spent millions of dollars in advertising boosting itself as environmentally sensitive.

Frequently the company tells local officials that its use of features like skylights, and its insistence that its vendors reduce redundant product packaging, is proof of its sustainability. The company has been producing annual 'sustainability" reports that reinforce the notion that Wal-Mart is shrinking its carbon footprint---while it continues to propagate one of the world's most convoluted supply chains, stretching from China to the United States. But, from time to time, prominent court cases remind the public that Wal-Mart is not a green company at all.

This past week, the San Bernardino County, California Superior Court handed down two decisions in one case that has Wal-Mart seeing red, not green. Judge Donald R. Alvarez rejected the city of Rialto's approval of a huge, 284,000 s.f. Wal-Mart supercenter on the grounds that the city did not sufficiently study the project's impact on the environment.

This case would never have turned this way had it not been for a lawsuit filed by a citizen's group, and a related suit filed by officials in the neighboring city of Colton, California. The Judge ruled that Rialto's approval did not meet the requirements of California's Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). On May 15, 2009, Sprawl-Busters reported that another San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge rejected the town of Yucca Valley's approval of a Wal-Mart supercenter. Judge Barry Plotkin found the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) written by Wal-Mart failed to adequately address the store's impact on greenhouse gas, and faulted the EIR for failing to discuss all feasible air quality mitigation measures. In the Rialto case, the judge faulted the EIR for failing to include a discussion of a "green" Wal-Mart supercenter alternative, for failing to use solar panels in the design, and for failing to make the necessary findings to reject the EIR's environmentally superior alternative.

Judge Alvarez also ruled that the project was not consistent with the city's general plan and a specific plan. The Yucca Valley and Rialto cases are embarrassing to the giant retailer, which recently unveiled a plan to require many products carried in its stores to display a "sustainability index." But when it comes to building the stores which will house such products, Wal-Mart has run into its own set of eco-problems. These California court cases are upsetting Wal-Mart's green image, and show the growing importance of considerations like greenhouse gas emissions when reviewing such huge, automobile dependent projects.

What you can do: The Rialto lawsuit was brought by the group Rialto Citizens for Responsible Growth, who were represented by Attorney Cory Briggs, who has also represented citizen's groups in Ontario, Vista, Barstow, Victorville, Hesperia, and other California towns. "Wal-Mart argued that global warming science doesn't yet allow it to reduce its carbon emissions," Briggs said of the Rialto case. He told the Los Angeles Times that two years ago Wal-Mart said it was going to deploy solar projects in 22 of its stores in California and Hawaii. The court's decision also indicated that Wal-Mart's EIR had failed to "analyze and mitigate" potential impacts on five special-status plant species, including Plummer's mariposa lily, and on the San Bernardino and Stephens' kangaroo rats and the Western burrowing owl.

This week's court ruling is not the end of the Rialto Wal-Mart. In these cases, the court's ruling can mean a one or two year setback. But the case will go back to Rialto, a new EIR will be written---by Wal-Mart--and the project will begin to move again.

There are 17 Wal-Mart stores within 25 miles of Rialto, including a Wal-Mart discount store on South Riverside Avenue in Rialto, which will close down when the superstore opens. Of the 17 Wal-Marts near Rialto, only two of them are superstores, including a superstore 16 miles away in Moreno Valley, Calfornia.

Wal-Mart's future growth in this area is dependent on converting these discount stores into superstores---or building new superstores, as in Rialto---and shutting down the existing discount store. The Rialto trade area is clearly saturated with Wal-Mart stores, and this new superstore will get most of its sales from "captured" sales at other stores. This project does not translate into jobs and revenues for Rialto. It only means one or two more "dead stores" to contend with---including Wal-Mart's own store on South Riverside Avenue.

Readers are urged to email Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas at vargas@rialtoca.gov with this message:

"Dear Mayor Vargas, You know what it's like to work at hard jobs for very low pay. You also know that the proposed Wal-Mart supercenter will cause the existing Wal-Mart discount store to close. You say you want "the best for people and their families," but encouraging more Wal-Mart jobs is not the future for Rialto.

Wal-Mart kills off as many jobs as it creates. Other merchants will suffer. Now that your own citizens, through their lawsuit, have shown that the Environmental Impact Report for the superstore was inadquate, the city should insist that Wal-Mart give the city the funds needed to conduct an independent EIR---not one produced by Wal-Mart's consultants. Let the city hire an independent contractor to take a look at the environmental effects of this project.

In the meantime, you should ask Wal-Mart to put funds into escrow to pay for the demolition of its South Riverside Avenue store---because if you ever finally approve this superstore, you are going to have an empty Wal-Mart on your hands---and they are not easy to dispose of.

This project is not the "best for people and their families," and you should take a hard look this time at whether or not it makes any economic or environmental sense.

The courts have done you a great favor: given you the chance to say No to this project the second time around.

Remember when Walmart tried to restrict usage of the ubiquitous yellow smiley face? Well, the company's legal team is it again.

Walmart has filed an injunction against a website critical of its Canadian business practices, and their "legal basis" will outrage you. Walmart wants to stop WalmartWorkersCanada.ca from using the word "Wal-Mart" either "alone or with other words... in a color scheme of blue, white and gold." Even more ridiculous, the company wants to restrict the usage of circular shapes on the group's website!

If Walmart has its way, "an oval, circular or semi-circular design" will be off limits to groups critical of its business practices. We're sure you agree--this is simply too bizarre for words.

You can take a stand against Walmart's censorship threat. It takes just a few seconds to put the pressure on Walmart to respect freedom of expression.

Tell Walmart to respect free speech: sign our petition today

If we let Walmart set the standard for free speech online, there is no telling where the company's absurd demands will end. Can you imagine a world where Walmart has exlusive rights to blue, white, gold, and abstract geometrical shapes? Rest assured that Walmart can.

Please take a moment to show your solidarity for the activists at WalmartWorkersCanada.ca. Sign our petition today, and don't forget to show your support online by hosting a banner on Facebook, MySpace, or your blog.

Help stop Walmart's war against the freedom of expression online

Thanks for all that you do,

The Team,
WakeUpWalMart.com

Is Walmart taking unacceptable risks sourcing its prescription drugs?

Today we released a new report detailing how Walmart sources its much-touted $4 prescription medications from Ranbaxy, the disgraced Indian drug maker.

According to the Department of Justice, Walmart's supplier is responsible for introducing potentially "subpotent, superpotent, or adulterated" drugs into the market. Medications used by millions of Walmart shoppers could have contained active ingredients from unapproved sources, in unapproved blends, and in amounts weaker than FDA-approved doses.

Despite the company's shady dealings, Walmart saw fit to award Ranbaxy with its "prestigious" Outstanding Supplier Award. In fact, Walmart continues to source from the embattled Indian manufacturer even today.

Don't let Walmart play games with the health of millions. Help us blow the whistle on Walmart for its customers to medications made by its unscrupulous supplier.

Let your local newspaper know the truth about Walmart's irresponsible drug sourcing.

Despite years of federal warnings concerning "systemic fraudulent conduct," Walmart continues to source cheap drugs from Ranbaxy. This revelation comes on the heels of extensive PR campaigning to brand Walmart as a global health care and ethical sourcing leader.

If Walmart is interested in providing safe products from responsible suppliers, why is it handing out awards to companies under investigation by the FDA and DOJ? It shows, yet again, that Walmart is interested in little more than its own bottom line.

America deserves to know that Walmart has grossly violated the trust of its customers. Help us put Walmart's misconduct into the public eye: read the report and spread the word.

Write a letter to the editor about Walmart's cozy relationship with Ranbaxy.

Don't let Walmart off the hook, take action today.

Thanks for all that you do,

The Team,
WakeUpWalMart.com

We just put out a new report about Walmart's connection to Ranbaxy, an Indian drug supplier that has been investigated by the FDA, DOJ, and had drugs banned from coming in to the United States and Canada. Here's our official press release:

June 23, 2009

EXPOSED: Cheap WalMart Rx Drugs Come from Disreputable Supplier

On Health Care, World’s Largest Retailer Fails Again

Washington, DC – A new report from WakeUpWalMart.com today revealed the truth behind WalMart’s much-touted $4 generic prescription drug program. To keep costs low, the report reveals that WalMart uses a generic drug supplier in India that has been investigated for safety reasons by U.S. authorities and has had its products banned by Canada.

At a time when WalMart has offered up its cheap prescription drug program as evidence of its leadership on health care, the plan calls into question WalMart’s commitment to providing quality and affordable health care to its consumers.

At the center of today’s report is drug manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories, LTD. Ranbaxy has been repeatedly investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for “inadequate” safeguards against contamination, falsification of records and submitting false information to the FDA.

As today’s report details, Walmart imports a variety of generic drugs from Ranbaxy that are used to treat bacterial infections, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies, cold sores and acne. Eight months before the FDA cited Ranbaxy for serious violations, WalMart gave the drug supplier an award for being a top performing supplier.

In 2008, the FDA banned importation of drugs manufactured at two of Ranbaxy’s plants, and in 2009, the FDA halted review of applications to import drugs manufactured at the Paonta Sahib plant. Soon thereafter, Canada followed suit and banned importation of drugs manufactured at that facility. Yet Walmart still imports generic drugs made by Ranbaxy at its other Indian facilities.

“WalMart talks a good game on health care, but its rhetoric can’t hide the facts. We’ve known for years that the retailer does not provide affordable coverage for its employees, and we learn today that may be sacrificing the safety of its consumers for the profits of its CEO,” said Meghan Scott, director of WakeUpWalMart.com. “Why is WalMart handing out awards to the same company that the DOJ, FDA and other countries are investigating? WalMart’s customers deserve to know.”

Read today’s report at the following link: http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/ranbaxy/

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Wake Up Walmart is holding actions this week to show our support for Walmart workers who are fighting for a voice on the job. Many workers across the country are coming forward despite Walmart's strong arm, draconian tactics like firing workers who support unions, one on one sweat sessions, anti-union propaganda, and threats. Despite all that, thousands of Walmart workers are bravely coming forward and many are speaking at press conferences this week. They need to know that we support them! You can see if there's an event in your area by clicking here.

So far, our press conferences and petition drives have been a great success. We're getting quite a bit of attention from the media, and the stories so far have been great. Here are a few stories that have already been published. We'll have more as they come out, and we'll be posting some good TV coverage as well.

From The Morning News in Arkansas:

Unions Target Wal-Mart

SPRINGDALE — Unions trying to organize Wal-Mart workers picked shareholder meeting week to stage demonstrations in Little Rock and elsewhere in the nation.

Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. does not have any unionized stores or departments in the United States. Walmart employees who want to form unions will picket at 2 p.m. today at the Walmart Supercenter at 8801 Baseline Road in Little Rock, although the shareholder's meeting is 200 miles away in Fayetteville.

Unions want to call attention to the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow unions to form by secret ballot or when a majority of workers sign cards stating they want to form a union. The act also would require employers to meet with union employees within 90 days or face federal arbitrators, who would set terms of the union contracts good for up to two years.

...If the free choice act does not pass, the United Food and Commercial Workers union will continue efforts to unionize retail workers, including those at Wal-Mart, said Meghan Scott of WakeUpWalMart. WakeUpWalMart also is using shareholders' week to launch a national petition drive and will distribute 50,000 cards asking people to support better wages, health care and working conditions for Walmart workers, according to a news release.

and from the Washington Post:

Area Wal-Mart Workers Join Effort to Unionize

The United Food and Commercial Workers union held organizing campaigns at several Wal-Mart stores across the country this week -- including one yesterday in Landover Hills -- as it renews pressure on the world's largest retailer to increase pay and improve health benefits.

In the Washington area, union representatives said they have been responding to increased inquiries from workers. UFCW Local 400 spokesman Mark Federici said hundreds of Wal-Mart employees in the area have signed union authorization cards, but he declined to give a specific number.

"They see their company actually being a rare success story in this tight economy, and they rightfully are asking where do they fit in to all that," he said.

Similar rallies were held at stores in Seattle and Miami this week, a few days before Wal-Mart will hold its annual shareholders meeting Friday at its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters. The UFCW is hoping to build on momentum from a rally it held in April that drew Wal-Mart employees from 17 states to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and lobby for the Employee Free Choice Act, the labor movement's top legislative priority. The bill would allow unions to organize through signing cards rather than a secret ballot election, as many companies require.

This week, Wake Up Walmart is kicking off a new campaign intended to show our support for workers who are coming forward and demanding their right to a voice on the job.

Here's the press release that went out about the new campaign:

For Immediate Release June 2, 2009

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF WORKERS RIGHTS

Press Conferences across the country highlight Walmart workers, call on customers to support to their rights to a voice on the job

Washington, DC – WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, with more than 444,600 members nationally, today launches a new campaign in support of workers rights. The campaign will kick off with a week of press conferences and petition drives across the country. Walmart workers, community leaders, and members of Walmart Workers for Change and WakeUpWalMart.com will join together in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and workers rights.

Thousands of Walmart associates from across the country have come forward to demand a voice on the job. They have the backing of President Obama, who has said “I don’t mind standing up for workers, and letting Walmart know they need to pay a decent wage and let folks organize.”

The thousands of members of Walmart Workers for Change have the support of UFCW International Union and local unions across the country. In the past, workers who have called for union representation have been harassed and intimidated; stores where workers voted for a voice on the job have been closed. It is time for change, and these workers are doing their part to ensure it.

As part of the campaign, local Walmart workers will speak out about their efforts to organize and obtain a better quality of life for their families. In the days leading up to the 2009 shareholders’ meeting, these workers will share their courageous stories and discuss why they believe the Employee Free Choice Act will give them a real chance for a voice on the job.

The campaign will also feature a petition drive, asking community members and Walmart customers to support the rights of Walmart workers. Workers, community leaders and local WakeUpWalmart.com activists will distribute 50,000 petition cards that read “Yes, I support the rights of Walmart workers to have a voice on the job so they can negotiate for better wages, health care and working conditions” and continues “I shop at Walmart, but with billions in profits Walmart can afford to treat its workers right. As America’s largest private employer, Walmart has a responsibility to do better by its associates. That’s why I support Walmart Workers for Change.” The petition card also highlights Walmart’s poor treatment of its workers and their frequently violations of labor law, including intimidation, threats and mandatory high-pressure meetings.

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In case you missed it, we just sent out the following email. Make sure you go sign our petition demanding a security overhaul for ALL Walmart stores.

During last year's Black Friday blitz, large crowds and poor security lead to tragedy at a Long Island Walmart. Shoppers mobbed the store's front entrance, killing temporary employee Jdimytai Damour and injuring several customers. Since, Walmart has been blasted for its conduct by the media, the victims, and now the government.

Yesterday, OSHA slapped Walmart with the maximum penalty allowed under the law for "exposing workers to the recognized hazard of being crushed by the crowd." OSHA thinks Walmart "should have recognized... the need to implement effective crowd management to protect its employees." We couldn't agree more.

Unfortunately, all this unwanted attention hasn't brought substantive change at Walmart. Bentonville avoided criminal prosecution in New York by pledging to revamp security only in its New York stores. The rest of its stores will presumably see no security enhancement at all. This means millions of Walmart customers and workers in the other 49 states are still exposed to inadequate security.

Today, we are rallying to ensure that Walmart makes a serious, state-by-state effort to boost store security. Sign our petition today and let Walmart know we are serious about safety.

Sign our petition demanding a security overhaul for ALL Walmart stores.

As the nation's largest employer, Walmart has national responsibilities. While Walmart makes legal maneuvers with store safety in New York, more than 4,000 other American Walmart stores are potentially just as unsafe as they were before last year's Black Friday tragedy.

We can hold Walmart to a higher standard. If you, your friends, or your family have seen Walmart cut corners with store safety, please tell your story on our website. If Walmart refuses to reevaluate its own security procedures, we will do it for them, store by store.

Sign the petition and tell your story today

Walmart has already forgotten the lesson of last year's Black Friday tragedy, but we haven't. Help us make security reform a top priority at Walmart.

Thanks for all that you do,

The Team,
WakeUpWalMart.com

So we've been on twitter for a while now, and we just wanted remind you that you can follow us at http://twitter.com/WakeUpWalmart. We twitter about the Walmart news, the conversation about Walmart on Twitter, and what we're doing to change the way Walmart does business. You can follow our feed to keep up on the latest news, and more! If you're on Twitter, check us out and drop us a line! We'd love to hear from you.

We've been keeping tabs on the battle to build a Walmart near "Wilderness Battlefield" an important civil war historical site. Many prominent historians and public figures have asked that Walmart consider moving the location of their store to a location that will not affect the battlefield, but thus far, Walmart hasn't budged.

In the last few days, the debate has heated up quite a bit. The Washington Post ran a piece by James McPherson, the Pulitzer prize winning history professor from Princeton University. In it he argues,

There is still time for Wal-Mart to recognize its error and identify another location. This week marks the 145th anniversary of the Battle of the Wilderness, a perfect opportunity to seek a solution in everyone's best interests. The Wilderness Battlefield is a living memorial to American sacrifice and heroism. It would be tragic if such a landmark was lost through the short-sightedness of local decision-makers and Wal-Mart's stubborn refusal to consider reasonable alternatives.

Then yesterday Rep. Peter Welch, (D-VT) toured the Wilderness battlefield and said Walmart should "look into its corporate soul" and ask whether building a superstore near a historic Virginia battlefield is the best decision.

There was also a news conference yesterday with actor Robert Duvall who joined the call for Walmart to change its proposed location.

It really seems like a no-brainer for Walmart. All that is being asked of them is to move the proposed location a few miles away. Alas, it seems, at least for the moment, that they will stick to their proverbial guns.

Today was a big day for Walmart workers on Capitol Hill. Nearly 100 workers from 17 states across the country came to DC and this morning they briefed congressional staff and press in a packed committee room in the Russell Senate office building.

They talked about what its like to work at Walmart, about their wages and benefits, and about why they feel they need a union at Walmart. The historic meeting on Capitol Hill comes as the United Food and Commercial Workers kick off the first viable organizing campaign of Walmart stores in recent history.

The rest of the day, they'll be meeting with their Senators and Congressmen to tell them about their experiences working at Walmart. The workers will also be sharing why they believe the lawmakers should vote for the Employee Free Choice Act.

In addition to a press briefing and meetings with Senators, Walmart workers also went to a lunch on Capitol Hill where Senator Harkin spoke (seen to the right). Here's the press release:

WALMART WORKERS HOLD HISTORIC NATIONAL ORGANIZING MEETING

Nearly 100 Workers From Across Country Meet With Congressional Leaders

Washington, DC – Walmart workers from across the nation are converging today on Capitol Hill for a National Organizing Meeting to brief Senators about wages, benefits and the Employee Free Choice Act. Nearly 100 Walmart workers from 17 states are participating in the event. As part of their campaign for a union voice on the job, they will urge lawmakers to level the playing field for working people by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.

“I made the trip into Washington DC to stand with my fellow Walmart workers and to urge my Senators to pass the Employee Free Choice Act,” said Dominique Sloan a Dallas, Texas, Walmart worker. “We need change in this country. All you have to do is look at how all the money goes to CEOs. But when it comes to workers, it’s always the same, no health care or health care that’s too expensive and low wages. We need to change that.”

The National Organizing Committee is made up of Walmart workers from Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Despite Walmart’s well-documented history of anti-working family activities, workers say they are excited by the election of Barack Obama, excited that the President says it’s not too much to ask Walmart to pay decent wages and provide good health care, and excited that the Employee Free Choice Act can help bring the change that helps workers and makes Walmart live up to its responsibilities.

“I have three boys, and I had to get Florida Kids Care to cover their medical,” says Cheryl Guzman, a Walmart worker from Miami. “It’s either you eat, or you have medical coverage, that’s not right. That’s why I’m part of Walmart Workers for Change.”

Ten workers recently shared their stories in a new video, released earlier this week. Workers from the National Organizing Committee will be available to the press today after a Capitol Hill briefing at 10 a.m., in 328 Russell Senate Office Building.

Walmart Workers for Change is a new campaign made up of thousands of Walmart workers joining together to form a union and negotiate better benefits, higher wages, and more opportunity for a better future. The campaign is a project of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The UFCW represents 1.3 million workers nationwide, with nearly one million working in the supermarket industry. Many of UFCW members also work at national retail stores such as Bloomingdales, Macys, H&M, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Saks Fifth Avenue, RiteAid, CVS, and Syms.

So we're in to the elite 8 match up of The Consumerist's Worst Company in America. Walmart is up against AIG for the privileged of going to the Final 4. So go vote!

Check it out, over 100 Walmart employees from 17 states are going to Washington, DC to brief congressional staff on their experiences at Walmart, specifically the wages and benefits at Walmart. Here's the media advisory:

***Advisory: April 27, 2009***

WALMART WORKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO BRIEF CONGRESSIONAL STAFF ON WAGES, BENEFITS AT AMERICA’S LARGEST RETAILER

Nearly 100 Workers Representing Their Home Stores Will Come to Washington, DC This Week

Washington, DC – Nearly 100 Walmart workers from 17 states will come to Washington, DC this week for a national organizing committee meeting, and to brief Congressional staff on working conditions at America’s number one private employer and why they need a union voice in the workplace.

Workers from Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, will be available to speak to reporters following the briefing with Congressional staff:

WHAT: Briefing for Congressional Staff and Press by Walmart Workers

WHEN: Thursday, April 30 at 10 AM

WHERE: Agriculture Committee Room, #328 Russell Senate Office Building

Despite Walmart’s long and well-documented history of anti-worker activities, associates say they are emboldened by the election of Barack Obama and the introduction of the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress. Ten of these workers shared their stories in a new video, released last week.

Walmart Workers for Change is a new campaign made up of thousands of Walmart workers joining together to form a union and negotiate better benefits, higher wages, and more opportunity for a better future.

The campaign is a project of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), America’s neighborhood union. The UFCW represents 1.3 million workers nationwide, with nearly one million working in the supermarket industry. Many of UFCW members also work at national retail stores such as Bloomingdales, Macys, H&M, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Saks Fifth Avenue, RiteAid, CVS, and Syms.

This article from the Miami Herald is a must read. Not only is this the first real unionization effort in quite some time, but it's also getting real results. One hundred and fifty have signed authorization cards at this store.

It's also a must read because it shows what these workers are really up against: delays, harassment, threats and pressure. Despite all of that, workers aren't backing down. They know what they're up against and they standing strong.

Here's the story:

Efforts to unionize North Miami Beach Wal-Mart move forward

Workers at a North Miami Beach Wal-Mart Supercenter are hoping to make their store one of the first in the United States to unionize.

So far, workers say they have gathered signed, pro-union cards from 150 of the store's 476 employees. Under federal labor law, that's just about enough for union supporters to demand a vote of all rank-and-file workers at the store.

If a majority of workers voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union, Wal-Mart would have to negotiate a contract setting pay, work rules, complaint procedures, health insurance and other benefits for the workers.

At least, that's the theory. In reality, workers may have a long road ahead of them.

For one thing, they will need to collect signed cards from a lot more than the 30 percent minimum required by law. That's because Wal-Mart could ask federal labor officials to throw out some of the cards for various reasons.

Even if the National Labor Relations Board orders an election, companies will typically try to delay it for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the company can order workers to attend anti-union meetings and watch anti-union videos on company time, while the unions will have to try and find workers during breaks and off hours.

Eugene Hart Sr., a union supporter at the North Miami Beach store, said he thinks some of his co-workers may withdraw their support due to company pressure, but others will sign up to replace them.

''We had the whole store,'' Hart said. ``They got 'em scared.''

Pro-union workers say the company is harassing them, demanding to know the views of individual employees and pressuring them to identify union supporters. Wal-Mart says it doesn't engage in such practices, any of which would violate federal labor law. And so far, the union has filed no formal complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

But union supporter Cheryl Guzman says management has targeted her.

''They call me into the office every other day,'' said Guzman, a 15-year Wal-Mart employee. She said managers accused her of spreading rumors and soliciting co-workers to sign cards during work time, which she denies.

Wal-Mart has been found to violate the National Labor Relations Act in the past, but justice took years in coming to the affected workers.

In a 2008 case, the NLRB found that Wal-Mart illegally fired an Arizona employee because of his support for unionization and ordered him reinstated with back pay. The board also ordered the company to post notices in the workplace informing employees that they have a legal right to support the union if they so desire.

The case pertained to events in 2000-2002.

In 2007, the board ordered Wal-Mart to take back disciplinary action imposed on a worker charged with distributing union materials on work time. The incidents took place in 2000.

If the local union wins an election, management will likely contest the result. And while the law would require management to negotiate with the union after a successful election, companies have sometimes succeeded in dragging out talks for years.

''With an employer like Wal-Mart, it's almost axiomatic: that will automatically happen,'' said Bruce Nissen, a labor sociologist at Florida International University who has written extensively about unions.

The UFCW says the North Miami Beach store is one of about 100 Wal-Mart stores it is working to organize in 15 states. Nissen said he has heard other stores have received as much as 90 percent support from workers.

But Wal-Mart, which is the world's largest retailer, said its workers don't want to unionize.

''Recently, we have noticed that the UFCW has been working harder in its attempts to get Wal-Mart associates to sign union cards, but we don't think our associates have any reason to be more interested than before,'' company spokeswoman Daphne Moore said. ``Looking at all we offer, many of our associates just don't seem to feel that union membership would be a better deal.''

Moore said the company has an ''open-door policy'' enabling workers to bring their concerns to managers.

''Clearly, some associates at our North Miami Beach store have some concerns, and we are committed to continuing to work with them to ensure their concerns are addressed,'' she said.

Moore also pointed to workers like Diane Ruggiero, an office worker at the Miami Gardens store who says she loves working for the company. Ruggiero said her father was a trucker and member of the Teamsters union, but she said Wal-Mart is different.

''I'm not anti-union,'' said Ruggiero, a former assistant manager who has been with the company for 16 years. ``I don't believe it would work for Wal-Mart. We have an open-door, we don't need someone to speak for us. You don't always hear the reply you want to hear, but you're heard.''

The North Miami Beach case comes at a time when organized labor is lobbying Congress to pass major changes to national labor law through a bill called the Employee Free Choice Act. The act would:

• Eliminate a current rule that allows companies to demand an election even if more than half of workers sign pro-union cards.

• Increase penalties for companies who violate rules against harassing or dismissing workers because of their union sympathies.

• Require companies to submit to binding arbitration if they can't reach an agreement with the union on wages and benefits after 90 days.

Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are strongly opposed to the law. They say it would encourage unions to harass workers into signing cards, introduce unwanted government intrusion into the workplace and lead to jobs being eliminated.

Business groups scored a major victory last month when U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., announced he won't support the act for the moment. Specter, who is widely seen as a political centrist, said changes are needed to fix the National Labor Relations Act, but the middle of a recession would be a bad time to debate the unions' proposal.

He suggested other possible changes to the labor law, aimed at reducing delays, increasing penalties for strong-arm tactics on either side and eliminating ''captive audience'' speeches by employers unless the union is given equal time to respond.

In the meantime, the North Miami Beach workers continue their campaign. They invited reporters to watch them deliver petitions to Wal-Mart managers at the store on Wednesday.

''If we vote and we get it, they can't do nothing but go along with it,'' Guzman said. ``That's my hope and prayer.''

About a dozen workers held hands and prayed in a circle outside the store before delivering the petitions.

''Don't let us come here today in vain, Lord God,'' said Helen Robinson, a Wal-Mart door greeter who led the prayer.

Robinson wasn't the least bit intimidated by management.

''They're a bunch of pharaohs,'' she declared.

Walmart workers are losing ground in the workplace and America needs to know.

Today, a new mini-documentary was released by Walmart Workers for Change. In it, real Walmart associates speak out against the poverty wages, unaffordable healthcare, and employee intimidation that have become "normal" at Walmart.

These brave Walmart workers have stood up to the most powerful retailer in America for one reason--they have seen the way Walmart works and believe something has to change. After you watch their mini-documentary, we know you will agree with them.

Today, we are asking you to support this new cause. Already, thousands of Walmart employees have joined Walmart Workers for Change. They're fighting for better wages, better healthcare, and representation in the workplace. But, they can not win their fight for a better workplace unless America gets to know the real Walmart. For that, they need you.

Let these Walmart associates know you've got their backs. Watch the new mini-documentary, send it to your friends, and Add your signature to the growing list of Walmart activists who support rights in the workplace for hard working Walmart employees.

Help spread the new mini-documentary: show your support for American Walmart workers

Walmart Workers for Change is fighting for a new law before Congress that would give 1.4 million Walmart workers a real chance for representation in the workplace, without the company's usual threats and harassment. We've joined with them to spread the word about the Employee Free Choice Act and the promise it holds for American Walmart workers.

For years, Walmart's anti-union drives have exploited America's soft labor laws, often breaking them outright. The results of these anti-worker policies are clear -- stagnating wages, sub-par benefits and an increasingly unfriendly workplace. All at a time when Walmart and the Walton family are benefiting from the sagging economy and making record profits.

Workers need a process that will guarantee their right to a voice in the workplace. They need to know that when a majority of their coworkers want to exercise their right to representation, they will get it. They need guaranteed contracts and tough penalties when Bentonville illegally intimidates and harasses them. Walmart workers need the Employee Free Choice Act.

Most of all, Walmart workers need you. Let America know that you support the mission of Walmart Workers for Change. Watch their new documentary and tell your friends.

Put Walmart workers back in the middle class: Watch the mini-documentary and sign the petition today.

It's time America met the real Walmart. Take action today.

Thanks for all that you do,

The Team
WakeUpWalMart.com

Round two voting is now open for Consumerist's Worst Company in America competition. This round Walmart goes up against Best Buy. The two companies are competing for the lions share of electronics sales. Go vote! We'll keep you updated on the competition.

Consumerist has the updated bracket for the second round of the Worst Company in America up. Walmart defeated HP in the first round and now moves on to compete against Best Buy. Here's the bracket:

So today is the final day to vote in the first round of the Consumerist's Worst Company In America competition. Sometime later today they'll release an updated bracket and start round two. I'll post the bracket when it comes out. So go vote, if you haven't already. We'd like to encourage you to vote for Walmart (and any other company you think is the worst).

Are you on Twitter? It's a fun and useful site where users keep friends and family up to date with short posts. Wake Up Wal-Mart recently got on twitter, and we're keeping folks up to date about what we're doing, how we're working to change Wal-Mart, and what Wal-Mart is doing every day. Check out our page and follow us if you're on Twitter!

You did it! Thanks to all of you who donated to the Damour legal fund to support the family of Jdimytai Damour, the young man who was trampled to death on black Friday at a Wal-Mart in New York. We reached our goal of 150 donors in just a few weeks. We're very impressed with all of you, and we know that the Damour family will be incredibly grateful too.

Thank you for all you do! We hope you'll keep supporting us in our fight to change Wal-Mart for the better, and in our fight for justice for Wal-Mart workers around the world.

We've just released our final ad of our Holiday Campaign. You can watch it here:

If you like what we're doing, help spread the word by digging the ad!

Here's our press release:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 2008

Pastor Calls on Wal-Mart to Be a Better Neighbor in New TV Ad

Ad Will Run in Conjunction with More Than Forty Candlelight Vigils Across the Country, Calling on Wal-Mart to Do Better by Our Families

Washington, DC – WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart with more than 436,000 members nationwide, today announced a new national television ad featuring a prominent Baptist minister. In the ad, Reverend Kyle Childress reminds us that the holiday season is a time for caring for everyone.

The ad is the third in a series of television and radio spots that have run in 19 markets across the country, as part of the fourth annual “Hope for the Holidays” campaign. The nationwide campaign featured television and radio ads, direct mail and more than 100 actions including fundraising drives for Wal-Mart employees and candlelight vigils.

“At Christmas time, we’re reminded we all have a responsibility to care for our neighbors. But it seems like too many CEOs and corporations have forgotten that,” says Reverend Kyle Childress in the ad. “This Christmas let’s remind Wal-Mart –some values are more important than the ones you find on store shelves.” (Full script below).

The ad, called “Christmas Values,” goes up today across the country. To reinforce the ad’s message, community and religious leaders in more than 40 cities and towns will hold candlelight vigils outside of Wal-Mart stores. They will offer prayers and light candles on behalf of 2 million Wal-Mart employees, including Jdimytai Damour, a Wal-Mart employee who was killed in a Black Friday rampage, and their families in the hope that Wal-Mart will see the light and finally change into a more responsible employer.

The ad can be viewed at http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/holiday2008/

“CHRISTMAS VALUES” AD SCRIPT

At Christmas time, we’re reminded we all have a responsibility to care for our neighbors.
But it seems like too many CEOs and corporations have forgotten that.
When Wal-Mart mistreats its employees and denies them affordable health coverage, it says a lot about their values.
When one point six million women have to sue Wal-Mart to get paid the same as men, it says even more.
This Christmas let’s remind Wal-Mart –some values are more important than the ones you find on store shelves.
REVEREND KYLE CHILDRESS BIO
Rev. Kyle Childress has served as the pastor of Austin Heights Baptist Church, Nacogdoches, Texas for nineteen years. Working across racial lines for reconciliation, he is active in both the local ministerial associations, one predominately African-American and the other predominately Anglo. Long active in a variety of community services, he was the founding president of the Nacogdoches Habitat for Humanity and was on the founding board of what was then called the East Texas AIDS Project (now Health Horizons). Rev. Childress is married to Jane who teaches English in nearby Stephen F. Austin State University. They have two daughters: Emily, a freshman in college, and Callie, a sophomore in high school.

So as you guys know, Wake Up Wal-Mart is in the midst of our Holiday Campaign. We've been highlighting Wal-Mart employees, collecting money, handing out fliers, and, this week, we're holding candlelight vigils all across the country. Starting today we've got more than 65 candlelight vigils in front of Wal-Mart stores everywhere from Philadelphia to Detroit to Framingham, Massachusetts to Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Tacoma, Washington.

At all of the actions local Wake Up Wal-Mart activists will light candles on behalf of the 2 million Wal-Mart employees in hopes that the company change its ways. Many of the vigils will also honor the memory of Jdimytai Damour, the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death on 'Black Friday' at a store in New York. In addition to activists and concerned citizens, local faith leaders will be speaking at many of the vigils, asking Wal-Mart to be a better neighbor this holiday season. Keep an eye out for a Vigil in your area.

Please support our efforts to change Wal-Mart for the better this Holiday Season by spreading the word and donating to our Holiday Campaign.

Wake Up Wal-Mart is officially kicking off our Holiday campaign. Stay tuned throughout December for new ads, actions in front of stores, our worker highlight stories, and more! It's going to be busy for us. If you'd like to get involved in telling Wal-Mart to treat its employees better, send us an e-mail or give us a call. We'd love to see you at a local action or have help spreading the word online and in person!

Here's our press release:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES MONTH-LONG HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN TO HIGHLIGHT WAL-MART’S ANTI AMERICAN AND ANTI-WORKER POLICIES

Two New TV Ads To Start Across the Country Thursday December 4th

During These Tough Times, Wal-Mart Needs To Put America’s Economy Ahead of China’s

Washington, DC - WakeUpWalMart.com and its 435,000 members, today launched a month-long holiday campaign to highlight Wal-Mart’s anti-worker/anti-American policies. The million dollar campaign will run throughout December and include national television advertising, local media and mail and more than 100 actions ranging from holiday drives for Wal-Mart employees to candlelight vigils outside of key Wal-Mart stores.

WakeUpWalMart.com’s campaign to highlight Wal-Mart’s anti worker policies comes on the heels of a tragic fatal accident that took the life of a Wal-Mart employee in New York on Black Friday. The goal of the campaign is to challenge Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer and America’s largest private employer, to do their part to help America’s economy get back on track by doing more for their workers and doing less to help the Chinese economy. Wal-Mart current imports more than 70% of their good from China.

“While Wal-Mart is making record profits ($3.03 billion dollars in the 3rd quarter alone), Wal-Mart workers are struggling to keep their heads above water because of poverty-level wages, unaffordable healthcare, poor treatment, and cuts in hours,” said Meghan Scott, Director of WakeUpWalmart.com. “Our ‘Hope for the Holidays’ campaign is designed to highlight the plight of hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart employees who are struggling to get by while their employer is shipping millions of dollars overseas this holiday. We will be asking Wal-Mart shoppers to help us send a message to Wal-Mart to put American workers first this holiday season.”

WakeupWalMart.com members will call on Wal-Mart to pay fair wages to its employees, provide affordable healthcare, and do more to ensure the safety of their workers and their products. The campaign will begin with two national ads that will start airing in key markets Thursday December 4th. WakeUpWalMart.Com will announce new activities each week in December.

The two ads “Hidden Costs” and “Thinking of shopping at Wal-Mart” will air in targeted markets across the country and can be viewed at http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/holiday2008/

TV AD SCRIPT: “HIDDEN COSTS”

Have you added up all the hidden
costs behind Wal-Mart’s prices?

The one-point-eight billion dollars taxpayers shell out for health care because Wal-Mart doesn’t cover half its employees.

The lost wages of one-point-six-million women who had to take Wal-Mart to court to get paid the same as men.

Countless manufacturing jobs lost while America’s largest corporation became America’s biggest importer of Chinese goods.

Behind Wal-Mart’s profits, the middle-class pays the price.

America can’t afford it any longer.

TV AD SCRIPT: “THINKING OF SHOPPING AT WAL-MART”

If you’re thinking of shopping at Wal-Mart this holiday season,

There’s a 70% chance the gifts you buy come from Communist China.

America’s largest corporation stocks its shelves with products made

In Chinese factories.

While more and more American factories are forced to shut down.

Behind those prices Wal-Mart likes to brag about:

countless American jobs lost overseas.

In this race to the bottom,

Wal-Mart gets ahead, and the middleclass gets left behind.

America can’t afford it any longer.
###

This year for our annual Holiday campaign, Wake Up Wal-Mart is highlighting a different Wal-Mart employee every week. This week, we're highlighting Cynthia Murray. Here's her story:

Cynthia Murray is a 9 year veteran at Wal-Mart. As a fitting room associate in Laurel, Maryland, Cynthia has won numerous awards for her job performance. This is her story.

Injured in a car accident several years ago, Cynthia is partially disabled and cannot stand for extended periods. When Wal-Mart first hired Cynthia, management acknowledged her disability and placed her in the clothing department's fitting rooms, where she can sit and answer phones. Wal-Mart later requested that Cynthia provide proof of her injury, claiming it had no record of it, all despite management's prior knowledge of her disability. Later, Wal-Mart had the gall to claim that, without documentation, it would "have" to take her chair away.

Given proper medical care, Cynthia might have recovered from her injuries. However, after 9 years at Wal-Mart, she still cannot afford the company's health insurance. With her hourly wages of $10.80 an hour, Wal-Mart's high premiums are simply out of reach.

If you are outraged by Wal-Mart's treatment of Cynthia Murray, you're not alone. But, don't just get mad, take action! Help us benefit workers like Cynthia by contributing to our Wal-Mart Workers' Holiday Fund.

Can't donate? You can still fight for fair treatment for Wal-Mart workers. Help us spread the word by sending a link to your friends and family.

Remember, together we can give Wal-Mart workers a remarkable gift for the holidays: a more responsible employer.

'Black Friday' has truly lived up to its name this year. Reports of injury are still coming in five days later. It's no mystery why, either: crowds of thousands mobbed their local stores seeking out holiday bargains, and in the uncontrolled crowds and the rush to get to those five remaining big screen TVs and video games, people got hurt. Sadly, this year, people died too.

Mr. Jdimytai Damour, a temporary holiday employee at Wal-Mart was one of a few employees who tried to hold back an unruly mob that had waited for hours for the store to open at 5 am. When the doors shattered from the pressure of the crowd, people rushed in without any thought to the workers trying to control them. Mr. Damour and a few other workers were thrown to the ground in the stampede. While some of his coworkers tried to reach him to help, people continued to rush in to the store, crushing Mr. Damour. His injuries were fatal.

We are simply appalled by this story. Appalled that there wasn't more security at the store. Appalled at Wal-Mart for not doing more to stop this. Appalled that the cops seemed to have left right before the opening despite a seemingly uncontrolled crowd. Appalled that the customers broke down the door. Appalled that people could continue shopping after having so callously stampeding over Wal-Mart employees, and that our consumerist culture has encouraged something like this to happen. Appalled that Mr. Damour's family has to suffer so during the holidays. Appalled that this could happen. This was preventable.

Bruce Both, President of a local union, was right when he said, "This incident was avoidable. Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?"

Here's our official statement on the tragic incident:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2008

STATEMENT FROM WAKEUPWALMART.COM ON THE TRAGIC DEATH OF JDIMYTAI DAMOUR

On November 29th, 2008 at a Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream, New York, Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old Wal-Mart worker, was killed in a crush of Black Friday shoppers.

The following statement is attributed to Meghan Scott, Spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com.

"While this is not the time for pointing fingers, it is critical that we examine what caused this tragedy, and how we prevent more families from suffering such a loss. It appears that Mr. Damour's senseless death resulted from Wal-Mart's negligence and need for huge sales on Black Friday.

"The retail giant had a responsibility to ensure its workers were safe, but instead, Wal-Mart once again placed profit ahead of people. This is an incredibly sad and extreme example of Wal-Mart's ongoing mistreatment of the people who work in the stores. From poverty-level wages to healthcare that is priced out of reach, to 1.6 million women forced to sue for equal pay, America's largest private employer continues to fail its workers at the holidays and throughout the year. Wal-Mart's low prices should not come at such a high cost to the people who work in the stores. Last Friday, Mr. Damour paid the ultimate price."

Wake Up Wal-Mart has a new ad out. It's not hitting TV stations until Monday, but we thought you, our loyal blog readers, deserved a sneak peak:

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.

Make the holidays a little brighter for all Wal-Mart workers--Help us grow our Wal-Mart Workers' Holiday Fund today

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.

For Immediate Release

WAKEUPWALMART.COM WELCOMES MICHAEL DUKE AS THE NEW CEO OF WAL-MART, INVITES HIM TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced today that effective February 1st, Lee Scott will retire as the Chief Executive Officer of Wal-Mart and Mike Duke will take his place. It was also announced that Eduardo
Castro-Wright will be promoted to Vice-Chairman of Wal-Mart stores.

The following statement is attributed to Meghan Scott, Spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com.

“This is an incredible time of change and transition, both for
Wal-Mart, and the country. With its change in leadership, we hope
Wal-Mart will embrace this opportunity for a positive change in the way it does business.

“We invite Mr. Duke, as the new CEO of Wal-Mart, to live up to the
company’s responsibility to pay its workers a living wage, especially
in this dire economy where working people are struggling and Wal-Mart is profiting. We invite Mr. Duke to improve Wal-Mart’s employee benefits so that all of its associates can afford quality health care. Lastly, we invite Mr. Duke to make a real commitment to the American economy by keeping manufacturing jobs here in the United States, not pressuring its suppliers to go overseas.

“We welcome this important transition, and we welcome Mr. Duke. We
look forward to a better Wal-Mart, and we hope Mr. Duke can be the one to make it happen.”

So I first have to apologize for the long silence on this blog. Like many around the country, the last few weeks have been hectic. We've been focused on the election, and our staff members have been out in the field getting our message out. Now that the election is over, however, we're back to focusing our efforts on changing the way Wal-Mart does business.

As Wal-Mart gears up for their Holiday season, we're gearing up to let consumers know about the injustices Wal-Mart is responsible for. We want people to know about their poverty level wages, we want them to know about their inadequate and unaffordable health care, we want them to know about labor abuses, we want people to know about Wal-Mart sending American jobs overseas, we want them to know about the sweatshops where Wal-Mart produces its goods, we want them to know about the environmental impacts Wal-Mart is having, and most of all, we want people to demand that Wal-Mart change its ways.

Wal-Mart may think they can just shut down a store because its employees decided they wanted a union and no one would notice, but people are sitting up and taking notice.

Here is a list of just some of the coverage this story has been getting:

Wal-Mart, Union-Busting Again [CJAD Radio]

Union raps Wal-Mart move to close unionized shop [Canadian Broadcasting Centre]

Wal-Mart to close unionized auto shop in Quebec [The Canadian Press]

Wal-Mart closes unionized Canada center [Real Clear Markets]

Wal-Mart to shut unionized Gatineau garage [Ottawa Business Journal]

Union attacks Wal-Mart for closing garage [The Gazette]

Wal-Mart closes unionized Gatineau shop [Ottawa Citizen]

Wal-Mart closes unionized Canada center [Washington Post]

Can you call (1-800-Wal-Mart) or e-mail Wal-Mart and tell them you think it's reprehensible that they are simply firing workers who chose to be represented by a union. Let them know that the world is watching, and they can't simply dismiss workers because they don't like unions.

Here's our statement about Wal-Mart shutting down a tire and lube shop because it was unionized:

For Immediate Release October 16, 2008

WAL-MART’S EMPLOYEES VOTE FOR A UNION, SO WAL-MART CLOSES DOWN INSTEAD OF NEGOTIATING WITH THEM

Roughly two months ago the first collective bargaining agreement between Wal-Mart and unionized employees, who worked at a Wal-Mart tire and lube shop, was presented to Wal-Mart. At the time there was speculation that Wal-Mart would simply shut down the store instead of accepting the agreement as they did in 2005 in Jonquière, Quebec after its workers decided to join a union. Today Wal-Mart has announced that they will indeed shut down the tire and lube shop.

The following statement is attributed to Meghan Scott, Spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com.

“Once again Wal-Mart proves how anti-worker, and shamelessly anti-union, they are. Wal-Mart has fired workers and shut down a department simply because the workers chose to be represented by a union. Wal-Mart consistently shows that they put profit over people and this case is no exception. Wal-Mart should be ashamed that they so wantonly fired their employees.”

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For Immediate Release
October 10, 2008

WAL-MART EXPOSED: SWEATSHOP LABOR PROVES WAL-MART HASN’T CHANGED A BIT

Today a Business Week article once again shone a light on Wal-Mart’s relationships with sweatshops. The article details how workers at a factory in Bangladesh were forced to work incredibly long hours to make school uniforms for Wal-Mart while being paid incredibly low wages. The workers were subject to verbal and physical abuse and were forced to stand for hours at a time as punishment for tardiness. The article questions not just Wal-Mart’s relationship with this factory, but its oversight of the entire supply chain.

The following statement is attributed to Meghan Scott, Spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com.

“New slogan. New ads. Same Wal-Mart. Whether it's providing health care to its workers or failing to provide adequate oversight of its supply chain, Wal-Mart, despite its rhetoric, hasn't changed a bit. Wal-Mart’s low prices still come at a high cost.”

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In addition to our ads running during a very highly watched vice presidential debate (Neilson shows that last nights debate drew 43% more viewers than the first presidential debate) we got some great coverage around the internet.

Ben Smith wrote a piece about our ad on his blog over at Politico. NPR covered our ad too. And FireDogLake's Campaign Silo blog featured our ad. We also got some pretty good coverage on Slate. Thanks for helping us spread the word. We've also been talking to folks on a number of blogs and we've had some really great feedback.

Check out our newest ad, airing today nation wide in 8 states and in DC. Following the ad is the release that just went out.

Also, can you help spread the word? Go digg this ad!

IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2008

NEW AD HIGHLIGHTS WAL-MART’S GENDER DISCRIMINATION LEGAL TROUBLES, MCCAIN’S OPPOSITION TO FAIR PAY

WAKEUPWALMART.COM ASKS WAL-MART MOMS TO TELL JOHN MCCAIN “WE CAN’T AFFORD IT ANY LONGER”

Washington, DC - WakeUpWalMart.com, America's campaign to change Wal-Mart with more than 433,000 members nationally, today launches a hard-hitting 30-second TV ad -- “Breadwinners” -- that shows John McCain siding with corporations like Wal-Mart and its lobbyists in opposing equal pay. The ad ends with a plea for consumers to tell John McCain, “we can’t afford it any longer.” (Full script below.)

The ad comes on the same day that Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin will square off in the only Vice Presidential debate. While Sarah Palin is the first female to run for Vice President on a Republican ticket her running mate, Sen. John McCain, opposes paying women the same wage as men doing the same job.

As Palin’s presence on the GOP’s ticket highlights issues like fair pay, Wal-Mart is in the midst of the largest discrimination class action lawsuit in history. One point six million (1.6 million) women have sued Wal-Mart because of their unfair discrimination in pay and promotional opportunities. When McCain had the opportunity to stand against gender discrimination, he instead sided with corporate lobbyists and Wal-Mart in opposing fair pay legislation.

The ad will begin airing nationwide today in nine states: Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and in the District of Columbia. It can be viewed at http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/video/breadwinners.

TV AD SCRIPT

They put in the same long hours as men, but take home less.
Mothers, daughters, breadwinners.
One point six million women are standing up to pay discrimination at Wal-Mart alone.
But when fair pay legislation came to the Senate, John McCain helped defeat it.
He sided with corporate lobbyists, against equal pay.
Tell John McCain we can’t afford it any longer.

###

Check out our latest ad! It is up and running in 7 states across the country today. Let us know what you think, and spread it around!

Our friends over at Global Response have just filed complaints with the Consumers Union and the Federal Trade Commission because Wal-Mart, once again, is greenwashing.

Wal-Mart has been trying to capture more business by touting various environmental initiatives and products. It is a rather smart PR campaign, but unfortunately, it's nothing more than a PR campaign. Wal-Mart cares far more about profits than the environment, and their new "green" gold jewelry line is no exception.

Check out Global Response's press release:

For Immediate Release: September 11, 2008

Groups Charge Wal-Mart with “Greenwashing”
“Love,Earth” Gold is Tarnished

Boulder, CO: Environmental watchdog group Global Response announced today that it filed complaints with Consumers Union and the Federal Trade Commission, charging that Wal-Mart’s “green” claims for its “Love,Earth” jewelry are false.

“It is unconscionable that instead of addressing the planet’s serious environmental problems, Wal-Mart hoodwinks consumers into thinking they can ‘reduce impact on human health and the environment’ by buying gold jewelry,” says Global Response’s executive director Paula Palmer

The mines in Utah and Nevada and the factories in Peru and Bolivia where Wal-Mart claims its gold for Love,Earth is “sustainably mined and manufactured” are not monitored or certified by any credible independent agent.

“Wal-Mart has chosen to publicly endorse mining operations which have significant problems,” says Dan Randolph, executive director of the Nevada-based Great Basin Resource Watch. “These mines emit unacceptable quantities of mercury into the air, threatening the health of fetuses and young children. They deplete water quantity in an arid region, and they will go on contaminating water with toxic metals for centuries to come.”

Denver-based Newmont Mining Company mines Love,Earth’s gold on Western Shoshone lands without the permission of the Western Shoshone. “Wal-Mart claims its jewelry comes from ‘community friendly sources,’” says Larson Bill of the Western Shoshone Defense Project. “But they’ve never talked to us, and we’re the community affected by Newmont’s mines. They should meet with us. We need an independent health study here to show how these mines are affecting our people.”

Wal-Mart’s Love, Earth logo is encircled by the words, the “reduce, reuse, recycle, respect.” But mining is an extractive, non-renewable industry that is, by definition, unsustainable. A single gold ring leaves behind as much as 20 tons of waste rock and tailings that continue to pollute ground water even after the mine has stopped operations.

“The only sustainable gold is recycled gold – your grandmother’s wedding ring remade into a new piece. When Love,Earth jewelry is made entirely of recycled gold, it will earn its name. Until then,” says Global Response’s Palmer, “don’t believe it, and don’t buy it.”
###

You can help Global Action out by checking out their action page, and writing a letter to Wal-Mart.

This morning Wake Up Wal-Mart, along with several other groups, hand delivered an official complaint against Wal-Mart to the FEC. Along with the complaint were 60,000 signatures from our members and concerned citizens demanding that the FEC investigate Wal-Mat's illegal meetings where they intimidated workers and attempted to scare them into voting against Democrats.

Following is our statement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 14, 2008

WAKEUPWALMART.COM FILES OFFICIAL COMPLAINT AGAINST WAL-MART WITH THE FEC AND CALLS FOR AN INVESTIGATION

WakeUpWalMart.com today, along with American Rights at Work, Change to Win, and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, jointly filed an official complaint with the Federal Election Commission. The groups filed the complaint of unlawful federal election activity against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. after a recent Wall Street Journal article reported that the company had been using mandatory meetings to discuss political issues and candidates.

In the official complaint, WakeUpWalMart.com, and its 430,000 members nationally, call on the Federal Election Commission to “immediately open an investigation to determine whether a violation occurred and, if so, to take all appropriate steps to remedy that violation of federal election law.”

Along with the complaint, the groups delivered more than 60,000 petitions signed by citizens who want the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart’s illicit behavior.

The following statement can be attributed to Meghan Scott, spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com.

“Wal-Mart may be the world’s largest retailer, and America’s number one private employer, but it is not above the law. Wal-Mart has intimidated its workers and attempted to scare them into voting against a particular party and candidate, and from what workers tell us, these meetings haven’t stopped. This behavior proves that Wal-Mart is willing to go to any lengths to put profits ahead of its workers. These meetings, which left many Wal-Mart workers feeling bullied and intimidated, are not just inappropriate, they are likely in violation of federal election law and the world’s largest retailer must be held accountable.

“We hope the FEC will act upon our complaint and open an investigation into Wal-Mart’s activities as soon as possible.”

###

Thanks for all you do, and if you haven't already signed the petition, check out our action page for the FEC petition.

We sent you an e-mail (posted below) asking you to write to the FEC and demand that they investigate Wal-Mart for their possibly illicit and definitely inappropriate, immoral behavior, and thousands of you have! We just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you that got involved and decided to send a letter.

If you haven't already, take a minute to click on the box to the right and write a letter to the FEC. We need your help to stop Wal-Mart from using their same old dirty tricks.

Many of you are as upset about Wal-Mart trying to intimidate their employees to vote a certain way as we are, and here's what you've been saying:

C. S. writes
Don't let Walmart get away with browbeating people who work there into voting against their beliefs and conscience. People are entitled to both go to work and vote as they believe, not as their employer believes. The time and money Walmart spends doing this must be counted as an election contribution, on top of all the money it already gives.

J. I. writes Voting is every citizen's individual right and it is no one's business to influence their decision making process, especially not their employer's. If these reports are accurate the meetings must be stopped.

K. B. writes I demand an investigation into WalMart's mandatory employee meetings and its attempts to tell employees how to vote. If it is true, it amounts to an invisible donation to McCain's campaign. WalMart should be taken to task for this outrage!

M. B. writes I am horrified to find out in this day and age a company would try to influence the vote where an employee might feel his job is in jeoperdy for how he votes.

S. V. writes Tell Wal-mart to stop intimidating their employees and let their employees vote in their self interest. This is terrible, where do they draw the line? No employer should tell their employees how to vote.

A. A. writes This is just WRONG!!!!!!

H. M. writes WalMart is unfairly exploiting the ignorance and fear of its workers in order to further its own agenda and not be held accountable for their numerous abuses. They must be stopped!

In case you missed it, we just sent out an e-mail to our members asking them to write to the Federal Election Commission and demand an investigation into Wal-Mart's shady tactics. If you haven't heard, the Wall Street Journal broke a story on Friday about mandatory meetings Wal-Mart was having where they were telling their employees not to vote for Democrats. This is, hands down, a disgusting abuse of power, and it may just be illegal too! So take a minute or two to write to the FEC.

Below is the full message that went out to our members, if you didn't get it, you should sign up!

Mandatory political indoctrination, Democrat-bashing, voter intimidation. Yes, it's business as usual at Wal-Mart.

This summer, Wal-Mart has organized mandatory meetings across the country, all with one purpose: to intimidate rank-and-file employees into voting Republican. The company's workers have been forced to attend ideologically-charged, Wal-Mart-sponsored rants against Democrats, Barack Obama, and landmark legislation that would allow workers to vote for or against representation.

We have received several calls from workers, their stories are very similar and similarly unsettling. As one worker put it, “they were telling me how to vote.” Another Wal-Mart worker, Beth from Alabama, was told by Wal-Mart management that if she “voted for John McCain, then everything would be okay.”

We believe that ideological indoctrination and political scare tactics are completely inappropriate for the workplace. Yet again, Wal-Mart’s management has crossed the line, possibly breaking the law in the process. In light of these developments, we are calling for an immediate FEC investigation into Wal-Mart's political bullying at work, but we need your help to make a real impact.

Please tell the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart’s mandatory political meetings today.

Outright political intimidation may seem too risqué for a global corporation. Not for Wal-Mart. Stories like the above are actually an emerging part of Bentonville's corporate culture.

Take 2006, when Wal-Mart organized a “voter education program” for employees. The company placed Terry Nelson at the helm: formerly George W. Bush's political director, and later fired for making racist ads about a Democratic politician. Unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart's “education” program amounted to a thin veneer over strident attacks against Democratic candidates nation wide.

Why has Wal-Mart made such an effort to control its workers' voting habits? For one, The company is terrified that Democratic gains will ensure passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. For Wal-Mart, an organized workforce could spell higher wages and better benefits—two things the company has fought tirelessly to avoid.

In the end, Wal-Mart's motives are a moot point. The company has crossed the line, again, and it's time to hold them accountable. You can help us end Wal-Mart's sleazy political schemes by taking a moment to write the FEC today.

Please write the FEC and demand an investigation into Wal-Mart's mandatory employee meetings

Thanks for joining us in support of justice in the workplace, for Wal-Mart workers everywhere,

The Team
WakeUpWalMart.com

As many of you likely know already, the Wall Street Journal published a front page article last week which revealed that Wal-Mart has been intimidating its workers into voting against Democrats in the upcoming election. WakeUpWalMart.com strongly condemned Wal-Mart's behavior as coercive and immoral but many observers have also questioned whether Wal-Mart's behavior was illegal. In response, American Rights at Work, a non-profit which seeks to protect and advance workers' rights, has just launched a petition calling on the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart's meetings with its workers, in which Wal-Mart warned them not to vote for Democrats. If Wal-Mart has committed a crime, they must be brought to justice. Please click on the frowny face to the right to demand that the FEC investigate Wal-Mart's shady, abusive business practices!

The Campaign for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ) put together a report on Vinyl a month and a half ago (we wrote about it here), and now they've got a whole campaign going. The gist is this: Vinyl is dangerous, toxic stuff and now that we know, retailers should do something about it (ideally they should stop selling it). In their report all the retailers they talked to had plans to deal with this dangerous material. The only retailer that wouldn't talk to CHEJ? You guessed it, Wal-Mart. CHEJ has a petition they're going to deliver to Wal-Mart and you should sign it. They've also got a fun little video about PVCs and the danger they pose. Check it out!

Watch Sam Suds, their animated video, here

Sign the petition here

Using Wal-Mart as the prime example of why something needs to be done, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) sent a letter to the House of Representatives urging them to support The Paycheck Fairness Act. The act aims to rectify the difference in wages between men and women preforming the same job. The letter uses the Dukes vs. Wal-Mart class action law suit (the largest gender discrimination suit in history) to show how important this legislation is. We completely agree, something needs to be done. Wal-Mart has a long history of discrimination. We know, both from law suits like Dukes, and from the many Wal-Mart employees we talk to, that often Wal-Mart does not treat its employees fairly. Legislation is one way of combating such awful behavior. We will also continue to push Wal-Mart to change their ways through grass roots organizing, educating consumers, and direct actions.

Below is the letter that went to the House. We encourage you to call your congressperson and tell them you support HR 1338, The Paycheck Fairness Act.

To All Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the 1.3 million members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), I urge your support for H.R. 1338, The Paycheck Fairness Act. This important legislation will provide more effective remedies to victims of sex discrimination in the payment of wages. H.R. 1338 amends the Equal Pay Act (EPA) by revising remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages.

Over forty years ago President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. At the time of the enactment of this landmark legislation in 1963, women earned 59 cents to every dollar earned by men. Although enforcement, as well as other civil rights laws, has helped to narrow the wage gap, significant disparities remain and need to be addressed. Currently, women in the United States are paid only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. For example, Wal-Mart was recently sued by women employees who claim the company discriminated against them by systematically denying them promotions and paying them less than men. The lawsuit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart, has expanded to include more than 1.6 million current and former female employees. It has been certified as the largest sexual discrimination class action lawsuit in U.S. history.

Stories like those of the women workers at Wal-Mart are happening too frequently. Equal pay for equal work is the foundation of equality in the workplace. Wage discrimination undermines the economic security of America’s working families today and their retirement security tomorrow. American workers and their families cannot afford paychecks that are shortchanged just because the workers who earn them are women. The Paycheck Fairness Act proposes concrete steps to respond to the ongoing injustice of wage discrimination. The UFCW strongly urges your support of H.R. 1338. Thank you for your attention to this important issue and please feel free to contact us for additional information.

Starting today, supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com and local elected officials will hold press conferences throughout the country to launch a new campaign “Give Workers a break, not Wal-Mart.” The national effort will call on local officials and candidates at the local, state and federal level to side with workers, not Walmart.

As part of the launch of this new campaign, local WakeUpWalmart.com supporters, elected officials and candidates for office will gather outside Walmart stores to speak out about how the world’s largest retailer stands to profit from John McCain’s tax plan while working Americans continue to struggle in this tough economy. Supporters of WakeUpWalmart.com will hand out flyers to tell Wal-Mart customers how the retail giant stands to save billions under John McCain’s tax plan.

Elected officials, community leaders and candidates will also sign the “Give Workers a Break, Not Wal-Mart Pledge” which calls on John McCain, as well as local and state governments to demand that Wal-Mart end its irresponsible and immoral business practices.

John McCain has a history of supporting tax breaks for corporate America and the super rich over middle-class Americans, particularly in recent years. Wal-Mart, the richest and most powerful company in America, and the ultra-rich Walton family have benefited significantly from McCain's tax cuts and stand to profit even more if McCain is elected president:

In 1999, McCain voted for $792 billion in regressive tax cuts, including special tax breaks for the steel, timber, and oil industries.

In 2006, McCain voted to extend the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends. According to Citizens for Tax Justice The tax cut cost the federal government $70 billion dollars and over two thirds of the benefits went to the richest 1% of Americans.

In 2006, McCain voted to permanently repeal the estate tax, which effects only the wealthiest 1% of Americans. According to Public Citizen, the Walton Family, with a net worth of over $80 billion, would save a staggering $32.6 billion if the estate tax were repealed.

Furthermore, under his current tax plan, Wal-Mart would receive an estimated $1.5 billion in tax breaks from just one aspect of John McCain’s tax plan.

Wal-Mart is already profiting from our nation's economic downturn. Now is not the time to give Wal-Mart even more tax breaks but to tell John McCain and politicians around the country to give workers a break, not Wal-Mart.

Hi all, we just wanted to write and apologize for not blogging more in the last week or so. We've been busy getting ready for Netroots Nation, an exciting conference of some of the best progressive bloggers out there. The team is all heading down to Austin for the conference, which is this weekend, and there will be some exciting blog posts live from the conference. Keep an eye out for pictures of McCain on this blog and around the blogosphere. We've also been preparing for the start of a new campaign to tell John McCain and other political leaders to side with workers, not Walmart. You may see an ad up near you soon. Keep your eyes peeled, and thanks for all you do!

-The Team,
WakeUpWalmart.com

So recently we sent our members an e-mail telling them about the New York Times story that totally ignores all your hard work. We asked them to e-mail the New York Time and tell them they'd gotten the story wrong, that the movement is far from 'slowing down' and that Wal-Mart doesn't get a free pass just because they say so. Some of your fellow activist's letters to the New York Times are below, but I want to encourage all of you to click on the box to the right and write your own letter to the New York Times. The real story wasn't told by The Times, but your voice can still be heard. Write The New York Times today. Tell them you have not stopped working to make Wal-Mart a responsible corporation.

Here are some of the letters already sent:

K. B. writes
As a lifetime reader and long time subscriber of the NYT, I have loved it for it's "liberal bias." You have traveled so far from your roots. First backing the Iraq War, now becoming corporate hacks. The article today on Walmart was such a disservice to the workers and labor in general. Those of us who care about the workers have NOT given up the fight. I will not shop in Walmart. And I am getting close to giving up on the NYT.

T. K. writes This is sad. A lot of people are trying to affect positive change. It is truly unfortunate your publication has chosen to dismiss our efforts and promote the corporation over the individual.

S. S. writes I, for one, am not done being part of the citizens of this state, and this country, to protest WalMart's ongoing abuses.

J. L. writes Both of my children have worked at WalMart. I know what this company is up to and let me tell you, "it ain't over 'til it's over". This is just the beginning of the fight.

E. B. writes Wal-Mart still has a huge sex discrimination suit pending. More workers may be offered health insurance, but that doesn't help if they can't afford the premiums. We know too many workers who still have only part-time hours. The Times has an obligation to tell the whole story.

You may have run in to some Wake Up Wal-Mart folks outside your local Wal-Mart last week, asking you to think about the intention of the rebate checks before spending them at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mat buys nearly all the goods they sell from manufacturers overseas, so except the Wal-Mart executives, rebate checks spent at Wal-Mart stimulate the economy overseas, not here at home. Here are some pictures of our actions. Keeps your eyes out, there may be an action near you sometime soon!

Wake Up Wal-Mart has been out in force this week. All across the country, we've been handing out fliers telling everyone how desperate Wal-Mart is to get their hands on our rebate checks. We're asking Wal-Mart customers to think about the intention of those checks - stimulating the American economy - before they go and spend them at Wal-Mart, who will just send that money overseas. So a hearty thank you to all those who are spreading our message! Below is some local coverage we got of our action in Baltimore. Check it out and spread the word.

Yesterday we posted a link to the consumerists Worst Company in America competition, and today, we thought it'd be fun to give a little update, and provide some food for thought.

Right now Wal-Mart is winning with a comfortable 2 to 1 margin - that's 66% to 34% for those less math inclined.

Here are some of the comments from the competition about why people are voting for Wal-Mart:

"To me Wal-Mart is the epitome of everything that is bad in our country right now. Outsourcing of jobs to China. Low quality dangerous goods. Putting mom and pop stores out of business and making the entire country look like a homogenized genericana wasteland."

"walmart knowingly uses its size against its manuafacterers. When walmart says they will sell a manufacturer's product the manufacturer first gets a decent deal from walmart, but has to retool & buy more manufacturing facilities in order to meet walmart's demand. THEN once the manufacturer is in debt & dependant upon walmart.... walmart puts the squeeze on.... demanding lower costs. And this happens every time the contract is negotiated and eventually the manufacturer goes under."

"Walmart is actively evil. Eviscerating middle class family stores? Evil. Workers rights violations, shoddy pay, dangerous products made for the poor, ironically made by the poor of the third world. Evil. They make a profit off of screwing people over."

"Wal-Mart DOES cost taxpayers. As of 2004, they had received at least 650 million (and that's a generous, low end estimate. I've seen figures as high as 1 billion) dollars in government subsidies — free/low-cost land, job training funds, sales tax rebates, tax credits, infrastructure assistance. This doesn't include the Wal-Mart employees who have qualified for -and taken- food stamps (or other forms of public assistance), or those who have enrolled themselves/their kids in health programs run by the states. How much unemployment has been paid out to those who have lost jobs in their communities when Wal-Marts rolled in?"

There are several more comments you can check out. The voting page is here, and you should leave your own stories after you vote.

As you all know by now, there are $600 (or $1200 for a couple) checks on the way to you. President Bush decided to give us all a bit of money back to help us out, and stimulate the economy. Of course, as soon as Wal-Mart heard the news, they were ecstatic. They even put out a formal statement praising the president. Yes, Wal-Mart knew that a good portion of that money would go straight in to their pockets. Unfortunately, with more than 70% of its goods being made in China, a lot of that money will go straight overseas, not back into our economy. So with the checks in the mail, we've kicked off a week of actions asking people not to let Wal-Mart send our rebate money overseas. Here are the cards we're handing out across the country. Keep an eye out as you drive past your local Wal-Mart, there may just be some local Wake Up Wal-Mart folks you can say hi to.

Over at the Consumerist, they're running a bracket for the Worst Company in America. It's the second round, and voting for Wal-Mart vs. Citibank opened today. Wal-Mart is already leading with 64% of the vote, but you should get over there and vote!

You probably read about Olga, either in our Mother's Day message, or in our wonderful Mother's Day card. She worked for Wal-Mart for 24 years and was forced to quit when the company wouldn't give her a few days off before her son left for a 15 month tour of Iraq. Below is some great footage of Olga that aired in Texas.

Open your mailbox and you're likely to find an advertisement from Wal-Mart---twenty pages of smiling women and gift ideas for Mother's Day. Beneath the surface of those glossy ads is the unfortunate truth: Wal-Mart is quite possibly the most anti-family, anti-mother corporation in America.

Wal-Mart faces the largest gender-discrimination lawsuit of all time, with 1.6 million women suing over unequal pay and unequal opportunities. Its managers have told women they "don't belong in management" and that they "can't manage men." More recently, Wal-Mart has repeatedly denied military moms leave to see their children before they deploy to war zones.

Instead of printing more 20 page "Mom's day" ads, Wal-Mart should be printing 20 page apologies to every woman hurt by its unfair policies.

Today, we need to ensure that Wal-Mart respects the hardworking mothers employed in their stores. This Mother's day, join our mission to change Wal-Mart's anti-family policies for the betterment of women and mothers across America. Add your name to our petition to CEO Lee Scott and 3 demands for change.

Click this link to sign our petition

Change won't come on its own. We've seen time and again that Wal-Mart has little respect for mothers, or the sacrifices they make for their families. Just ask Olga Sanchez or Susan Lyons, two long-time Wal-Mart workers.

When Olga's son, Mark, was deployed to Iraq, she requested leave to see him off. Her request was denied. Wal-Mart told Olga that, as a department manager, her commitment was to the company. At Wal-Mart, unfair scheduling policies often take precedence over families, and over the morale of America's armed service members.

Olga's story is just the beginning. Last September, Susan Lyons learned her daughter would be on leave from Iraq during the following December. Susan requested a mere two days of vacation time to see her. Wal-Mart denied the request because of the holiday shopping season. When she expressed her disappointment, Wal-Mart told Susan that if her daughter's deployment upset her so much, her daughter "should not have joined the Military."

These stories are a slap in the face to mothers, and they insult the dignity of the armed service members we also celebrate in May.

Don't let Wal-Mart continue to treat mothers this way. Sign our petition today. Keep the pressure on Wal-Mart to change and you can make these outrageous policies history.

Sign on to our 3 demands for change, add your name to our petition today

Thanks for taking action, and have a happy Mother's Day.

Meghan Scott
WakeUpWalMart.com

You've all read here about how Wal-Mart wants your rebate money, and we've given you some suggestions of other ways to spend it. We think it's an important issue, so we put together an ad. It's a Wal-Mart thank you to President Bush for sending them all that tax payer money. It asks you, the American people, not to let Wal-Mart send your rebate money to China. Check it out, and enjoy:

At a recent annual prayer breakfast in St. Louis, Wake Up Wal-Mart activists showed up to protest the headline speaker: Wal-Mart Senior Vice President of International Operations John Aden. More and more people of faith are upset over Wal-Mart's business practices, and it isn't hard to see why. Wal-Mart needs to step up and take responsibility for those who make their company successful. Here's some of the local coverage we got:

For those of you not on our mailing list, here's our most recent action e-mail:

Last year, we won an important victory when Wal-Mart withdrew its application for an ILC (Industrial Loan Corporation) bank, which is a way for a non-banking company such as a retailer to operate a bank. Then, the mere idea of a Wal-Mart Bank provoked an unprecedented backlash. When the dust settled, the chances of a Wal-Mart Bank seemed like a remote possibility. Unfortunately, it isn't. The FDIC moratorium on corporate industrial bank charters has expired. Today, there is nothing keeping Wal-Mart from pursuing a special ILC bank that would operate with little government oversight and dangerously blur the line between commerce and banking. Commercially owned banks will have an incentive to steer credit away from competitors and towards favored clients. Additionally, if a commercial company that owns a bank fails, it may put the bank and FDIC insurance funds at risk.

Until the loophole allowing for ILCs is closed for good, corporations like Wal-Mart will continue to pose a threat to America's banking industry. Senator Chris Dodd has proposed a piece of legislation that will patch the defect in our banking policy, but the bill is bogged down in a partisan debate. Unless we all act now, the bill may not even make it to the floor for a vote.

We need your help in getting this vital legislation through the Senate. Write your Senators today and tell them to take a stand for sound banking policy. Together, we can keep Wal-Mart out of the American banking industry.

Stop the Wal-Mart Bank: Write a letter to your Senators today

Wal-Mart already has a history of unfair financial dealings. Last November, Wal-Mart de Mexico opened the first of a string of in-store Wal-Mart banks. Today, those branches prey on poor and under-served customers, offering predatory loans with outrageous 75% interest rates.

In America, Wal-Mart pushes credit cards that downplay absurd 25% APRs and pre-paid Visas chock-full of hidden fees. In 2006, while Wal-Mart pursued an American ILC, it went so far as to lie under oath while giving testimony to FDIC regulators.

Clearly, the facts speak for themselves. We can't allow an irresponsible corporation like Wal-Mart to threaten our nation's banking industry. Please, take action today—tell your Senators to take a stand for consumers and for responsible banking.

Write your Senators in support of Senator Dodd's bill

Don't forget to forward this message on to your friends and family. With your help, we can end Wal-Mart's banking ambitions for good.

Thanks for all that you do,

The Team
WakeUpWalMart.com

Wal-Mart has been trying to break in to the banking business recently, but they suffered a blow yesterday. They have been trying to take advantage of a loophole in the law, called an Industrial Loan Corporation (ILC), which allows retailers and other nonbanking businesses to operate their own banks with very little oversight. Yesterday new legislation passed through the Senate Banking Committee that would close the ILC loophole. You can read more about the new legislation here.

Before the vote on the legislation, Wake Up Wal-Mart sent the following letter to the Senators on the Banking Committee, and we hope that the full Senate will close the ILC loophole.

On behalf of WakeUpWalMart.com and its 410,000 members across the country, I write today to encourage you and your colleagues to consider and adopt Senator Chris Dodd’s (D-CT) legislation to close the Industrial Loan Corporations (ILC) loophole.

As you know, the ILC loophole permits commercial entities to own and operate industrial bank companies with very little oversight. The mixing of banking and commerce and inadequate oversight threatens the banking system and the federal deposit insurance fund.

The intersection of banking and commerce is dangerous because when banks are owned by commercial entities, conflicts of interest can skew loan decisions, unfairly restricting access to capital.

The business practices of Wal-Mart are just those that give rise to concerns about conflicts of interest and unfair use of capital. At every turn, we have seen Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, with more than $12 billion in profits in the past year, continually put its bottom line ahead of the safety and well-being of its customers.

In 2005, Wal-Mart applied to start an ILC. After significant controversy, Wal-Mart withdrew that application in March 2007, and has since moved into banking in Mexico. Until this loophole is closed, there is nothing to prevent Wal-Mart from applying again.

Wal-Mart’s history of putting profits ahead of American workers and consumers is not the type of corporation that has a place in the American banking industry.

Last week, Wal-Mart put out a press release touting its “economic stimulus plan for shoppers,” offering discounts on things “shoppers need” like Tostitos and big-screen televisions. To sweeten the deal, the retail giant enticed consumers to spend more than $250 on their Wal-Mart credit cards and get zero percent financing for 18 months – when the APR skyrockets to anywhere from 12 to 25 percent.

Chairman Dodd’s bill greatly reduces the threat posed by commercially-owned ILCs, places critical limitations on certain existing commercial ILCs, and will prohibit the creation of most new commercially-owned banks. We strongly encourage you to support Chairman Dodd’s legislation.

Thank you for your consideration.

Meghan H. Scott
WakeUpWalMart.com

Wake Up Wal-Mart held Haloween protests at Wal-Mart stores across the country. Check out this article about our White Plain's action from the White Plains Times:

Protesters Claim Wal-Mart Relies Too Much On China By: Rock Stamberg Published: November 01, 2007

Members of WakeUpWalMart outside the store on Tuesdays.
Photo credit: Rock Stamberg

About 20 protestors gathered in front of White Plains’ Wal-Mart store on Tuesday afternoon to call attention to hazards emanating from what attendees call the retailing giant’s unique business relationship with China. Specifically at issue are the products sold by Wal-Mart that are manufactured in China as well as that country’s history of child-labor abuses, forced labor and unfair work practices. As Halloween was the following day, the loosely banded group of protesters, most of whom are part of a grassroots movement called WakeUpWalMart, used the approaching holiday as its theme, handing out flyers to passersby that read, “Nothing’s scarier than Wal-Mart and China.”

On hand was Councilman Glen Hockley, who said, “Wal-Mart is the largest user of Chinese products in the United States. Seventy percent of Wal-Mart’s products are made in China. As a parent and the owner of a pet, I am aware that many of Wal-Mart’s products have been recalled. I am a supporter of American-made products and I knew [Wal-Mart founder] Sam Walton personally. He’d be spinning in his grave — he wanted American-made products [in his stores].”

WakeUpWalMart coordinator Christina Clausen said, “The objective of our campaign is to change Wal-Mart so we can change America because Wal-Mart is the largest employer and sets standards for other companies.” Also on hand to show support for the protestors were two representatives of The United Food and Commercial Workers’ union Local 1500 who, according to Hockley, “are wholesale and supermarket unions who are involved in this kind of work,” ie, stocking shelves for retailers.

While Wal-Mart’s local management declined to speak on the issue, White Plains Times received an e-mail statement from Wal-Mart’s Steven V. Restivo, Director Corporate Affairs, Northeast Region, who wrote: “In White Plains, and at all our Wal-Mart stores, our commitment to low prices is never at the cost of safety. Product safety has always been and will continue to be a top priority at Wal-Mart. Recently, we voluntarily enhanced our product safety efforts, specifically focused on toys, to give parents additional reassurance as the holidays approach.”

Wal-Mart implemented a five-point toy safety plan that will:
•Require and review recent testing documentation for all toy products on shelves now and planned for the holidays;
•Institute new testing by third-party labs;
•Engage in more dialogue with industry organizations and other retailers to identify new standards for testing and safety;
•Offer help and counsel to suppliers and government officials in China on new safety steps; and
•Work to provide a selection of toys from a wider variety of sources in the future, including more products from Europe and North America.

Another community is united in opposition to Wal-Mart. Residents of Johnson City, NY organized a protest against a new supercenter in their area, citing concerns that it will destroy local businesses. From News 10 Now Binghamton:

Bold signs that read "One is Enough" or "Develop, Don't Destroy." Signs that are even written in other languages. But when it comes down to it, all of them mean this: "Wal-Mart No." More than 40 people gathered at the proposed site on Sunday to reiterate those words.

"We're here for our community. We see the limits of what retail and big box stores can do and we see a better alternative for Johnson City. We're here to say we can have an alternative, we can have a voice, so we shouldn't settle for the first thing that comes," said Andrew Epstein, the Coalition for Positive Revitalization organizer.

"What they're going to do is put in a big box store and then within a decade, they're going to take it away and it's going to be a vacant property and in the process of that, they're going to wipe out most of the local businesses that are still left in this community," said Natalie Goncharov, a Coalition for Positive Revitalization member.

The meeting was more of a brainstorm session than a rally. They spoke about possible alternatives.

"The community really needs something that will keep students in the area, that will keep people with bachelor's degrees, people with higher education around the area rather than people who are going to make $7 an hour, $6 an hour, barely enough for a living wage," said Yoni Levin, a Johnson City resident.

Suggestions ranged from convention centers for startup businesses to areas of recreation.

"We have a lot of kids in the area with nothing to do. Like a roller skating rink, bowling alley, Chuck E. Cheese, something for the kids," said Denise Brady, a Johnson City resident.

This Tuesday, a meeting will be held at the village courthouse. It will be the final decision over whether or not this area, will be rezoned as retail space. And many of the people here say they'll be there, to vote no.

Children across the country are preparing to go back to school.

It's time for us to send Wal-Mart back to school, too.

For years, Wal-Mart has earned failing grades for its treatment of American workers, children, and taxpayers.

Wal-Mart earns an "F" for paying poverty-level wages. Wal-Mart earns an "F" for breaking child labor laws, again and again, right here in America. And Wal-Mart earns an "F" for pushing its health care costs onto taxpayers.

Please write a letter to the editor to tell your community about Wal-Mart's failing grades.

Wal-Mart costs taxpayers billions of dollars because Wal-Mart fails to provide affordable health care to its workers. Fewer than half of Wal-Mart's workers are covered by the company's health care plan. Wal-Mart cost taxpayers an estimated $1.37 billion in 2005 in public health care and may cost taxpayers $9.1 billion from 2006 to 2011.

Every tax dollar that goes to Wal-Mart is a tax dollar that could otherwise go to our schools. It is money that could be used to buy textbooks, repair buildings, and help children learn.

Shouldn't our tax dollars go to schools, not Wal-Mart?

Please write a letter to the editor and help send Wal-Mart back to school.

Wal-Mart's failing report card is a disgrace. Wal-Mart's corporate irresponsibility is wrong, it is un-American, and it must stop. With over $12 billion in profits last year, Wal-Mart can afford to do the right thing.

With over 381,000 WakeUpWalMart.com supporters in all 50 states, we have the power to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.

But changing America begins with you.

This school year, let's make sure Wal-Mart learns its lessons.

Write your local newspaper today.

Our latest press release:

NEW STUDY SHOWS WAL-MART HAS HELPED SHIP NEARLY 200,000 AMERICAN JOBS TO CHINA

Washington, DC - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, released its first animated TV-ad exposing how Wal-Mart’s close relationship with China hurts America. The ad comes on the heels of a newly published report which, for the first time, estimates how many American jobs have been lost because Wal-Mart is the #1 importer of Chinese goods.

In today’s report, entitled “The Wal-Mart Effect,” the prestigious Economic Policy Institute estimates America has lost nearly 200,000 jobs due to Wal-Mart’s trade with China alone. In addition, the report estimates that every new Wal-Mart store costs America approximately 77 good-paying, middle class jobs.

WakeUpWalMart.com’s new animated TV-ad, entitled “Lesson #1,” begins airing this Wednesday, June 27th and is part of a new July 4th media campaign calling on Americans to think about what happens to our economy and American jobs when we shop at Wal-Mart and to “be a patriot” this July 4th. The new ad starts with an image of a chalkboard and the announcer stating “this is Wal-Mart,” as Wal-Mart is drawn, and “this is China,” as China as drawn. Then, just as a teacher would draw with chalk on the chalkboard, the ad goes on to show how “most of the goods on Wal-Mart’s shelves come from China…So when you shop at Wal-Mart… your money, and a lot of American jobs, go to China.”

The most powerful part of the animated spot is when, using a drawing of China and Afghanistan, the ad calls into question why Wal-Mart would do business with China when it was just revealed that China is selling arms to the terrorists in Afghanistan. As the ad states, “China ships weapons to the terrorists in Afghanistan…Weapons the terrorists use to attack our troops.” Given Wal-Mart’s cozy relationship with China and, separately, China’s support of terrorists, the ad ends with the stirring line, “So before you shop at Wal-Mart think about that. This July 4th….Be a patriot…Go to www.WakeUpWalMart.com and learn the truth about what Wal-Mart is doing.”

“It’s very simple. Wal-Mart and China not only cost America good paying jobs, but helping to strengthen China which then slaps America in the face by directly supporting terrorists in Afghanistan is wrong. The American people need to think about that,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

The animated TV-ad is the newest spot to be released by WakeUpWalMart.com as part of its $1 million “Summer Southern Blitz” TV-ad campaign. The 3-month “Summer Southern Blitz” campaign will, through a series of hard-hitting new ads and grassroots actions, focus entirely on how Wal-Mart, as the #1 importer of Chinese goods, has helped to strengthen China’s economy at the expense of America.

The new ad will air in over 30 media markets including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Missouri.

The ad can be viewed, as of today, at WakeUpWalMart.com and YouTube.com.

The new Economic Policy Institute report is available at www.epi.org.

Script: "Lesson #1"

This is Wal-Mart.
This is China.

Most of the goods on Wal-Mart's shelves come from China.
So when you shop at Wal-Mart your money and a lot of American jobs go to China.

This is Afghanistan. China ships weapons to the terrorists in Afghanistan.
Weapons the terrorists use to attack our troops.

So before you shop at Wal-Mart, think about that.

Corporate Accountability International is sponsoring a "Corporate Hall of Shame" contest and, considering Wal-Mart's unaffordable health care, poverty-level wages, anti-family policies, and discrimination, just to name a few main concerns... I think we all know which candidate is most deserving!

Click here to check it out, and vote to induct Wal-Mart into the "Corporate Hall of Shame."

Take a moment to vote now, and then spread the word!

From our latest press release:

Bentonville, AR – WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, announced today that it will launch one of the most dramatic new phases of its 2-year old campaign to make Wal-Mart a more responsible employer and company by specifically targeting, for the first time, the company’s core customers – Southerners and Conservative Republicans.

The new strategic initiative by WakeUpWalMart.com, which is outlined in a strategy memo entitled “Winning Over Wal-Mart’s Core Customers,” comes in response to Wal-Mart’s recent announcements that the company is shifting its business and marketing strategy, once again, to get “back to the basics” or back to its core customers.

As part of this new strategic effort to expand the WakeUpWalMart.com campaign and win over Wal-Mart’s core customers, the group announced it will begin a million dollar “Summer Southern Blitz” TV-ad campaign. The 3-month “Summer Southern Blitz” campaign will help educate Southerners and Conservative Republicans, through a series of TV ads and grassroots actions, about how Wal-Mart’s record proves that Wal-Mart’s values are neither Southern nor Republican values.

Download the PDF or read the entire strategy memo after the jump.

WUWM Strategy Philosophy: American Values vs. Wal-Mart’s Values

From the outset, the strategic rationale behind the WakeUpWalMart.com (WUWM) campaign was the belief that America’s consumers, much like voters, intrinsically care about whether or not a company reflects their values. This “Values Matter” argument is the basic strategic philosophy of the WUWM campaign.

"…we do not want our customers to have to make the choice between value and values, saving money or shopping responsibly."
-GSD&M, Wal-Mart Positioning Report, Wal-Mart’s Advertising Agency 1987-2007

The significance of the “Values Matter” rationale has been consistently reinforced by internal research (i.e. a series of internal public opinion polls and focus groups conducted by WUWM throughout 2005, 2006, & 2007) showing that all types of Wal-Mart consumers, when presented with the choice, care more about their values than Wal-Mart’s intrinsic EDLP value. In fact, it is safe to say nearly every demographic group of Wal-Mart’s consumers will change their shopping behavior, to some degree, in order to avoid what is best described as the “Wal-Mart Values Conflict.”

Launching a New Strategic Focus: Winning Over Wal-Mart’s Core Customers

Since the launch of the campaign in April 2005, WUWM has pursued a multi-phased media and grassroots strategy with the goal of educating consumers about the negative effects of Wal-Mart’s business practices. During the initial phases of the WUWM campaign, the message was targeted to expose these “Wal-Mart value conflicts” among specific populations – including progressives, Democrats, women, and upper-middle class shoppers. As a result, the message focused on highlighting the facts about Wal-Mart’s record which mattered most to these target populations (such as poor wages, unaffordable health care, salary caps, and the gender discrimination lawsuit).

Our initial strategy made sense given Wal-Mart’s efforts over the last two years to try and expand its business into new demographic, socio-economic and geographic markets that, in particular, had been dominated by Target. In order to break into these markets, Wal-Mart put together a very expensive public relations strategy to try and upgrade its stores and its image. To date, in part because of our successful strategy, nearly all of Wal-Mart’s efforts to remake the company and break into new markets have ended in failure. In fact, Wal-Mart has pulled one of its fashion lines from its stores, ended its participation in Fashion Week, and has seemingly abandoned its efforts to get into NYC. Most importantly, while Wal-Mart focused its efforts, time and merchandise on its failed attempt to change and reach new customers, Wal-Mart suffered its worst annual same-store sales growth in 27 years.

Faced with sluggish sales growth and an inability to overcome its image problems and expand its market base, Wal-Mart has essentially abandoned its plans to become ‘Target’ and, instead, has said it would like to get ‘Back to the Basics’ and focus on its core customers. Therefore, as a complement to our strategy of focusing on our original target populations of Democrats, women, and upper middle class shoppers, it is now time for WUWM to launch a new phase of the campaign to specifically target Wal-Mart’s core customers (i.e. Southerners, Republicans, & low income earners).

The overall goal of this new strategic effort is twofold: (A) win over Wal-Mart’s core customers to our campaign; and, (B) continue to build pressure on Wal-Mart to pursue real changes that substantively improve the lives of its workers and their families, as well as the health and welfare of the nation. In order to achieve these goals, WUWM will launch a series of coordinated paid media and grassroots campaigns/actions targeting both Wal-Mart’s Southern Core Shopper and conservative Republicans. The ads and the actions will seek to educate these core Wal-Mart groups about the ‘Wal-Mart facts’ that will disturb them the most. The ad campaigns will specifically target southern media markets, as well as specific TV and radio shows with many Republican & Southern conservative viewers/listeners.

The first initiative we will launch as part of this new strategic phase of the campaign will be the WUWM 2007 “Summer Southern Blitz.”

2007 Summer Blitz, Phase 1: China & Wal-Mart vs. America

According to WUWM’s internal research and message testing, Wal-Mart’s longest-term core customer, the Southerner, is deeply concerned with whether a company reflects his/her Southern values. One of the Southern values we have identified to have special importance is the “love of country,” “patriotism,” and the belief that all Americans must “sacrifice to make this nation stronger.” Overall, the message which we have determined to have particular resonance with this group of Wal-Mart consumers is best described as “Patriotic Shopping.”

Among Wal-Mart’s many business practices which elicit particularly strong negative reactions from these “Patriotic Shoppers” is the fact that Wal-Mart has a close and intensifying relationship with Communist China. “Patriotic Shoppers” are increasingly concerned about Wal-Mart’s explicit role in shipping American jobs overseas, the growing U.S.-China trade deficit, and the understanding that companies, like Wal-Mart, are helping China get stronger at the expense of American jobs and America’s national security.

Aside from China, another issue with “special” sensitivity for both Southern Conservatives and Republicans is Wal-Mart’s role in opposing 100% scanning of port security containers, thereby leaving the country vulnerable to terrorist attack. Wal-Mart’s core customers are shocked to learn that Wal-Mart, and its lobbying association, Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), oppose 100% scanning of port containers over concern that improved security measures would “slow” down Wal-Mart’s imports.

Therefore, as phase 1 of the 2007 Summer Southern Blitz, WUWM will launch a new paid media and grassroots campaign in early June to expose how Wal-Mart’s close relationship with China is needlessly hurting America.

In the first of these TV spots, entitled “It’s Just Not American,” WUWM will emphasize Wal-Mart’s radical departure from Sam Walton’s vision and emphasis on “buying American” to a policy that can best be described as “buying anywhere but America.” The TV ad can be viewed at WakeUpWalMart.com beginning May 31, 2007.

2007 Summer Southern Blitz: Phase 2: Targeting Conservative Republicans

In the summer of 2006, WakeUpWalMart.com launched a series of campaigns, including a 19-state, 35-city, 35-day national bus tour, to educate Americans, in particular Democrats, about how Wal-Mart’s values are not American values or Democratic values. Beginning in early July 2007, WakeUpWalMart.com will launch a series of coordinated paid media and grassroots actions that will target Republican consumers and specifically challenge Republicans to stop ignoring Wal-Mart’s negative effect on issues that are at the core of the Republican base (i.e. Wal-Mart’s role in - Outsourcing of Jobs, Trade Deficits, China’s Growing Power, Port Security, and Abuse of Taxpayers).

Details of the new initiative entitled, “Think Wal-Mart Reflects Republican Values? Think Again” will be made available in early July 2007.

Summary

The 2007 Summer Blitz represents a dramatic new phase of the WUWM campaign. Since the campaign’s inception in April 2005, this is the first series of coordinated campaigns with the expressed goal of targeting Wal-Mart’s core consumers – Southerners and conservative Republicans.

While Wal-Mart may discount this new phase in the WUWM campaign, recent statistics suggest that Wal-Mart ignores this “Values Conflict” at its own peril. In fact, contrary to Wal-Mart’s public pronouncements, publicly available statistics support the central fact argued by WUWM and GSD&M that “Values do Matter”:

• 14% percent of Wal-Mart’s shoppers are now “Conscientious Objectors” (Wal-Mart Segmentation Study)

• 67% cite Wal-Mart as the discount store they shop at most often – a decline over the past two years when the score hovered in the mid-seventies range (GSD&M, Fall 2006)

• A majority of liberal Democrats have an unfavorable opinion of Wal-Mart (Pew Research)

• Overall, Wal-Mart’s public image ranks near the bottom, with Exxon and Halliburton, among major corporations surveyed (Pew Research)

• Traffic Declines at Wal-Mart stores (WMT Sales & Earnings Releases)

• Slowest annual same store sales growth in 27 years

• Largest monthly same store sales decline in 28 years

In sum, we believe that this new phase of the WUWM campaign will prove critical in continuing to build the grassroots pressure that will finally force Wal-Mart to adopt a series of changes making them not only a better employer, but also a better company.

Appendix: Phases of WUWM Campaign

Strategic Phases of WUWM Campaign – April 2005 to Summer 2007

• Phase 1: Launch Grassroots Campaign
o Begin to Introduce Wal-Mart’s Record to American Public
o Build Multi-State Grassroots Campaign

• Phase 2: Roll-out New Mini-Campaign Strategy
o Incorporate traditional campaign elements (field, political, research, paid media, and internet) with a targeted message during select calendar periods (e.g. 2005 Back-to-School Campaign)
o Launch multi-week Holiday Campaign

• Phase 3: Refine, Focus, & Target WUWM Message
o Utilize specific WMT facts & Message to Target Specific Wal-Mart consumers
o Focus Initial energies on “Most Winnable” Demographics
 E.g. Democrats, Upper-Middle Class Shoppers, and Women

• Phase 4: Rollout Wal-Mart, the Political Issue
o Introduce why Wal-Mart is Political Issue
o Stage Nationwide political bus tour
o Hold preliminary presidential campaign events
o Roll-Out 2006 Mid-term voter education campaign
o Target message to Democrats, Independents, women

• Phase 5: Winning Over Wal-Mart’s Core Consumers
o Introduce new groups to the Wal-Mart issue
o Target Southerners and conservative Republicans
o Roll-out new China/Wal-Mart vs. America media campaign in June 2007
o Roll-out conservative Republican campaign in July 2007

The growing momentum is evident by the list of impressive women and community leaders that have signed on to the Mother's Day letter to Lee Scott. Leaders around the country are calling on Wal-Mart to address its mistreatment of women.

National Council of Women’s Organizations
Kimberly Otis
Executive Director

National Organization for Women
Kim Gandy
President

CODEPINK: Women for Peace
Gael Murphy
Executive Committee

National Congress of Black Women
Dr. E. Faye Williams
National Chair

Feminist Majority Foundation
Eleanor Smeal
President

National Committee on Pay Equity
Michele Leber
Chair

Wider Opportunities for Women
Joan Kuriansky, Esq.
Executive Director

National Women’s Conference
Mal Johnson
Co-Chair

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, United States Section
Mary Day Kent
Executive Director

International Women’s Democracy Center
Barbara Anne Ferris
President

Coalition of Labor Union Women
Marsha Zakowski
President

Black Women United for Action
Sheila B. Coates
President

National Women’s Political Caucus
Clare Giesen
Executive Director

Veteran Feminists of America
Ginny Watkins
Secretary

Dolores Huerta Foundation
Dolores Huerta
President

The Institute for Labor Studies, University of Missouri - Kansas City Judy Ancel Director

Interfaith Worker Justice
Reverend Ronald Faust

John A. Sharp
Councilman
City of Kansas City, MO

Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO
Bridgette Williams
President

Sen Charlene Pesquiera
AZ Senate District 26

Sen Rebecca Rios
AZ Senate District 23

Rep Kyrsten Sinema
AZ House District 15

Rep Jackie Thrasher
AZ House District 10

Rep Lena Saradnik
AZ House District 26

Rep Theresa Ulmer
AZ House District 24

Rep Lynne Pancrazi
AZ House District 24

Reverend Trina Zelle
PCUSA

Rep Ann Kirkpatrick
AZ House District 2

Rep Martha Garcia
AZ House District 13

Sen Paula Aboud
AZ Senate District 28

Sen Debbie McCune Davis
AZ Senate District 14

Susan Bysiewicz
Connecticut Secretary of State

Sen Edith Prague
CT Senate District 19

Massachusetts Democratic Party
Stacey Monahan
Executive Director
Massachusetts Democratic Party

Mrs. Antonette C Pepe
Springfield School Committee Member
Springfield, MA

Clare Higgins
Mayor
Northampton, MA

Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield
Reverend Georganne Greene
Springfield, MA

Joe Dudzik
Alderman District 11
Milwaukee, WI

Sen Shirley Kitchen
PA Senate District 3

Rep Phyllis Mundy
PA House District 120

Sen Christine Tartagloine
PA Senate District 2

Rep Babette Josephs
PA House District 182

Rep Cherelle Parker
PA House District 200

Delegate Susan C. Lee
MD House District 16

Valerie Ervin
County Councilmember District 5
Montgomery County, MD

Duchy Trachtenberg
County Councilmember At Large
Montgomery County, MD

Delegate Jane Lawton
MD House District 18

Honorable Melinda Katz
Councilwoman
New York City, NY Council

Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City, NY Council

Betsy Gotbaum
Public Advocate
New York City, NY

Sen Liz Krueger
NY Senate District 26

Sen Diane Savino
NY Senate District 23

Rep Elesha Gayman
IA House District 84

Beverly Strayhall
Vice Chair/Mom
Democratic Party of Scott County, IA

Sue Frembgen
Chair
Democratic Party of Scott County, IA

Caroline Vernon
Organizer/Mom
PACG (Progressive Action for the Common Good)

Read our press release and learn how 14 leading women's groups signed the Wal-Mart Mother's Day Challenge.

Sign the Mother's Day pledge here.

From the Dow Jones Newswire:

Leading women's groups called on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to improve wages, benefits and working conditions for female employees, and a union-backed critic urged shoppers to avoid the world's largest retailer this weekend while searching for Mother's Day gifts.

In a Friday letter to Wal-Mart President and Chief Executive Lee Scott, 14 women's groups claiming to represent more than 10 million women criticized the company's treatment of employees who are working mothers. The retailer has come under fire for labor-scheduling policies rolled out this year that critics say require employees, including working mothers, to be available throughout the week at the whim of a store manager.

"These mothers are invisible, representing mere numbers on a balance sheet whose hours, wages and benefits can be cut without thought or consideration," the letter stated. " Wal-Mart's new attendance policy punishes mothers who need to take a day off to care for a sick child."

The letter was part of a "Mother's Day Campaign" by WakeUpWalMart.com, a critic backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. WakeUpWalMart.com also on Friday launched a "Million Moms Call," a phone-message blast that calls on shoppers to avoid Wal-Mart when buying Mother's Day gifts this weekend.

"Every good son and daughter knows that moms like to wake up to Wal-Mart on their special day," Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said in a written statement. "And with a bouquet of one dozen freshly cut roses for $12.86, it's no wonder we'll be America's first choice for Mother's Day again this year."

WakeUpWalMart.com's phone message mentions a class-action lawsuit pending against Wal-Mart, which charges the retailer with gender discrimination on behalf of more than two million female employees. Wal-Mart has appealed the class-action status of the suit, which could result in billions of dollars in sex-discrimination damage claims.

In an April report, Wal-Mart said women made up 61% of its employees in 2006, while 40% of its managers were women. About 75% of the company's store-level sales clerks last year were women, according to the report.

Groups that signed the Friday letter include the National Council of Women's Organizations, the National Organization for Women, Codepink, the National Congress of Black Women and the National Committee on Pay Equity.

On Tuesday, May 8, Wal-Mart workers Charmaine Givens and Cynthia Murray were ejected from the Hilton New York after attempting to meet with Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott to discuss his company's refusal to provide affordable and comprehensive health care to 735,000 Wal-Mart workers and their children who have no company health care. Wal-Mart's health care hypocrisy drew a stern rebuke from several hundred labor and community activists outside the hotel who formed a "Picket Line for America's Working Families." Demonstrators, led by WakeUpWalMart.com, have denounced Wal-Mart's involvement in the coalition as a "publicity stunt" by the retail giant.

Video of the Wal-Mart protestors can be viewed at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Sj23XB_0XQ

Note: The woman speaking in the video is Wal-Mart worker Cynthia Murray

Ever wonder why you pay so much in taxes?

A big part of the reason is because multi-billion dollar corporations like Wal-Mart hire high-priced accountants and attorneys to dodge paying the taxes they owe.

In fact, today, Tax Day, we are releasing new research by Citizens for Tax Justice which shows that Wal-Mart avoided paying $2.3 billion in state income taxes, cutting its payment to state governments almost in half between 1999 and 2005.

It is outrageous that Wal-Mart, the #1 company on the Fortune 500 and a company with $11.3 billion in profits is not only creating tax schemes to dodge its taxes, but also shifting billions of dollars of its health care costs onto taxpayers. The truth is that our tax dollars should help fund better schools, more police on the streets, and better health care, not subsidize Wal-Mart's irresponsible behavior.

Please help close the Wal-Mart tax loophole by sending an email to your state legislator today.

Today, all across America, thousands of you, our grassroots supporters, are handing out the "Stop the Wal-Mart Tax" flyers at your local post offices. As taxpayers learn that we are paying higher taxes so companies like Wal-Mart don't have to, people are asking what they can do to stop the Wal-Mart tax.

One of the first things you can do is email your state legislator and ask him or her to close the Wal-Mart tax loophole which has allowed Wal-Mart to avoid paying $2.3 billion in state income taxes over the last 7 years.

Please email your state legislator today.

With over 369,798 supporters, we have the power to hold big, powerful corporations like Wal-Mart accountable for their irresponsibility which costs taxpayers billions of dollars.

So, on Tax Day, and everyday, we will continue to build our movement to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better!

Just like President Bush approved a secret program to eavesdrop on Americans, Wal-Mart has hired a group of former CIA, FBI and Justice Department officials to spy on its employees and maybe others.

Please join us now in calling on Congress to investigate the Wal-Mart spy scandal.

The Wal-Mart spy team, which Wal-Mart refers to as the Threat, Research and Analysis group, was using highly sophisticated counter-surveillance technology to eavesdrop on employees' phone calls, intercept text messages, and, according to a recent lawsuit, spy on an employee while he was traveling abroad. One of Wal-Mart's technicians even went so far as to record the conversations of a New York Times reporter.

Wal-Mart's big brother tactics and invasion of privacy are eerily similar to last year's Hewlett Packard scandal which drew Congressional review and resulted in high-level resignations and prosecution.

The Wal-Mart spy scandal, on top of recent attempts by Wal-Mart to smear several former high-profile executives, raises some serious questions about the extent to which corporations should be allowed to conduct surveillance on their employees.

While we still don't know the full extent of Wal-Mart's spy program and whether or not anything illegal was done, we do know that Wal-Mart was eavesdropping in order to identify the source of documents that were given to our campaign which exposed Wal-Mart's negative business practices.

These documents and the many courageous Wal-Mart employees who have spoken out have helped us tell the American people the truth about Wal-Mart's anti-family agenda which has hurt its employees, our communities and our country.

As a nation, we would hope companies like Wal-Mart would reflect the best of American values, instead of implementing eavesdropping programs, designed by former CIA and FBI officials, to spy on their employees.

Please join us now in calling on Congress to investigate the Wal-Mart spy scandal.

From the Wal-Mart spy scandal, to stopping the ‘Wal-Mart Bank,' to forcing Wal-Mart to give up on its plans to enter New York City, to having Wal-Mart's public relations' operation be exposed as a sham, our campaign to change Wal-Mart is in high gear.

Now, more than ever, we need your help, because, only by joining together, can we change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.

Three months ago, a blog called Bent Corner revealed that Wal-Mart was selling a t-shirt with the insignia of Nazi Germany’s 3rd SS Division Totenkopf.

On Nov. 13, 2006, Wal-Mart said it would stop selling and immediately remove the t-shirts with the Nazi insignia. But, last week, bloggers from Consumerist were still able to buy the offensive t-shirt at a Wal-Mart store in Georgia.

Sadly, this is not the first time that Wal-Mart has used Nazi imagery, but with your help we can make it the last.

Sign our petition today and end Wal-Mart's use of Nazi Imagery, once and for all.

Last week, more than 7,000 Wal-Mart store managers went to Kansas City, MO for Wal-Mart's annual managers meeting, and so did we.

We went to Kansas City to take our fight for change directly to the store managers who are responsible for implementing Wal-Mart's anti-family policies. We unveiled a new initiative to specifically target store managers and ask them to join our movement for change.

Now, it's your turn.

Please download a copy of our "open letter" to Wal-Mart store managers and give it to the store manager at a Wal-Mart in your area.

As you may recall, it was at this very same managers meeting in Kansas City last year that Wal-Mart turned its back on Sam Walton's dream and rolled out a series of anti-family policies that have wreaked havoc on its employees.

For example, in 2006, Wal-Mart capped salaries, cut hours, replaced full-time jobs with part-time jobs, eliminated the standard and traditional health care plans for new hires, and, even, instituted a restrictive attendance policy that doesn't allow an employee to take care of sick child.

These anti-family policies must be reversed. Please download this flyer and pass it out to Wal-Mart workers inviting them to be on a national conference call this Thursday where we will talk about what they can do to fight back!

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart has turned its back on Sam Walton's vision, but it's not too late. With over 314,000 Americans we have the power to end these anti-family policies and change Wal-Mart for the better by making sure people and America come first.

Today, Wal-Mart confirmed that over half of its employees, 53%, are not covered under the company’s health care plan.

Yet, despite these shameful numbers, Wal-Mart is trying to mislead the public by falsely claiming that its health care plans have actually improved. Here are the facts. Last year, Wal-Mart told the New York Times that it provided company health care to 638,000 employees. Now, Wal-Mart claims it provides company health care to only 636,391 employees.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds to me like a decrease, not an increase, of almost 2,000 employees.

We have to tell the American people the truth. And, the truth is that with $11 billion in annual profit, it is a national disgrace that Wal-Mart still fails to provide company health care to over half of its employees.

Please take a moment and write a letter to the editor about the Wal-Mart health care crisis.

Contrary to Wal-Mart’s publicity stunts, the reality is that the Wal-Mart health care crisis is getting worse. In the last few months, Wal-Mart decided to eliminate its traditional and standard health care plans for all new hires leaving employees to choose between a high-deductible, catastrophic health care plan and Pres. Bush’s privatized health savings accounts.

How many Wal-Mart employees do you think can afford a $1,000 deductible for individual coverage and $3,000 deductible for family coverage (not to mention additional deductibles for hospital care and pharmaceuticals), when the average Wal-Mart Associate makes $2,000 below the poverty line for a family of four?

That is why we need you. Only you have the power to change Wal-Mart and put enough pressure on the company to provide affordable, quality health care to all of its employees.

Please write a letter to the editor and tell your community about the Wal-Mart health care crisis.

Our latest press release:

WAL-MART'S HOLIDAY SALES PERFORMANCE IS WORST IN 6 YEARS

WakeUpWalMart.com Achieves Record Milestone During 2006 “Hope for the Holidays” Campaign

Washington D.C. - WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, began the New Year by officially announcing the group had achieved a series of record milestones during its 2006 “Hope for the Holidays” campaign, including reaching over 306,976 supporters as of December 31, 2006. In stark contrast, Wal-Mart experienced its worst holiday sales performance in 6 years - even worse than last year’s poor performance.

As a result of a mounting public image problem, worker unrest, and management woes, Wal-Mart’s same store sales for December rose 1.6% - significantly lower than last year’s disappointing 2.2% increase. In fact, over the last 6 years, Wal-Mart’s December same-store sales performance has steadily declined from 8.0% in 2001 to 1.6% in 2006. A breakdown of Wal-Mart sales performance between 2001 and 2006 is below.

“Even with unprecedented price cutting, a November decline in same-store sales, and an extremely low December comp, Wal-Mart faces the harsh reality of another poor holiday season. Wal-Mart must wake up and realize that the American people care about values, and want America’s largest employer to change for the better. The big question for Wal-Mart this year is will 2007 finally be the year that Wal-Mart realizes its image problem is now its business problem and it is time to wake up and do what is right for America? We can only hope,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

During the last two months of 2006, WakeUpWalMart.com executed its most ambitious and aggressive holiday campaign to date. The group’s 6-week non-stop 2006 Hope for the Holidays campaign achieved new records in grassroots support by building 1,172 events in 43 states, distributing over 400,000 flyers, and holding actions such as candlelight vigils and press conferences at over 925 Wal-Mart stores during the holiday season.

Wal-Mart’s December Same-Store Sales Performance 2001-2006 (combined Wal-Mart Stores & Sam’s Club)

2006
1.6%

2005
2.2%

2004
3.0%

2003
4.3%

2002
2.3%

2001
8.0%

What an Incredible Year!

In just twelve months, with the passionate work and commitment of hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters, brave Wal-Mart workers, and the hard work of our campaign team, WakeUpWalMart.com is now one of the most exciting grassroots movements in America.

In fact, since April 5th 2005, we have organized over 4,000 grassroots actions, grown our campaign to 308,000 supporters, and seen Wal-Mart emerge as an important political and social issue.

From signing up over 30,000 new supporters in March to holding health care rallies in 35 cities in May, from rolling across the country in a 19 state, 35 city, 35 day bus tour to launching another 5-week non-stop holiday campaign, we have helped build a grassroots movement unlike any other in American history.

Click here for photos and details from the campaign's 2006 highlights.

Happy New Year, everyone!

This week, we launched our final actions of our 2006 "Hope for the Holidays" campaign with grassroots actions at over 200 Wal-Mart stores in 60 cities and 19 states.

In addition, online already more than 22,000 supporters have signed our petition calling on Wal-Mart to adopt a zero tolerance policy on child labor. Over 10,000 of these signers just joined the WakeUpWalMart.com community, pushing our campaign to over 300,000 supporters.

During our actions this week, supporters in 60 towns and cities, including Crawfordsville, IN; Grand Rapids, MI; Providence, RI; Waterbury, CT; Milwaukee, WI; Salem, MA; Massillon, OH; Stockbridge, GA; Henderson, NV; Elk Grove Village, IL; Catonsville, MD; Philadelphia, PA; Cheyenne, WY; and Grand Junction, CO are passing out over 102,500 glossy new flyers about the company’s troubling record of having repeatedly broken child labor laws in America and overseas.

Overall, our six-week 2006 “Hope for the Holidays” campaign included over 1,172 grassroots actions (from prayer vigils to rallies to house parties) involving over 5,000 supporters, the distribution of over 400,000 flyers covering 925 Wal-Mart stores, and a TV ad campaign that targeted 43 media markets nationwide. In total, the 2006 “Hope for the Holidays” campaign was the most ambitious series of coordinated actions we have ever taken together as a community.

Thanks to all of you for your efforts to change Wal-Mart this holiday season. And welcome to those of you who recently joined us.

Last week supporters from across the country held candlelight vigils from Mobile, Alabama to Gilroy, California to Columbia, South Carolina, Little Rock, Arkansas, and dozens more locations.

At the actions, Wal-Mart workers, faith leaders and other community activists spoke about the need for Wal-Mart to change its anti-family business practices this holiday season. Forty supporters braved the gusting winds and power outages in Seattle on Friday night while dozens of grassroots activists and faith leaders prayed for change in St. Louis, Missouri, Hadley, Massachusetts, Dayton, Ohio, Phoenix, Arizona and Raleigh, North Carolina, just to name a few.

Statement by Martha Burk, Director of the Corporate Accountability Project at the National Council of Women's Organizations – representing over 300 women’s organizations and 10 million women.

The Holiday Season is a special time for Americans. It is a time for giving and sharing. It is a time for all of us, whether as individuals or as corporations, to recognize and embrace the opportunity to improve the lives of others. Unfortunately Wal-Mart, as America's largest private employer, continues to ignore its special responsibility to improve the lives of its workers and their families.

Because of its size and influence on American workplace practices, Wal-Mart has a responsibility to not only reflect the best of America's values, but to be a model employer that puts families first. A company with $11.2 billion in profits should not offer empty excuses as to why it cannot treat its employees, including the over 700,000 female workers, many of whom are parents raising children alone, with the dignity, respect, and fairness they deserve.

Over the past year, Wal-Mart has adopted some of the most anti-family policies in the company's history...

Today, Wal-Mart Associates, all of whom who work hard to support their families, face a Wal-Mart where vicious salary caps have been imposed, a cruel open availability scheduling policy is the norm, low-deductible health care plans have been eliminated, an attendance policy that punishes workers for taking a day off to care for a sick child has been adopted, and hundreds of thousands of full-time Wal-Mart workers have been shifted to lower wage part-time jobs.

As if these anti-family policies weren’t enough, Wal-Mart in 2006 has left over half of its workers without company provided health care, has broken child labor laws, and has yet to settle the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in U.S. history.

Wal-Mart has a choice to make this holiday season. It can continue on a greedy and immoral path or it can do what is right and become the model employer we know it can become.

In the spirit of the holiday season, we call on Wal-Mart to immediately reverse its recent anti-family actions, such as the salary caps and punitive attendance policies. The company must also adopt a zero tolerance policy on child labor violations, and institute practices that ensure gender equality and respect are the norm at Wal-Mart.

In the spirit of the holiday season, we urge Wal-Mart to embrace this simple truth "with great wealth comes great responsibility." And, Wal-Mart's great responsibility is to be an employer whose record and business policies reflect the best of American family values every single day.

Just a few minutes ago, Cleo Forward, a current Wal-Mart support manager in Dallas, Texas, called on Wal-Mart to change its anti-family policies and start putting America's families first at a powerful press conference.

Here is some of what Cleo said:

Wal-Mart said I have a "duty of loyalty" to the company and that I cannot speak out. But what about my "duty of loyalty" to the 1.4 million Wal-Mart Associates who built this company, and are suffering under Wal-Mart's new anti-family policies? What about my "duty of loyalty" to tell the truth to the American people?"

Cleo is not alone. All over the country, Wal-Mart employees are calling on Wal-Mart to change for the better this Holiday season. And, for the first time, 3 brave Wal-Mart Associates are taking to the airwaves to tell the American people directly why Wal-Mart needs to change.

Our latest TV Ad, "Never," features Wal-Mart workers Cynthia Murray, Ramiro Gonzales and Charmaine Givens.

This Friday, November 24, known throughout America as “Black Friday,” WakeUpWalMart.com volunteers will be "waking up" and fanning out all across the country so that more Americans learn the truth this holiday season - Wal-Mart hurts hard-working families every single day.

For the second year in a row, our supporters will take part in our grassroots Black Friday events, passing out our newest flyer at stores and public places all across the country.

Join other supporters across the country this Friday.

Don’t let Grandma’s turkey, stuffing, and yams weigh you down. This Friday, work off that Thanksgiving meal by distributing our "Black Friday, Black Eye" flyer to Wal-Mart shoppers for a few hours.

This post is a discussion thread for those who would like to ask questions or comment during our conference calls with Barack Obama and John Edwards.

Add a comment to this entry with your questions and we'll respond during the call.

Update: We just finished the call with Senator Obama. Thanks to so many of you for joining the call from across the country.

Seantor Edwards will join us at 10:00 PM EST. All you have to do to get the information for the call-in is to sign up here.

This Wednesday, November 15, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters from across the country are joining together on two national grassroots strategy conference calls.

On the first call, at 7:00 PM EST, Senator Barack Obama will be our special guest speaker. On the 10:00 PM EST call, Senator John Edwards will join us. (We are having two calls so that hard-working supporters from the east to the west coast can join after work).

The calls will help launch our exciting 2006 Holiday Campaign strategy. Join us as we continue to bring together a diverse coalition of Americans fighting for health care, good jobs and a better future.

This coming Wednesday, we are hosting a national strategy conference call for all WakeUpWalMart.com supporters. We will be reviewing Wal-Mart's latest anti-family policies, previewing our upcoming Holiday Campaign and listening to your thoughts on the campaign.

RSVP for the call today.

Since we have supporters all across the country, we'll have two calls - one at 7 PM EST and one at 10 PM EST. You can join either call.

We'll be announcing our special guest speakers on Monday.

Some of our local chapters are hosting house parties or just bringing some friends over for the call. Feel free to do the same.

We'll be taking your comments and suggestions live on the call, but if you want to make sure we hear from you, you can email pre-call questions and comments to field@wakeupwalmart.com. It's time to roll out our next nationwide coordinated campaign.

Can't wait to hear from our house party group in Alaska, our great volunteer group in St. Louis, our friends in Florida, and you.

Today is your chance to show Wal-Mart that you have had enough of its extremist agenda and support for anti-family policies. You have the power to send a strong message to Wal-Mart that it is time for change. Vote today to help change America and turn the frown upside down.

From shipping U.S. jobs overseas to lobbying against a living wage, Wal-Mart has shown time and again that it will support whomever and whatever policies further its interests, no matter how much they hurt the American people and its own associates.

Check out our latest TV ad and then head to the polls to vote for change.

At the same time that Wal-Mart has been supporting this extremist agenda, they have instituted the most draconian, anti-associate policies to date. Backlash among associates towards these anti-family policies has been incredible, from taking to the streets in protest to holding the first ever national conference call for associates to discuss these changes.

In response to these outrageous new policies, Wal-Mart associates are spearheading a new, national petition drive calling on CEO Lee Scott to give thanks to his employees and reverse these anti-associate, anti-family policies by Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd.

After you vote for change and to turn the frown upside down today, sign and download the petition, and find out more about the Wal-Mart associates' movement, here:
http://www.WalMartWorkersofAmerica.com

We just got off our first ever national conference call with Wal-Mart associates from across the country. It was amazing to hear the courage and determination of associates from Texas to Maryland to Illinois to Arkansas.

Today, Wal-Mart associates are starting to sign a petition calling on Wal-Mart to implement the following changes and reverse a series of ant-family policies. Associates are calling on Wal-Mart to:

- End Wal-Mart’s “Open Availability” Policy [also known as peak-time or demand scheduling] that has caused chaos in the lives of our 1.39 million Associates and their families;
- Institute “Family Friendly Scheduling” that provides stable work schedules and permits Associates to have normal lives and spend time with their children;
- Reverse Wal-Mart’s “New Attendance Policy” that punishes Associates who need to take a day off to care for a sick child or family member;
- End Wal-Mart’s “New Salary Caps” and allow hard-working Associates to be rewarded for their loyalty, not punished.

Wal-Mart associates can sign the petition online and Download file download the petition to pass around to other associates.

We'll send out some of the transcripts from the call tomorrow when we get a chance to breathe. Our phones are ringing off the hook right now with requests for the petition.

Our latest press release:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM DELIVERS MESSAGE TO ANALYSTS AND HOLLYWOOD POWER BROKERS TODAY

WAKEUPWALMART.COM HOLDS RALLY/ DELIVERS MESSAGE TO ANALYSTS AT WAL-MART’S ANNUAL ANALYST MEETING IN NEW JERSEY

GROUP SENDS WEINSTEIN BROTHERS LETTER/CALLS ON THEM TO HELP ADDRESS WAL-MART’S RECORD OF NEGATIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Washington, DC. - WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, will deliver messages to both analysts attending Wal-Mart’s annual analyst meeting in Teaneck, NJ, as well as Hollywood power brokers attending a Manhattan dinner tonight for Wal-Mart’s CEO Lee Scott sponsored by Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

At Wal-Mart’s analyst meeting, over 50 supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com held an early morning rally calling on Wal-Mart to “change now, change for the better.” As attendees arrived for the meeting, the group distributed an “open letter” to analysts, making clear that Wal-Mart’s right-wing agenda, exploitative business practices, and a declining public image pose both serious short-term and long-term risks to the company...

In the letter, WakeUpWalMart.com stressed that there was a better way for Wal-Mart to succeed, and that “together, we can help Wal-Mart expand into new markets, appeal to higher income customers and grow into an even more profitable business.”

“Wal-Mart’s message to Wall-Street analysts is ‘don’t worry, be happy,’ but the truth is that with a declining public image, sluggish sales, a rebellion by employees in its own store, and a growing grassroots movement to change the company, both Wal-Mart and Wall Street analysts have a lot to worry about.” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

Also, today WakeUpWalMart.com sent a letter to Bob and Harvey Weinstein calling on them to join our national campaign and pressure Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott to stop the exploitation of 1.39 million employees, their families, and the American people. The group stressed to the Weinstein brothers not to let themselves be used “to greenwash a record of exploitation that is a national disgrace.” The letter makes it clear that Wal-Mart’s right-wing agenda, its financial support of right-wing candidates, and its real record of abuse and exploitation leave little to be honored. The group called on the Weinsteins’, long supporters of Democratic causes, to join the national movement to change Wal-Mart for the better.

Supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com will also hold a rally at 30 Rockerfeller Center in front of the Weinstein sponsored dinner being held tonight at the Rainbow Room at the Rockefeller Center.

Copies of both letters are below.

LETTER TO BOB AND HARVEY WEINSTEIN

October 23, 2006

Bob and Harvey Weinstein
The Weinstein Company
375 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10014

Dear Bob & Harvey Weinstein,

As proud Democrats who have long supported progressive causes, we are deeply disappointed to learn that you will be hosting an “awards banquet” for Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. Wal-Mart’s record, in terms of how poorly it treats its 1.39 million employees, its negative effects on this nation, as well as the direct financial support to right wing Republican causes, is an affront to everything you believe in.

To be frank, Wal-Mart’s agenda and policies may be good for George Bush and the right-wing, but it is bad for Wal-Mart’s employees and America. In fact, Wal-Mart has even taken the unprecedented step of targeting Democrats - yes, Democrats - in this election. Why? Because real leaders, like Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Evan Bayh, Gov. Tom Vilsack, Gov. Bill Richardson, and so many others, want better wages and more affordable health care for Wal-Mart workers. Sadly, Wal-Mart has not only chosen to personally attack these Democrats, but it is working with Bush/Cheney operatives, like Terry Nelson, to defeat them.

While we know for a fact that neither one of you support the Bush right-wing agenda, you must seriously ask yourselves why you are honoring a man and a company that is targeting Democrats for defeat?

Above all, we hope you will learn the cruel legacy of Wal-Mart’s mistreatment of its employees and its families. It is a litany of exploitation and abuses that rivals any Dickens novel. Here are just some of the facts we know Wal-Mart has hidden from you:

Wal-Mart and the Right Wing

• 80 percent of Wal-Mart’s political contributions have gone to George Bush and right-wing Republican candidates and groups.
• Wal-Mart has employed some of the most vicious right wing-operatives in American politics - the very people who have made a career out of personally and politically attacking Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry.

Wal-Mart and Wages

• The average Wal-Mart employee earns $2,200 below the poverty-level.
• All 1.39 million Wal-Mart employees now face a salary cap - meaning either today or at some point, employees who are already paid poverty-level wages will never receive a raise again for the rest of their lives.
• Wal-Mart is cutting over 200,000 full-time jobs and shifting these workers to even lower paid, part-time positions.

Wal-Mart and Health Care

• Wal-Mart fails to provide company health care coverage to 54% of its employees (that’s 775,000 families and children without company health care).
• 46% of Wal-Mart workers’ children are left uninsured or on public health care assistance.
• In 18 out of 19 states, where data has been released, Wal-Mart leads all employers with the greatest number of employees on public health care assistance.
• Wal-Mart will cost taxpayers an estimated $9.1 billion over the next 5 years because so many of its workers are forced onto public health care assistance.
• Just last month, Wal-Mart eliminated all of its low-deductible health care coverage plans for its employees; Wal-Mart now offers only catastrophic health care coverage and George Bush-inspired Health Care Savings Accounts.

Wal-Mart and Discrimination/Abuse

• Wal-Mart has broken child labor laws multiple times in the United States and abroad, including twice this year.
• Wal-Mart faces the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in U.S. history, affecting over 2 million former and current women workers who are suing the company for wage and promotion discrimination.
• Wal-Mart faces over 57 wage and hour lawsuits, including one in Pennsylvania where Wal-Mart was found guilty of denying workers rest breaks, costing them $78 million.
• Wal-Mart has lobbied, most recently in California, against legislation that would have made it illegal to lock employees in its stores and currently still locks employees in its stores.

Wal-Mart and National Security

• Wal-Mart lobbied against strengthening America’s port security.
• Wal-Mart is the single biggest factor in the loss of American manufacturing jobs, shipping millions of good paying, family supporting jobs to China.
• Wal-Mart continues to utilize sweatshop labor among its foreign suppliers, employing children and young adults in the most adverse conditions.

With respect to your award, although steps taken to improve the environment are always to be applauded, the facts are quite clear, and we know you must now agree, that Wal-Mart and Lee Scott must also clean up its act in how they treat its employees, their families, and the American people.

Most importantly, we would hope you would never let yourself be used by Wal-Mart, a company with over $11.2 billion in annual profits, to greenwash a record of exploitation that is a national disgrace.

Let us put it another way, would either one of you ever treat one of your employees or their families this way - of course not. So, why does Lee Scott treat his employees this way? It is a question we hope you will ask Lee Scott before honoring him with any award.

In the end, we are confident that as producers of such an important film, like Fahrenheit 9/11, that you will join with WakeUpWalMart.com and our over 281,000 supporters in telling Wal-Mart that it’s time to be responsible and that it’s time to change.

We look forward in the coming days for you to join with us in our movement to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.

Sincerely,

Paul Blank
Campaign Director
WakeUpWalMart.com

LETTER TO WAL-MART ANALYSTS

ATTENTION WAL-MART ANALYSTS: WAL-MART’S DECLINING PUBLIC OPINION AND RIGHT-WING POLITICAL AGENDA THREATEN TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT ITS BUSINESS MODEL

Dear Analyst,

The national campaign to change Wal-Mart into a better, more responsible business is gaining unprecedented momentum across the entire country. Now, not only are we the fastest growing social movement in America, with over 281,000 grassroots supporters in all 50 states, but elected leaders, such as Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Evan Bayh and Sen. Joe Biden, are joining with us in calling on Wal-Mart to change.

Unfortunately, rather than heed the calls of the American public and these real leaders, Wal-Mart has chosen to defend the indefensible and, as a consequence, has suffered a huge blow to its public image. According to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, Wal-Mart’s favorability rating is now 45% favorable, 31% unfavorable, and 22% neutral (only a 14% spread between favorable and unfavorable). Compare that to Wal-Mart’s key competitor, Target, which, in the same poll, had a favorability rating of 51% favorable and only 10% unfavorable (a 41% spread between favorable and unfavorable).

The bottom line is this - despite selling to 90% of America’s consumers, a solid one-third of the American public now has a negative view of Wal-Mart. In other words, Wal-Mart is sitting on a huge ‘ticking time bomb’ as it faces the risk of unfavorable Wal-Mart shoppers deciding to change their behavior. And, unlike, other unfavorable retailers, such as the oil companies where people have no alternative (either they are going to drive or not drive, but if they drive they must buy gas), Wal-Mart has a number of similarly priced competitors with very different public opinion profiles.

In addition, to counter Wal-Mart’s declining image, the company, in an act of desperation, has hired a team of right-wing operatives whose tactics could prove to be disastrous for Wal-Mart. For example, in response to Democratic candidates calling on Wal-Mart to pay a better wage, provide more affordable health care and treat its employees with dignity and respect, Wal-Mart chose to attack those candidates and potentially alienate millions of Democratic voters, many of whom shop at Wal-Mart.

The truth is, no matter what Wal-Mart may claim, our campaign will not stop, rest or go away, until Wal-Mart changes. We hope, on behalf of Wal-Mart’s employees, Wal-Mart’s shareholders and the country, you will join with us in calling on Wal-Mart to change for the better. Together, we can help Wal-Mart expand into new markets, appeal to higher income customers and grow into an even more profitable business.

Thank you,

WakeUpWalMart.com

Recently, WakeUpWalMart.com participated in Scott Womack's podcast series entitled "No Respect."

The interview with WakeUpWalMart.com Campaign Director Paul Blank is the first in this podcast discussing Wal-Mart.

Click here to listen to the whole podcast.

Today, we announced the launch of our 2006 voter education initiative, targeting both consumers and Wal-Mart associates in multiple battleground states. The campaign consists of TV ads, direct mail, robo calls, door-hangers and canvassing.

Here are some excerpts from this morning's press release:

In response to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it will attack Democratic candidates who joined with WakeUpWalMart.com to fight for a better America, WakeUpWalMart.com is launching a major new voter education campaign to highlight Wal-Mart’s continued support for a right wing agenda that is wrong for America.

The 2006 WakeUpWalMart.com Voter Education Initiative will officially launch on Monday, October 23rd, and will continue for 15 straight days leading up to Election Day on November 7th. The goal of the group’s voter education initiative is, in key battleground states, to educate consumers, voters, and Wal-Mart associates about how Wal-Mart’s support for a dangerous political and public policy agenda has hurt Wal-Mart’s own employees, hard-working families, and taken America in the wrong direction. In addition, the campaign will highlight Wal-Mart’s financial and public support for George Bush and right wing politicians.

Consumers and Wal-Mart associates deserve to know the truth about Wal-Mart's agenda: lowering wages, cutting health care, shipping American jobs to Communist China, and even lobbying Congress against increased port security.

You can read more about the campaign at www.TurnTheFrownUpsideDown.com.

Our entire press release is included below the fold.

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES MAJOR NEW VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IN MULTIPLE BATTLEGROUND STATES

THE CAMPAIGN WILL HIGHLIGHT WAL-MART’S RIGHT WING AGENDA AND TARGETS BOTH CONSUMERS AND WAL-MART ASSOCIATES

NEW BUSH/WAL-MART TV AD CAMPAIGN - 30 SEC AD ENDS WITH TAGLINE “WAL-MART: GOOD FOR GEORGE BUSH, BAD FOR AMERICA” (to see ad go to http://www.turnthefrownupsidedown.com/features/video.html)

Washington D.C. - In response to Wal-Mart’s announcement that it will attack Democratic candidates who joined with WakeUpWalMart.com to fight for a better America, WakeUpWalMart.com is launching a major new voter education campaign to highlight Wal-Mart’s continued support for a right wing agenda that is wrong for America. The voter education campaign, consisting of TV ads, direct mail, robo calls, door-hangers and canvassing, and in-store actions, will target both consumers and Wal-Mart associates in multiple battleground states.

The 2006 WakeUpWalMart.com Voter Education Initiative will officially launch on Monday, October 23rd, and will continue for 15 straight days leading up to Election Day on November 7th. The goal of the group’s voter education initiative is, in key battleground states, to educate consumers, voters, and Wal-Mart associates about how Wal-Mart’s support for a dangerous political and public policy agenda has hurt Wal-Mart’s own employees, hard-working families, and taken America in the wrong direction. In addition, the campaign will highlight Wal-Mart’s financial and public support for George Bush and right wing politicians.

“Wal-Mart’s decision to declare war on Democrats who are calling on the company to pay a better wage, provide affordable health care, and treat its employees with dignity and respect is a disgrace, and shows just how right-wing Wal-Mart has become. The bottom line is while Wal-Mart’s dangerous right-wing agenda may be good for George Bush, it is bad for Wal-Mart’s employees and bad for America,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

To maximize the effect of WakeUpWalMart.com’s 2006 voter education initiative, the effort will be divided into two separate multimedia and on-the-ground campaigns. The first campaign will be focused solely on educating consumers and constituency groups, like women, African-Americans and Hispanics, who are adversely affected by Wal-Mart’s agenda. The second campaign will be focused exclusively on Wal-Mart’s own Associates, and will educate Associates on how Wal-Mart’s political agenda hurts its employees.

As part of the consumer campaign, the group will launch a new voter education website, www.TurnTheFrownUpsideDown.com. On the website, voters will be able to sign a pledge to put “America’s Families First,” register to vote, learn more about Wal-Mart’s right wing agenda, watch the group’s latest TV ads, mobilize and recruit new supporters, download campaign materials, and even sign up for an email reminder, called the “Election Day Wake Up Call,” to remind them to vote against Wal-Mart’s right wing agenda.

In addition, WakeUpWalMart.com will begin airing two 30-second TV ads in at least 7 battleground states (i.e. NV, PA, OH, MI, MD, MN, WI) conduct over 140,000 household visits (i.e. door knocks) in at least 10 battleground states (OH, MI, PA, CA, NJ, RI, NV, MN), and conduct over 250,000 phone calls targeting African American and Hispanic households.

As part of the Wal-Mart Associate voter education program, the group will launch an unprecedented series of store and community actions in over 30 states, including all targeted battlegrounds (i.e. NY, MO, MN, CO, CA, IA, PA, MD, WA, AZ, NJ, KY, SD, RI, CT, TX, IN, NV, OH, IL, MI, WI, MA, AK, GA, AR, NC, AL, HI, NM and Puerto Rico). In total, supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com plan to distribute a special Wal-Mart Associate Voter Education card to over 100,000 Wal-Mart Associates in public locations and at over 600 Wal-Mart stores beginning on Monday, October 23rd, 2006. The group will also run an “Open Letter to Wal-Mart Associates” advertisement in a series of community newspapers in targeted battleground states. The letter will educate Wal-Mart’s employees about Wal-Mart’s anti-worker agenda, ask them to learn the truth about Wal-Mart’s plan to attack Democratic leaders who are calling on Wal-Mart to be a better company that treats its employees with dignity and respect, and inform Associates on how they and their co-workers can join together to change Wal-Mart and America.

Materials for each campaign, including the TV-ads, door hanger, 2006 Wal-Mart Associate Voter Education Card, and the Open Letter to Wal-Mart Associates are available to be viewed at www.turnthefrownupsidedown.com and www.WalMartWorkersofAmerica.com.

Our latest press release:

Today, over 200 Wal-Mart employees, at the Hialeah Gardens, Florida Wal-Mart store (near Miami), self-organized the first-ever large scale employee protest at a Wal-Mart store.

According to Wal-Mart workers who contacted WakeUpWalMart.com, over 250 Wal-Mart Associates are currently outside the store protesting the negative effects of Wal-Mart's open availability policy, hours being cut, scheduling changes, and a new, punitive attendance policy. These Wal-Mart employees say they have had enough of executives in Bentonville, Arkansas ignoring their concerns, and they are willing to take to the street to counter Wal-Mart’s changes which are pushing out hard-working, loyal Wal-Mart employees.

The following statement is attributable to Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com:

“For too long, Wal-Mart has ignored the serious workplace concerns of over 1.39 million Wal-Mart Associates. Since the beginning of this year, Wal-Mart has essentially declared war on its employees by cutting hours, reducing the number of full-time workers, imposing salary caps, instituting an open availability policy, cutting health care benefits, and even instituting a new, punitive attendance policy. Wal-Mart’s changes negatively impact its workers and are all a sinister attempt to push out loyal employees who Wal-Mart believes cost them to much. It is wrong and it must stop."

"As we can all see from this incredible protest in Hialeah, Florida, Wal-Mart workers, having been pushed to the point of no return, are standing up to Wal-Mart executives and fighting back. Contrary to Wal-Mart’s heartless changes, employees are not commodities or products on the shelf and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. These employees are hard-working people with real families and they deserve our support.

Once again, we call on Wal-Mart to realize that there is a better path. The American people, Wal-Mart Associates, and elected leaders are demanding that Wal-Mart end its war on its workers and change into a more responsible employer. In the end, Wal-Mart should not doubt for a moment that this is just the beginning of workers speaking out and their calls will continue to get louder. We can only hope for Wal-Mart's sake and its employees, that Wal-Mart hears these calls for change and does what is right.”

A few months ago, because of overwhelming public opposition, we successfully got the FDIC (which regulates America's banks) to put Wal-Mart's banking application on hold. In addition, the FDIC put a 6-month moratorium on all banking applications like Wal-Mart's in order to review all proposed Industrial Loan Corporations (ILC's), which is the loophole Wal-Mart used to try and obtain a bank.

Right now, the FDIC wants to hear from you about the ILC/Wal-Mart loophole.

By closing the ILC/Wal-Mart loophole, we can stop the bank of Wal-Mart forever. You must tell the FDIC right now that you want them to close the Wal-Mart loophole and stop the bank of Wal-Mart.

As you know, the bank of Wal-Mart would be an unprecedented and dangerous concentration of capital in the hands of one single corporation and would negatively impact consumers, small businesses and communities.

We only won last time because thousands of Americans spoke out. In fact, it was the largest public response in FDIC history.

We need your help again. There are only a few days left (one business day) before the FDIC closes its public comment period. You must act now to stop Wal-Mart's bank application.

With over 275,000 supporters, we must make our voice heard and tell the FDIC to stop the bank of Wal-Mart, extend the moratorium and let our lawmakers have a real debate about closing the ILC loophole altogether.

Your immediate action is critical. Email the FDIC right now.

We must stop Wal-Mart from acquiring a bank. If we don't, Wal-Mart has the potential to become an economic monopoly with the power of Standard Oil and the values of Big Tobacco that threatens every hard working American.

Today, WakeUpWalMart.com officially welcomes over 7,000 new supporters!

The majority of these new supporters signed up during the “Change Wal-Mart, Change America” bus tour, in which a total of 25,397 people joined this movement. We met them at rallies, press conferences, town halls, and state fairs - or at diners, restaurants, and gas stations. Then, they talked with their families, friends, and neighbors about why Wal-Mart needs to change.

Wal-Mart’s PR machine is no match for the American people. WakeUpWalMart.com supporters are concerned about their communities, and they want Wal-Mart to live up to its responsibilities as our nation's largest employer. They are knocking on doors, calling their fellow citizens, gathering people together, and spreading the truth.

Every day, more people join the 273,931 supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com, and our movement grows larger and more powerful.

We want real change at Wal-Mart, and we want real change in America. We won’t stop until we get it.

Let’s keep up the momentum. Click here to invite a friend to join WakeUpWalMart.com today!

The following statement is attributable to Chris Kofinis, Communications Director, WakeUpWalMart.com:

“It is an incredibly sad day when an elected official would veto Chicago’s working families and taxpayers in favor of rich, powerful corporations like Wal-Mart. Rather than require wealthy companies to be responsible, Mayor Daley evidently thinks its okay that big corporations make obscene profits while their workers get paid poverty-level wages and cannot afford health insurance.

We cannot allow politicians to sacrifice the best of our values to big, corporate special interests who are intent on destroying the American dream for millions of working families. On behalf of the residents of Chicago and the American people, who enthusiastically support this landmark legislation, we applaud the city council and hope they will stand together in their fight for a better Chicago and a better America by overriding Mayor Daley’s veto.”

Our latest press release:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES 2006 “CHANGE WAL-MART, CHANGE AMERICA” CROSS-COUNTRY BUS TOUR

NATIONWIDE EVENTS PLANNED WITH PROMINENT POLITICAL LEADERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS FROM COAST-TO-COAST/ BUS TOUR TO VISIT 19 STATES, 35 CITIES, IN 35 DAYS

CAMPAIGN UNVEILS A NEW POWER POINT PRESENTATION TITLED “A COSTLY TRUTH” AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS/TOWNHALLS

Washington D.C. - WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, is taking its national movement, and headquarters, on the road in a non-stop cross-country tour hitting 19 states, 35 cities, in 35 days. The nationwide bus tour, titled the “2006 Change Wal-Mart, Change America Tour,” is an unprecedented and exciting new move in the group’s campaign to change Wal-Mart into a responsible and moral employer.

The tour launches on August 1st in New York City and ends in Seattle on September 4th, Labor Day. During the tour, the WakeUpWalMart.com campaign will hold a series of events each day with supporters and political leaders to build public awareness about the need for Wal-Mart to change into a better corporate citizen. Some of the nation’s most prominent civic and political leaders will take part in the tour, including former Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate and former U.S. Senator John Edwards, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Sherrod Brown, Maryland U.S. Senate candidates Congressman Ben Cardin and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, Connecticut U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont, Connecticut Governor candidate, John DeStefano, Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Anna Burger, President of the Change-to-Win labor federation, and many others. Additional announcements concerning speakers and event details will be made ahead of each of the tour stops.

“Whether it is at community meetings of 20 people, town halls, busy public squares, metro stops or state fairs with thousands of people, we are taking our campaign to change Wal-Mart directly to the American people because we know by joining together we can change Wal-Mart and change America for the better,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

On the “2006 Change Wal-Mart, Change America” bus tour WakeUpWalMart.com will be holding a series of events and actions all across America, including townhalls, community meetings, canvasses, as well as a summer membership drive at sporting events, state fairs, public squares, and at various Wal-Mart stores. In addition, as part of the 5-week tour, WakeUpWalMart.com will also release a new 30-second ad, titled “One Mission” that will air in cities across the country in coordination with the tour stops.

“From the East Coast, to America’s heartland to the West Coast, we are asking Americans to join the fight for a better America where workers have good paying jobs and affordable health benefits. Our goal is to unleash an exciting new grassroots movement to hold corporations accountable, empower the American people, and make Wal-Mart a responsible corporate citizen that provides affordable health care, pays a living wage, protects American jobs and reflects the best of our values,” added Blank.

The star of the “2006 Change Wal-Mart, Change America” tour is a 55-foot long bus (more like a monster billboard) nicknamed “Smiley.” The bus will be wrapped side-to-side and front-to-back in a patriotic American flag emblazoned with the group’s website, WakeUpWalMart.com, and the name of the tour, “2006 Change Wal-Mart, Change America Tour.” In addition, on each side of the bus, the central messages of the tour will be highlighted for all to see - including “Join America’s Fight for Health Care,” “Join America’s Fight for Good Jobs” and “Join the Fight for a Better America.”

A unique feature of the tour will be a new power point presentation which will be unveiled at various town halls and community meetings. The power point, modeled after Vice President Al Gore’s recent documentary is titled, “A Costly Truth,” and will serve as a powerful tool to educate the American public about why Wal-Mart needs to change, the national cost we are paying because of Wal-Mart’s business model, and how Wal-Mart threatens America’s middle class.

During the 35-day tour, the details and location for each day’s planned events will be made available at WakeUpWalMart.com in a special section which will chronicle the groups adventures and experiences, as well as provide a video blog, photo updates, and a journal of each day’s events and experiences.

Our latest press release:

Statement on the passage of the Chicago Living Wage Ordinance, by Paul Blank, campaign director of WakeUpWalMart.com:

"By passing the Chicago Living Wage Ordinance by a veto proof margin, the City Council sent a loud and powerful message to irresponsible companies, like Wal-Mart - it is time for you to change and become a more responsible corporate citizen.

We applaud these strong and civic-minded leaders who fought for and won a better life for so many Chicago workers and their families.

Now, as we move forward, we can only hope that irresponsible companies, like Wal-Mart, have heard the call for change. Once again, it is time for Wal-Mart, our nation’s largest employer, to realize that the American people want Wal-Mart to stop making excuses for why one of the richest companies in America can't provide affordable health care, pay a living wage, and reflect the best of American values."

From the High Springs Herald (FL):

HIGH SPRINGS -- High Springs City Commissioners again have taken steps to challenge a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in Alachua near the Interstate 75 interchange, saying that the site could potentially damage their city’s water supply if too few precautions are taken.

High Springs officials submitted a letter last Friday, July 14, challenging Wal-Mart’s stormwater permit through the Suwannee River Water Management District.

And if the water district officials do not accept that challenge, High Springs officials also are taking measures to bring the matter before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, a body that hears cases involving governmental entities.

Alachua County commissioners had challenged the permit just a week before but accepted an agreement with Wal-Mart officials who said they would participate in some practices that would decrease chances of damaging the water supply but would only consider participating in a comprehensive water study.

This study would ask Wal-Mart to test the water for quality and biological life before development, then on a regular basis afterward. Wal-Mart would not commit to the study, with officials saying they would only consider it in the future.

But High Springs officials decided at their July 13 meeting that that was not good enough.

“I don’t think this document goes anywhere near where it needs to go,” Commissioner Kirk Eppenstein said, referring to the Wal-Mart-County agreement. “It puts the level of participation solely at the discretion of the applicant.”

Mayor Byran Williams had previously issued letters on March 27 and June 23 expressing concerns about the site and asking the water district to use extra scrutiny when issuing permits for the site since it was particularly vulnerable to water issues.

But that permit was issued anyway after a public hearing on June 13, the same day that Tropical Storm Alberto hit the area.

Williams asserts in a July 14 letter that the original public hearing for the water permit was not sufficient because of the state of emergency at the time, plus the fact that High Springs officials were not notified of the meeting even though they had previously indicated their concern.

City Manager Jim Drumm echoed similar comments.

“The day they held their public hearing, all the emergency management personnel came out and said ‘stay home,’” City Manager Jim Drumm said. “…It’s a shame we weren’t invited to those discussions.”

If the Suwannee River Water Management District decides not to hold another public meeting, Drumm said, the city has already began the filing process for an administrative hearing through the state.

Such a hearing would be much like a court hearing, according to City Attorney Jim Pendland, and each side would present evidence to support their case.

One of the most important pieces of evidence supporting the idea that additional safeguards need to be in place, said Pete Butt, of Karst Environmental Services, is a set of dye tests that he managed last year.

In those tests, a series of colored dyes were released into Mill Creek Sink, which is near the proposed Wal-Mart, and found that after only 12 days, that dye had traveled six miles through the underwater cave system to Hornsby Spring in High Springs.

These results, Butt said, are conclusive evidence that underwater caves connect the area around Wal-Mart to water supplies in High Springs.

Without the proper safeguards to prevent runoff from Wal-Mart into the nearby sinkholes, Butt said, the aquifer water could begin to degrade.

Eppenstein said that this possible result is what makes the matter pertinent to High Springs.

“The goal is not what is going to be placed there, but how it will be placed there,” Eppenstein said. “Water and air do not have jurisdictional boundaries.”

And if the water did get contaminated, Drumm said, the city would have to initiate a purification system, which could take years.

In the meantime, he said, supplying water to residents could mean installing underground pipes to pump it from as far away as Lake City. This process would likely cost more than fees for an administrative hearing, he said.

“They (Wal-Mart) probably have deeper pockets, but then what will we do if our drinking water is contaminated,” he said. “…The cost (of pumping water) would be unbelievable.”

Williams submitted his latest letter to the water district July 14, and as of Wednesday, commissioners were still awaiting a response.

New MSNBC poll on WalMart's new pledge to help protect the environment. Is Wal-Mart genuinely concerned with the environment or are they just concerned with their public image?

Click on the picture to take the survey!

Click here for our press release on Wal-Mart and environmental sustainability.

In honor of the Fourth of July, don't forget to sign up to become a part of the growing movement to change Wal-Mart.

Invite your friends to read the Declaration of Independence from Wal-Mart and join the campaign!

Our latest TV ad:

The revolution to take back America has begun.

Until now, big corporations like Wal-Mart said or did whatever they wanted, and got away with it. Well, yesterday, you proved Wal-Mart wrong and demonstrated the power ordinary people have to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.

Here's what happened. In October 2005, Wal-Mart said it supported raising the minimum wage. But, since then, Wal-Mart has used its industry lobbyists to oppose a minimum wage increase. And, up until yesterday, Wal-Mart's own chief lobbyist claimed the public had misinterpreted Wal-Mart's statement and that Wal-Mart never supported raising the minimum wage.

When we exposed Wal-Mart's lie and called on the company to come clean, Wal-Mart caved into public pressure and said it once again supported raising the minimum wage. We can only hope Wal-Mart will now actually do something positive to help millions of hard-working Americans who live in poverty.

Wal-Mart's reversal on the minimum wage proves the power that every American has to change this company and this country for the better. Now, if we could change Wal-Mart's position on the minimum wage with 243,600 supporters, imagine what we could with 1 million.

This July 4th, get your friends to join the next revolution to take back America.
Watch our latest TV ad:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/independence/

In the spirit of our founding fathers, America must now fight back against big corporations like Wal-Mart who are using our government to declare war on America's working people.

By contributing millions of dollars, Wal-Mart is pursuing a right-wing agenda to:

Ship American jobs overseas
Oppose expanding health care for working families
Lobby to weaken port security
Stop a living wage increase
Wal-Mart's war threatens the middle-class, undermines America's role as the leader in the world, and is a direct attack on American values and our democracy.

We must fight back. This July 4th, the next revolution to take back America begins. Be the first to see our new TV ad:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/independence/

We desperately need change in America and America is ready for change. But, we can't have real change when big corporations like Wal-Mart stand in the way.

This July 4th, become a patriot for America's working people. Please send this TV ad to at least 10 friends and ask them to declare their independence from Wal-Mart and join the revolution to take back America.

From AXcess News:

Washington - A new joint report from the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that the federal minimum wage, which has not been raised since September 1997, has eroded in its purchasing power by 25 percent. The effects of inflation have effectively brought the federal minimum wage to its lowest level since 1955.

Indeed, the report observes, the lack of Congressional action on this issue is approaching an unprecedented stretch of time.

There are some indications that Congress may finally take steps to restore the wage floor. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee broke with its leadership and approved a $2.10-an-hour increase as part of a larger spending bill. Unfortunately, as a result, Speaker Hastert put the bill on hold, with the possibility of delaying further action until after the November elections. This week, however, there may be further Committee votes to restore the minimum wage in both Senate and House committees.

Please sign our petition calling on the U.S. Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Despite being the richest country in the world, we now have 37 million Americans, including 13 million children, living in poverty. In fact, the poverty rate for full-time, year round workers has increased 50% since the late 1970’s. And, while CEO-pay soars to obscene levels, the minimum wage for America’s workers has fallen to a 50-year low.

It’s outrageous.

But, while the American public overwhelmingly supports raising the minimum wage, big corporations, like Wal-Mart, through its industry lobbyists and right-wing politicians are standing in the way.

That ends today! It’s time to take our country back from billion dollar corporations, like Wal-Mart, and fight for the American people.

Please sign our petition calling on the U.S. Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Unfortunately, under President Bush and the Republican Party, Wal-Mart and big corporations have been able to use our government to line their own pockets at the expense of the American people.

Rather than stand up for America, Wal-Mart uses its influence to ship our jobs overseas, not provide company health care to more than half of its employees, and pay poverty-level wages. We cannot allow Wal-Mart and corporate America to take our country in the wrong direction.

It’s time to stand up for America’s workers and raise the minimum wage.

Please sign our petition calling on the U.S. Congress to raise the minimum wage:

As you know, our campaign is not just a fight to change Wal-Mart; it is a fight for what kind of America we want to live in. Raising the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour will benefit 15 million Americans, including 9 million women and 6 million people of color.

Only you have the power to take back America and give America’s workers a raise.

Please take action today!

Today, the U.S. Senate is likely to vote on the nomination of Sheila Bair to be the next Chair of the FDIC.

Why is this important to our campaign?

As Chairman of the FDIC, Ms. Bair will have the ability to decide on Wal-Mart’s banking application. How the FDIC handles the Wal-Mart issue is both critical to our campaign and of great importance to the future of the U.S. banking system.

Banking and commerce must remain separate. Both Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke agree.

Now it’s your turn. Please take action immediately. Call or email your U.S. Senator and tell them the Senate should not consider the Bair nomination until we have more information on how Ms. Bair feels about the separation of commerce and banking.

Click here to email your U.S. Senator.

The Walton family has no shame.

At the same time America faces a costly war, record debt and soaring gas prices, the Walton family, worth over $80 billion, has the nerve to lobby our government to repeal the estate tax.

Repealing the estate tax will not benefit 99% of Americans, and will give the wealthiest 1% of Americans a nearly $1 trillion tax giveaway over the next 10 years. In fact, the Walton family alone will get a $32 billion tax break.

Are we going to let President Bush and the right-wing Republicans in the U.S. Senate give the Walton family a $32 billion tax cut while real Americans struggle just to make ends meet?

Your action is critical. The showdown over the estate tax is tomorrow and the vote is very close.

Please write your U.S. Senator today and tell him/her to stand up for the American people and oppose repealing the estate tax for billionaires like the Waltons.

According to a new report by Public Citizen and United for a Fair Economy, over the last decade, the Walton family, along with 17 other wealthy families, has spent nearly $200 million to lobby Congress to repeal the estate tax.

This is not democracy. America was founded on the belief that our government should be of, by and for the people. Unfortunately, under President Bush and the Republican Party, Wal-Mart and the Walton family has been able to use our government to line its own pockets at the expense of the American people.

Rather than stand up for America, Wal-Mart uses its influence to ship our jobs overseas and not provide company health care to more than half of its employees. We cannot allow Wal-Mart, and now the Walton family, to take America in the wrong direction.

It's time to take our country back from billionaires and billion dollar corporations and fight for the American people.

Please write your U.S. Senator today (or your Congresswoman, if you live in DC) and tell him/her you oppose repealing the estate tax for billionaires like the Walton family while average Americans are struggling to get by.

Only you have the power to change Wal-Mart, fight for everyday people and change America for the better.

Our latest press release:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM RUNS A FULL-PAGE AD WITH AN OPEN LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS STATING “WAL-MART CAN DO BETTER”

CALLS ON CURRENT MANAGEMENT TO LIVE UP TO “SAM’S VALUES”

Bentonville, AR - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, released a letter to Wal-Mart’s shareholders entitled, “Wal-Mart Can Do Better.” The letter will be handed out to shareholders at Wal-Mart’s annual shareholder meeting and will run in a statewide, full page ad in the Arkansas Democratic Gazette.

The “Wal-Mart Can Do Better” letter reminds shareholders of Sam Walton’s 10 rules for success. Rule #2 on Sam’s list was to value your associates. The letter states, “Sadly, Wal-Mart’s current management has abandoned Sam’s vision and forgotten Sam’s rule #2 - value your associates.”

In the last few months, Wal-Mart’s current management has decided to dramatically slash workers’ hours, cut over 200,000 employees from full-time to part-time, leave 54% of Wal-Mart’s workers without company health care, not to adopt a “zero tolerance policy” on child labor or address the fact that 1.6 million female employees are suing Wal-Mart for gender discrimination.

“Rather than value Wal-Mart’s employees or reflect the best of Sam Walton’s vision, Wal-Mart’s current leadership has decided to invest in right-wing war rooms and make store changes that are destroying worker morale and putting Wal-Mart’s public image at risk,” said Paul Blank, campaign director, WakeUpWalMart.com.

The letter calls on Wal-Mart’s shareholders to join with WakeUpWalMart.com and join the movement to change Wal-Mart into a better business “on behalf of its employees, its shareholders and the American people.”

The letter states, “What we are asking for - paying 1.3 million employees a living wage, providing affordable health care, and creating a safe and just work environment - is not only the right thing to do, but will make Wal-Mart a more successful company.”

The full text of the letter is below and is available at www.WakeUpWalMart.com.

“WAL-MART CAN DO BETTER”

Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners. In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations.

Rule #2, Sam Walton’s 10 Rules for Success

Dear Wal-Mart Shareholders,

One of Sam Walton’s guiding principles that made Wal-Mart a success was to value the company’s associates. Sam Walton believed Wal-Mart’s success would rise and fall based on how well, or poorly, Wal-Mart treated its workers and their families. Sadly, Wal-Mart’s current management has abandoned Sam’s vision and forgotten Sam’s rule #2 - value your associates.

The truth is the American people and their elected representatives have a hard time understanding why Wal-Mart, with $11.2 billion in annual profits, has a record which fails to reflect the best of America’s, and Sam’s, values.

We believe, and we think Sam Walton would agree, “Wal-Mart Can Do Better.”

Wal-Mart has an incredible opportunity to “seize the moment” and pursue real change on behalf of its employees, its shareholders and the American people. What we are asking for - paying 1.3 million employees a living wage, providing affordable health care, and creating a safe and just work environment - is not only the right thing to do, but will make Wal-Mart a more successful company.

Just as Sam Walton understood, large profitable corporations, like Wal-Mart, have an important social responsibility and economic interest to not only be as good and great as they can be, but to be as good and great as their size and wealth affords.

In that spirit, we’re calling on all Wal-Mart shareholders to join with us at WakeUpWalMart.com in our national movement to change Wal-Mart and change America for the better.

We hope you will join with us.

Sincerely,
WakeUpWalMart.com

Our latest press release:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM EXPOSES WAL-MART’S NEW HEALTH CARE PLAN FOR PART-TIME WORKERS

DETAILS OF “NEW PLAN” UNDERMINE WAL-MART’S PREVIOUS HEALTH CARE ANNOUNCEMENT

DOCUMENTS EXPOSE WAL-MART’S SECRET PLAN TO CUT WORKERS’ HOURS, SHIFT TO A MAJORITY PART-TIME WORKFORCE, AND CUT BENEFITS FOR FULL-TIME WORKERS “TRANSITIONED” TO PART-TIME

Washington D.C. - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, released copies of Wal-Mart’s new health care benefits plan for current part-time employees and full-time employees “transitioned” to part-time. The health care documents were given to the group by Wal-Mart employees concerned about the terrible effects that Wal-Mart’s new policies, in particular the drastic transition from full-time to part-time, are having on employee morale, customer service and store performance.

The first document, a 7-page booklet, titled “My Benefits: New Peak Time Benefits: Making a Difference for You,” details the specific changes to Wal-Mart’s health care benefits which the company announced last month. The second document is a memo from Wal-Mart’s “administrative committee” to all “full and peak-time hourly associates,” titled a “Summary of Material Modifications to Associates’ Health and Welfare Plan.”

Both documents were given to employees as part of a special enrollment period which runs from May 15-26, 2006. The special enrollment period, however, is not open to all Wal-Mart associates. Only associates who are part-time and have more than 1 year of service but less than 2 years of service (part-timers with more than 2 years of service are only eligible if they enroll their dependent) and full-time employees who were just ‘transitioned’ to part-time status, are eligible to enroll.

“Based on these new documents, either Wal-Mart falsely claimed it would offer its low cost plan to 50% of its Associates, or Wal-Mart has ‘transitioned’ many more workers to part-time than has been reported publicly. Either way, Wal-Mart’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality, and Wal-Mart workers are paying way too high a price,” said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

Based on the two documents, it is obvious Wal-Mart’s “new health care changes” will do little to expand health care coverage for many of its 1.3 million employees. Rather, Wal-Mart’s health care changes are clearly structured to cut health care costs and minimize the public relations disaster from slashing over 200,000 full-time jobs and replacing or transitioning them with low paid part-time workers.

According to a JP Morgan report issued in January 2006, as well as the infamous internal health care memo authored by Wal-Mart Executive Vice President Susan Chambers, Wal-Mart publicly states it intends to shift hundreds of thousands of full-time workers to part-time status. In the two health care documents, Wal-Mart coldly refers to this shift as a “transition” and now describes part-time workers as “peak-time” employees.

Under the new health care changes, all ‘transitioned’ employees lose most of their benefits, including dental, life insurance and disability immediately, and will lose their health care benefit after one year. In addition, part-time Associates are unable to enroll their spouses. The lack of spousal coverage is consistent with Wal-Mart’s desire to cut health care costs by decreasing spousal coverage. As Chambers states in the memo, “spouses are by far the most expensive plan members to cover.”

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart’s new health care plans continue to remain unaffordable for the average Wal-Mart employee. Wal-Mart’s most affordable health care option, the Value Plan, has a $3,000 deductible for family coverage and several other deductibles for prescription drug coverage and hospital procedures. Based on all of the premiums and deductibles in the so-called ‘Value’ plan, a part-time Wal-Mart employee could have to pay up to 58% of his/her salary for an individual plan and up to 93% for family coverage.

Most disturbingly, newly transitioned employees who take advantage of this special enrollment will lose any money they have already spent on their deductible and will once again have to pay the full $3,000 deductible.

“For the sake of Wal-Mart’s workers, their families, and the American taxpayer, we call on Lee Scott and Wal-Mart to propose real health care changes that don’t dangerously discriminate against single, uninsured part-time workers and exclude health care coverage for spouses. Wal-Mart’s plan to expand health care coverage to employees while making it more unaffordable through lower pay and less hours is deceptive and a national disgrace,” added Blank.

Based on the two leaked health care documents, Wal-Mart workers will face significant restrictions under the new health care changes, including:

1) Only uninsured part-time Wal-Mart workers, who also insure their dependents, are eligible to enroll during this special enrollment period.
• “If you are a peak-time hourly Associate who has been employed by Wal-Mart for more than two years and are not currently enrolled in any medical coverage option offered by the AHWP, you may enroll yourself in any of the available peak time medical coverage options (except HSA Qualified or HSA Qualified Performance plans), but only if you enroll your dependent children.” (Memo: Summary of Material Modifications to Associates Health and Welfare Plan; p. 2)

2) Spouses of part-time associates will not be eligible during this enrollment period.
• “Your spouse is not eligible for Medical coverage.” (My Benefits: New Peak Time Benefits Making a Difference for You: page 3)

3) Former full-time workers, now reduced to part-time workers, will lose an array of additional benefits.
• “Dental, Optional Life Insurance, Company-Paid Life Insurance, Dependent Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Short-term Disability, Short-term Disability Plus, and Long-Term Disability - will stop at the end of the pay period in which you transition.” (My Benefits: New Peak Time Benefits Making a Difference for You: page 4)

4) Former full-time Wal-Mart workers, now reduced to part-time workers, who change plans during this “Special Enrollment” period will lose credit for any money they have already spent against their deductible. Therefore, a worker could have to pay as much as $3,000 in deductibles twice.
• “If you switch Medical plans, or if you change your deductible during the Special Enrollment or within 60 days due to your transition, your annual deductible will start over. Amounts already incurred toward your annual deductible will not carry over to your new plan option or new deductible.” (My Benefits: New Peak Time Benefits Making a Difference for You: page 4)

5) Wal-Mart made no changes to the cost of the deductible for family or individual coverage on any plans. Deductibles on Wal-Mart’s most affordable plan are as high as $3,000 for family coverage and $1,000 for individual coverage.

Copies of the two Wal-Mart health care documents describing these health care changes are available for download at www.WakeUpWalMart.com.

Yesterday, a town named Hercules in California made history. The town, desperate to save its community from the negative impact of Wal-Mart, actually voted to use the public’s power of eminent domain to stop Wal-Mart from building there. After the City Council voted unanimously in favor of the people over Wal-Mart, a cheer broke out and, all across America, headlines read, “Hercules Defeats Goliath.” We couldn’t have written the headlines any better.

We may not have the same amount of money, lobbyists or consultants as Wal-Mart, but when ordinary people join together, in common purpose, they can accomplish extraordinary things. That is what our campaign is all about. Hercules is proof.

The American people can stand up to powerful corporations like Wal-Mart and WIN!

Help us win all across America. Please contribute to our campaign today. Your contribution of $25, $50 or $100 will help us fight for change.

Click here to make a contribution.

What you are doing in this campaign is simply amazing. You have created one of the fastest growing social movements in America with over 235,000 supporters. And, everyday, you sign up another 100 new people to our movement.

You have defied all of the pundits, columnists, political experts, public relations strategists and lobbyists who didn’t believe you could build a movement to change America. We are now, as the Associated Press recently put it, “the hottest, highest-stakes political contest in America today.”

They are right, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Because this is not a typical campaign, it is a fight for what kind of America we want to live in - Wal-Mart’s America, where corporations use their power to exploit people, or Our America, where people win!

Our fight starts with you. You have the power to fight for change. Please click here to contribute today.

You are proving the American people do have the power to take our country back from powerful corporations like Wal-Mart. And, everyday we grow stronger we are restoring the balance of power between obscene profits and the American people.

We may not be able to change all of corporate America at once, but, together, we will change Wal-Mart, challenge corporate America’s stranglehold on power, and profoundly change our country for the better.

Click here for the full photo gallery from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Click here for the article.

From the Associated Press:

A San Francisco suburb voted Tuesday night to use the power of eminent domain to keep Wal-Mart Stores Inc. off a piece of city land after hearing from dozens of residents who accused the big-box retailer of engaging in scare tactics to force its way into the bedroom community.

The overflow crowd that packed into the tiny Hercules City Hall cheered after the five-person City Council voted unanimously to use the unusual tactic to seize the 17 acres where Wal-Mart intended to build a shopping complex.

"The citizens have spoken. No to Wal-Mart," said Kofi Mensah, who has lived in Hercules for more than two decades and said he values the city's authentic feel.

[...]

Jeri Wilgus, 47, said she was proud of the council for standing up to Wal-Mart and said the town could show others how to fight back against big corporations.

"We are setting an example for the rest of the country," she said.

Click here for the full article.

The campaign to change Wal-Mart and America continues to build.

This week, local site fight groups from California to Indiana continued to fight Wal-Mart's expansion until the company changes its business practices.

This week, activists flooded Maine newspapers with letters about fair share health care and started planning for a fair share lobby day in New York.

This week, a new study found that Wal-Mart contributes to poverty, with 20,000 families nationwide falling below the official poverty line as a result of the chain's expansion.

And today, 2,479 WUWM supporters joined the campaign by signing health care pledge cards this week as local activists continue to take the campaign to the streets. Those supporters come from 35 states and 824 unique zip codes.

Pennsylvania (833), Colorado (475), Wisconsin(184), and California (179) activists led the way in pledges.

New York's Working Families Party is leading activists from across New York to Albany next Tuesday (May 23) to show their support for Fair Share Health Care at the State Assembly hearing.

If passed, this law would mean health care for 450,000 New Yorkers from working families. Taxpayers would save $1 billion because another 200,000 New Yorkers employed by these corporate freeloaders would move from Medicaid to employer-sponsored health care.

Buses will leave from New York City, Buffalo/Rochester, Long Island, Syracuse, and Westchester.

From New York?Click here to reserve your seat on the bus nearest you.

If you can't make it to Albany, click here to sign onto the testimony in support of Fair Share.

We have the power to hold corporations responsible for their actions by making sure Wal-Mart and other large, profitable employers pay their fair share for health care.

All around the country, people are speaking out about why Wal-Mart needs to change.

Two recent letters to the editor from concerned citizens in Portland and Lewiston show strong support for Fair Share Health Care legislation in Maine.

Craig Saddlemire wrote in the Lewiston Sun Journal:

I read the recent Sun Journal article about state legislation to require large corporations to publicly report the number of their employees enrolled in state funded health care programs (March 2).

This seems like a good start, but I would urge our state legislators to take the next step, as other states have done, by requiring Wal-Mart and other large employers who are ducking their health care responsibilities to pay their fair share for health care.

Ultimately, we need a universal health care system, but fair share health care laws are a win-win in the meantime. They expand health care coverage for uninsured workers and families while stopping profitable corporations from shifting health care costs onto taxpayers. They also level the playing field for responsible small businesses.

I hope our state legislators will work to make this happen.

Click here to write your own letter to the editor.

Mike Roland wrote in the Portland Press Herald:

We all know that health care is in crisis in our country.

Every year, fewer people are insured through their jobs, and more people are either uninsured or underinsured.

With increasing difficulty, many responsible Maine employers do what they can to provide good-quality insurance for their workers.

But some large corporations like Wal-Mart gain an unfair advantage by refusing to offer affordable insurance to their employees.

This shifts the cost of health care onto the rest of us, and it is just plain wrong.

Through Dirigo Health, Gov. Baldacci has taken the initiative to make good health insurance affordable for more Mainers.

We need to support his efforts.

The real solution, though, is to create a single-payer universal health-care system, rather than to rely on a patchwork of public programs and employers' occasional beneficence.

In the meantime, the wealthiest companies should be required to do their share by providing health coverage to all their workers.

How many times is Wal-Mart going to arrogantly mislead America and think it can get away with it?

Today, Wal-Mart admitted it provided inaccurate testimony to federal regulators at the FDIC about its banking application. Wal-Mart’s banking application has been controversial from the start leading the FDIC to hold its first-ever public hearings on an application last month.

Take action now: Write the FDIC immediately. Tell the FDIC to reject Wal-Mart’s bank application. Wal-Mart’s behavior proves this company will say anything - including lying - to get what it wants. The FDIC should not believe anything Wal-Mart says and should deny Wal-Mart’s bank application.

You can send the FDIC an email by clicking here.

It’s time to hold Wal-Mart accountable for its lies. Just like Big Tobacco, Wal-Mart went before federal regulators and failed to tell the truth. It is not surprising that Wal-Mart’s campaign is being run by the former tobacco industry lobbyist.

As we accurately testified at the FDIC hearing, a Wal-Mart bank is a dangerous concentration of capital in the hands of any single corporation. Wal-Mart wants to monopolize the American consumer. Company statements to the contrary are simply inaccurate.

Please take action today. Email the FDIC and ask them to reject Wal-Mart’s bank application.

Oregon community groups signed up over 700 new supporters last weekend. Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan activists signed up over 1,000 new WakeUpWalMart.com supporters. Volunteers from Indianapolis, Denver, Boston, southern California, Houston, and other cities have sent in health care petition sign ups.

With all of this grassroots action over the past week, we have added 4,674 new supporters to the movement, bringing us to over 230,000 total supporters.

From 13WHAM News:

Nearly one-fifth of Lima's total population--about 700 people--piled into a church on Daulton Road for a special meeting Thursday to discuss a proposed Wal-Mart.

[...]

Those opposed said Lima is too rural for a big-box type store and fear a Wal-Mart would be out of character.

Resident John Wadach said, "Lima is a beautiful place, I wouldn't live anywhere else. But when I drive down Route 15A, I don't want to think I'm on Route 15 in Henrietta, Route 20 in Geneseo, or on Ridge Road. When I come to Lima, I want to know I'm in Lima.”

On top of that, there are fears a Wal-Mart superstore will bring too much traffic, run smaller businesses out of service, and lure other unwanted businesses to the area.

Click here for the full article

It was lunch hour on a Wednesday in a city with few Wal-Marts. Yet, hundreds of supporters were rallying for health care in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Across the country in a city with no Wal-Marts, over 250 people lined the steps of City Hall in New York City to call for fair share health care.

Hundreds more rallied in Denver, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Cincinnati, Sacramento, and other cities. All of this in the middle of the day on a Wednesday.

While the rallies were motivating, the best part was the post-rally actions. In each city, supporters signed up people to the "Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis" petition. We simply asked Americans if they supported forcing large companies, like Wal-Mart, to provide their fair share for health care. The overwhelming answer was yes. Over 3,000 people signed the petition in Denver alone...in less than two hours.

And so we continue to build a sustainable movement across this country from New York City to Los Angeles.

I just arrived out here in Portland, Oregon where local activists are gearing up for one of 35 nationwide "Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis" rallies. Here in Oregon, members of the Change to Win federation, local politicians, workers and community members will be rallying downtown today.

Click here to find a rally near you.

We'll keep you posted on the actions throughout the day.

Here is our press advisory on the events:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM AND CHANGE TO WIN, AMERICA’S NEWEST LABOR FEDERATION, TO HOLD RALLIES IN 35 CITIES TO “CURE THE WAL-MART HEALTH CARE CRISIS”

Washington, D.C. - As part of a nationwide campaign to “Help Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis,” grassroots supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com, local Change to Win federation members, workers, and community activists will lead public rallies in 35 cities across the United States in a national day of action. The event is the first coordinated national action involving the new Change to Win federation, which represents over six million workers.

Speakers at the rally will discuss the “Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis” and the growing cost American taxpayers pay for Wal-Mart’s failure to provide company health care to 57% percent, over 775,000, of its employees and their families.

Change to Win (CTW), representing six million workers, is building a new movement of working people to provide better pay, affordable health care, a secure retirement, and dignity on the job for millions of workers and their families.

Change to Win unions include the United Food and Commercial Worker's International Union (UFCW), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, UNITE HERE, Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), and the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

The “Help Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis” campaign is the latest initiative launched by WakeUpWalMart.com. WakeUpWalMart.com is America’s national campaign to change Wal-Mart and one of the fastest growing social movements in America with over 216,000 supporters in all 50 states.

A recent resolution by the Democratic National Committee discussed concerns about low wages, limited benefits, child labor, gender discrimination, and other illegal and/or exploitative employment practices typical of Wal-Mart's business model. The resolution called on Wal-Mart to change and "set the standard" for a better America.

The following are excerpts from the resolution:

"WHEREAS, Wal-Mart, the world's largest corporation and the largest private sector employer in the United States, with more than 3,000 stores and supercenters in this country alone, follows a business model characterized by many of the practices described above; and

WHEREAS, Wal-Mart's practices affect not only its own employees, but also, because of the company's role as industry leader, have significant spillover effects on employers and workers in retail and across other sectors as well; and

WHEREAS, low wages and benefits for workers entail huge costs for taxpayers, who end up paying for services and benefits employers do not provide...

WHEREAS, bare knuckle competitive practices like those Wal-Mart reportedly follows, including squeezing domestic suppliers, has forced American manufacturers to outsource work or shutter operations altogether...

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) reaffirms its determination to fight for good jobs for American workers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DNC calls on large and profitable companies like Wal-Mart to be good corpoarte citizens and model employers, setting a standard of living wages, safe and healthy working conditions, and affordable, comprehensive health care benefits that will support families, sustain communities and foster growth of a strong middle class..."

Click here for an AP article about the DNC resolution and Wal-Mart's new diversity panel, the company's latest publicity stunt.

You can make a difference and help cure the Wal-Mart health care crisis!

On Wednesday, April 26, please join thousands of Americans rallying all across the country to fight for affordable health care for all Wal-Mart workers.

In at least 35 cities, grassroots supporters of WakeUpWalMart.com will take part in this national day of action to raise awareness about the Wal-Mart health care crisis and sign the pledge to make Wal-Mart pay its fair share for health care.

Click here to RSVP for the rally nearest you.

Despite over $11 billion in profits, Wal-Mart fails to provide company health care to 57%, over 775,000, of its employees and their families.

At the rallies, we will call on Wal-Mart to pay its fair share for health care and provide comprehensive, affordable health care to all of its employees. After the rally, supporters will take to the streets to sign up thousands of Americans to join the fight for health care by signing the “Cure the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis” pledge.

The rallies are the first nationally coordinated actions involving the new Change to Win federation, which represents over six million workers.

Click here to RSVP!

It was a crazy few days in Bentonville for the WakeUpWalMart.com campaign. We held a tremendously successful press conference at the hotel of “Wal-Mart Media Days” with 3 current workers and 1 former manager who shared their personal stories. Reverend Markel Hutchins, an up-and-coming civil rights leader from Atlanta, GA, hosted the event and set the stage for the workers. While Wal-Mart touted company rhetoric, our workers spoke the real truth.

Cynthia Murray from Maryland, whose daughter has cancer, told us she can’t afford Wal-Mart health care. Greg Pierce, from Florida, talked about staff morale being low. Maria Lopez, from Texas, told us about the age discrimination she is experiencing at Wal-Mart. And Ollie Wells told us the story of his wife’s debilitating injury received while working at a Wal-Mart distribution center.

These are four stories of many. Workers are speaking out and Wal-Mart is starting to listen. A special thank you to these workers for coming out publicly and speaking for so many. You are the voice of this movement.

Our latest press release:

WAKEUPWALMART.COM CALLS ON WAL-MART CEO LEE SCOTT TO “WORK TOGETHER” AND “SEIZE THE MOMENT FOR TRUE CHANGE”

LAUNCHES RALLIES IN 35 CITIES WITH NEW, NATIONAL CAMPAIGN SLOGAN - “CHANGE WAL-MART, CHANGE AMERICA”

ANNOUNCES GOAL OF 1 MILLION GRASSROOTS SUPPORTERS BY DECEMBER 2008

Rogers, AR - In anticipation of CEO Lee Scott’s speech before the national media, WakeUpWalmart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, called on Wal-Mart to “seize the moment for true change” and “work together to make Wal-Mart a better company.” The group, again, offered to sit down with Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, and his executive team, to find specific, fair and just solutions that would improve the lives of its 1.3 million workers, their families, and help change America for the better.

WakeUpWalMart.com also announced it will be holding rallies in 35 cities all across America next week featuring its new national campaign slogan - “Change Wal-Mart, Change America.” Beginning next week, WakeUpWalMart.com will launch a series of initiatives across the country based on this new message and theme. As part of this new grassroots push, WakeUpWalMart.com, already one of America fastest growing movements in America with over 212,000 grassroots supporters, announced it is setting a goal of at least 1 million supporters by December 2008.

As part of this new initiative, Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalmart.com issued the following statement:

“Now is the time for Wal-Mart to seize the moment for true change. The American people are tired of publicity stunts, half-truths and empty words that have become synonymous with corporate America. Americans wants Wal-Mart to change for the better, to be a responsible corporation, and to reflect the best of our values.

We renew our offer to work together with Wal-Mart on specific, just and fair solutions to help make Wal-Mart a better business, and we remain committed to our goal of making sure Wal-Mart pays a living wage, provides affordable, comprehensive health care to all of its workers, adopts a zero tolerance policy on child labor, ends discrimination, protects American manufacturing jobs, and addresses the community concerns of crime, traffic, congestion and sprawl associated with a Wal-Mart store.

The debate over Wal-Mart is now a major political, moral and economic issue in America, and our campaign for social and economic justice cannot and will not end until Wal-Mart changes. In the coming months and year, we will grow our movement from 212,300 supporters to 1 million supporters who believe, like we do, the American people have the power and the responsibility to ‘Change Wal-Mart and Change America’.”

Caroline Vernon has been an avid WakeUpWalMart.com supporter since June 2005. Most recently, she has launched a Wake-Up community group in Davenport, Iowa. Along with other Wake-Ups around the country, Caroline's group turned out dozens of people on Saturday, April 15 to educate their fellow citizens about Wal-Mart's high cost to taxpayers.

From the Quad-Cities Online:

DAVENPORT -- Caroline Vernon wants Wal-Mart to change its policy on health care for its employees.

"It shows how disconnected they are with the American worker," said Ms. Vernon, who is the Wake Up Wal-Mart leader for change for the Quad-Cities area. "We want Wal-Mart to change Wal-Mart. We want them to be responsible to the community in which they operate."

Ms. Vernon, of Davenport, joined more than 25 other activists at the corner of 53rd Street and Elmore Avenue Saturday afternoon. Several held up a 9-foot-long check for $10,059,698 made out to Wal-Mart and signed by Iowa tax payers. Others held up miniature versions of the check. All of the checks were stamped with "Stop Payment On This Check."

The more than $10 million figure is what Wake up Wal-Mart says the state of Iowa uses in public assistance programs because of the low wages and poor benefits corporation pays.

This is the second Wal-Mart demonstration the group has held at the 53rd and Elmore store in five months.

"It's all about raising awareness in the community," Ms. Vernon said, adding the location of the demonstration was changed from the Wal-Mart parking lot last time to the corner of 53rd and Elmore for visibility purposes.

The group picked Saturday because it as the final day for people to pay their taxes, which is what Wake Up Wal-Mart claims helps subsidize the company’s lackluster benefits.

The group picked Saturday because it was the final day for people to pay their taxes, which is what Wake Up Wal-Mart claims helps subsidize the company’s lackluster benefits.

The last time the group was at the 53rd and Elmore store, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said company executives have met with a consultant group to improve the company's benefits. She estimated the company spent $4.8 billion on benefits in 2005.

Ms. Vernon said some progress has been made to force big companies such as Wal-Mart to provide better health care benefits. In Maryland and California the Fair Share for Health Care bill was passed into law. The law expands health care for workers, stops large, profitable companies from shifting their health care costs onto taxpayers, and makes sure all large, profitable employers pay their fair share for health care, according to the Wake Up Wal-Mart web site.

Ms. Vernon said a similar bill is stalled in the Iowa senate.

"This is a common sense bill that will require very large corporations to either provide affordable benefits to their workers or pay a fixed rate to the state to offset the cost to Medicaid," she said. "We want folks to contact their representatives and write to the governor to pass this. We need a legislator to introduce the bill on the Illinois side."

She is proud of the local progress Wake Up Wal-Mart and her grassroots corporate reform organization, Progressive Action for the Common Good, has made.

"The fact that we have the bill now in the Iowa legislature is very promising," she said.

We are blown away. Speechless. Overwhelmed.

We just received back all of the new data entry from our March Madness grassroots competition. You did not just exceed our goals; you blew them away.

On the eve of our one-year anniversary, we are happy to welcome over 10,000 new WakeUpWalMart.com members to the campaign to change Wal-Mart! We are now over 210,000 members and growing after only one year of organizing.

Our new supporters come from all across the country. Iowa activist Caroline Vernon signed up over 100 people on her own in Davenport, Iowa, for example.

Tomorrow, WakeUpWalMart.com celebrates its first birthday. If you are one of our newest members, we welcome you. Together, we will fight to change Wal-Mart and change America.

Round 2 is over and 8 states have moved on to Round 3. Illinois pulled ahead of Michigan (214-208) in the closest Sweet 16 matchup, while Oregon upset Southern California (428-294).

Check out the updated brackets.

Round 3 ends on Saturday, April 1. The four states with the most new supporters signed up will advance to the Final Four. If your state is out of the Tournament for Change, you can still help us reach 200,000 and become a member of our Grassroots Steering Committee by competing in the tournament.

Today marks the end of Round 2 of the "2006 WUWM Tournament for Change." Our data entry team continues to work on entering all of the new supporters while the fax machine continues to receive sign ups from grassroots suporters across the country.

We will finalize the Sweet 16 scores at 8:30 am tomorrow morning and the top 8 states will move into the "Grassroots 8." Right now, Michigan and Illinois are locked in the closest matchup of the Sweet 16, with only 2 points separating the states.

In the individual competition, Stuart from Oregon continues to lead with 36 points.

Help us reach 200,000 by April 5. Help your state advance to the Grassroots 8. Participate in the 2006 WUWM Tournament for Change.

Update 1: We are continuing to enter the data from the sign up sheets as fast as we can. We will finalize the Sweet 16 numbers at midnight tonight. Illinois and Michigan are locked in a close Sweet 16 game, with Illinois just recently taking the lead. Southern California is also making a comeback against Oregon.

Check in on the latest up-to-the minute state brackets.

Wow. March Madness has taken off among WakeUpWalMart.com volunteers. Since we launched the “2006 WUWM Tournament for Change” a little over a week ago, grassroots leaders have taken on the challenge of reaching our 200,000 goal by April 5.

Late last week and this weekend, our field office was flooded with sign up sheets. Our fax machine ran out of paper more than once. We even had to replace the ink cartridge.

We have our team in full data entry mode starting today. We are typing in the names of thousands of new WakeUpWalMart.com supporters now. A rough estimate has us with just over 8,500 new supporters ready to be added to the movement, which puts us just about 4,000 supporters from our goal.

Only 9 days remain. The faxes and mail continue to come in. Thanks to those leaders who have stepped up and helped build the movement. Will you help us reach the finish line? Click here to download the sign up sheet and recruit your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.

Right now, Stuart from Oregon leads in the individual grassroots competition, followed closely by Margaret from Massachusetts. We'll keep you updated on our version of March Madness over the final 9 days as we prepare to celebrate our one-year anniversary on April 5.

Click here to enter the Tournament and check in on the state-by-state brackets.

Round 1 of the "2006 WUWM Tournament for Change" ended last night at midnight. In the closest state matchups, The Virginias beat The Carolinas 58-56 to advance to the second round. Maryland upset Massachusetts to advance to the Sweet 16 as well.

Click here to see the state brackets.

Will your state win the 2006 Tournament for Change? Click here to earn your state points.

Has your state been eliminated? The top four individual scorers will win spots on the WakeUpWalMart.com Grassroots Steering Committee. Compete in the individual MVP competition.

It’s the final day of the first round of our grassroots 2006 WakeUpWalMart Tournament for Change. With 761 new sign-ups entered today from grassroots activists around the country, we are well on our way to meeting our goal of 200,000 supporters by April 5.

In the individual competition, Margaret in Massachusetts has suddenly stolen the lead from Matt in South Dakota.

The top 4 scorers at the end of the competition (April 4) will become a part of the WakeUpWalMart.com Grassroots Steering Committee.

In the state brackets, Maryland and Massachusetts are still practically neck-and-neck with 50 points and 46 points, respectively.

Will your state make it to the next round? It’s not too late! Click here to email five friends and boost your state’s score.

We are about half way through the first round of our grassroots 2006 WUWM Tournament for Change, and on our way to meeting our goal of 200,000 supporters by April 5.

In the individual competition, Matt from South Dakota still leads the way with 26 points. Several others are tied in second place with 10 points. The top 4 scorers at the end of the competition (April 4) will become a part of the WakeUpWalMart.com Grassroots Steering Committee. (Enter to play now).

In the state brackets, there are several close matchups mid-way through the first round. Florida and Georgia are tied 50-50 in the Southern bracket. Maryland leads Massachusetts by 2 in the Northeast region.

Click here to learn more about the grassroots competition.

Congratulations, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters! Because of your hard work, our movement was awarded the best national internet campaign for 2005. And this is only the beginning.

We need you to build on this momentum and take part in an exciting new membership drive to sign up 15,000 WakeUpWalMart.com supporters by our first year anniversary - April 5, 2006. Already, over 185,000 supporters have joined our campaign to change Wal-Mart and with your help we will reach 200,000 supporters.

In the spirit of the college basketball tournament known as March Madness, we have created the 2006 WUWM (WakeUpWalMart.com) Tournament for Change Challenge to help us reach our goal. Our tournament comes complete with brackets, teams, scoreboards and passion. But, we need YOU to be the players.

Playing is simple. You get two points for every person you sign up to the campaign. Your score will be counted both individually, we have a leader board, and pooled together with other people from your region. You can check back daily to see your updated score and watch our movement grow. The winners of the tournament will become WakeUpWalMart.com steering committee members and will help plan our 2006 Grassroots Summit.

Click here to play in our 2006 WUWM Tournament for Change and sign up supporters.

In just one year, we have built the most powerful grassroots army to change a corporation in history. As we grow, so does our ability to stand up to Wal-Mart and make Wal-Mart a responsible corporation.

For too long, Wal-Mart has been able to use its billions of dollars to drive down wages, not provide affordable health care, ship U.S. jobs overseas and influence our government for its own advantage. That all stops now. By joining together, we are proving the power of ordinary people to affect change.

And the faster you help us grow, the faster we can hold Wal-Mart accountable for its behavior, raise standards for working America, and restore people’s faith in corporate America. Please email, call, and meet with every single one of your friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members and get them to join WakeUpWalMart.com, the most exciting, fastest growing social movement in America.

Click here to play in our 2006 WUWM Tournament for Change and sign up supporters.

Signing up 15,000 supporters will only take a few moments of your time, but your action will make the difference in the lives of millions of workers and their families. Every day, we will update the current number of supporters on our website, WakeUpWalMart.com, so you can see the fruits of your labor. Check back regularly and watch us grow.

We have 24 days to sign up 15,000 supporters. Together, we can do it!

From the Boston Globe:

Brookline resident Barbara Berke joined more than 200 grass-roots activists recently for a healthcare rally at the Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain, along with others from her synagogue. As a member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, Temple Israel is part of a coalition of religious congregations and community groups that joined a statewide campaign to provide universal health insurance coverage for Massachusetts residents.

But Berke's support for a payroll tax on employers who don't provide health coverage to their workers -- the centerpiece of a House healthcare proposal on Beacon Hill -- isn't driven by a faith-based belief that it's the right thing to do. It's a product of her hard-boiled business background, including almost two years as the top business development official in the Romney administration.

Berke, a former director of the state's Department of Business and Technology under Romney, has become an outspoken voice from the business world in support of the employer tax. She says making companies that don't offer health insurance pay into state coffers to help underwrite coverage for uninsured workers would be good for the Massachusetts economy and good for job growth in the higher-wage sectors that are key to the state's future...

In speaking out in a debate in which some point to a moral obligation to ensure healthcare coverage for all, Berke says, ''I haven't made a faith-based argument, I've tried to make an economic argument." But she maintains this is one of those happy coincidences in which the state can do well by doing good.

In an open letter to Lee Scott, Moms vs. Wal-Mart has asked the world's largest retailer to stop setting up shop next to schools.

On behalf of school children across the country, we would like to ask you to create a new corporate policy: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will not build any future stores next to schools.

We understand that there are a few Wal-Mart stores in the country that have been built next door to schools. Due to the poor mix of this size development with school children, Wal-Mart has made special concessions at these stores. A store in Tampa, Florida, does not sell firearms or hard alcohol as a result of parental pressure from the High School PTA next door. A store in Fort Worth, Texas, erected a large concrete wall to shield a school playground. Wal-Mart has recently agreed to block all customer traffic that would exit near a school entrance at a proposed store near Ann Arbor, Michigan, in response to safety concerns by county officials.

If Wal-Mart must make these safety concessions to be near a school, it is clear to everyone that Wal-Mart stores and schools are not appropriate neighbors.

"Moms vs. Wal-Mart" has been created to ask Wal-Mart Inc. to establish a responsible development policy. On behalf of the children who are unable to speak for themselves, please create a corporate policy that would give parents a reason to say something positive about Wal-Mart. Please announce that you will not build any future Wal-Mart stores next to schools.

Wal-Mart stores draw crime and traffic, some sell firearms and hard alcohol. If Wal-Mart can't play nice, they should stay away from our children's playgrounds.

Go sign their letter!

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America's campaign to change Wal-Mart, hand delivered Lee Scott a letter just as he entered a breakfast meeting with congressional leaders. The "principles for change" letter was personally handed to Lee Scott by a WakeUpWalMart.com staffer, Buffy Wicks.

Ms. Wicks handed Mr. Scott the letter and said, "I would like to give you this letter on behalf of WakeUpWalMart.com and our 180,000 supporters." Mr. Scott accepted the letter and replied to Ms. Wicks, "you are too kind."

"We hope Wal-Mart and Mr. Scott realize the incredible opportunity they have to work with us to improve the lives of 1.3 million workers and their families. Clearly, Lee Scott has a choice, and we hope he chooses to do the right thing and meet with us to address our genuine concerns," stated Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com

The letter handed to Lee Scott states, "Wal-Mart has a great opportunity to work with us to help improve the lives of so many Americans who face an economic and health care crisis everyday, everywhere in America. The American people want to know, will Wal-Mart do what is right for America or will Wal-Mart lead a race to the bottom?"

Read the rest of our press release.

Has Wal-Mart declared war on women?

*2 million female employees suing Wal-Mart for gender discrimination
*Pregnant Wal-Mart worker fired in Connecticut
*Massachusetts women suing Wal-Mart for being denied legal medicine

Now it looks like Wal-Mart's right-wing war room is at it again. And, this time, they are attacking a woman's right to make her own medical decisions.

Yesterday, three women in Massachusetts sued Wal-Mart and filed a complaint with the state because Wal-Mart refuses to sell legally-approved emergency contraceptive pills. In fact, Wal-Mart chooses not to sell this medication in every state except Illinois, where it is mandated by law.

Wal-Mart has a pattern of right-wing censorship, including banning certain lyrics and artists from selling DVDs and movies, but Wal-Mart's latest move to try and stop women from having legally available emergency contraceptive pills is an attack on our court system and women everywhere.

We need your help. Sign our petition and tell Wal-Mart's CEO Lee Scott to stop Wal-Mart's right-wing war on women and make these legally approved medications available to women.

This is not about whether or not you support abortion. Wal-Mart's policy, if left unchecked, means corporations (in this case the largest seller of goods in the U.S.) can inflict their own political agenda and values onto their customers.

Women deserve better. If women have the legal right to buy emergency contraceptive pills, then Wal-Mart should have to carry and dispense these pills. In many small towns, Wal-Mart is the only place where women can get these pills. In these cases, Wal-Mart's policy is effectively a ban on the sale of emergency contraceptive pills.

Wal-Mart's decision not to sell these pills is nothing short of a war on women and women's reproductive rights. It is an attempt to undermine a woman's ability to make a choice in consultation with her doctor. Which legal medicines any women may choose to take is a decision between herself and her doctor, not between herself, her doctor, and Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart's radical right policy must cease immediately, and Wal-Mart should make these pills available to their female customers.

In the coming months, we will be mobilizing our 176,125 supporters to expose Wal-Mart's real agenda, document Wal-Mart's record of exploiting its workers, and build the most powerful grassroots campaign to change a corporation in history.

Wal-Mart needs to change and, with your help, we are building the movement that will change Wal-Mart and build a better America.

Please forward our petition to all of your friends.

Wake-Up Wal-Mart supporters, in conjunction with the Connecticut Working Families Party and the Community Alliance for Justice at Wal-mart, will rally today (Wednesday, February 1) in Hartford in support of a former Wal-Mart worker who was fired for being pregnant.

Here is her story:

Octavia Goolsby is a single mother who began working at Wal-Mart in December 2004 in the pharmacy department. She was enrolled in the company's training program to earn a pharmacy technician's license. In October 2005, Octavia requested a medical leave of absence due to complications with her pregnancy. She provided Wal-Mart with all of the necessary documentation, including a note from her doctor, and she believed she was granted medical leave for four weeks. Shortly before her return date, Octavia was informed by the store manager that she had been replaced because she was "voluntarily terminated." Wal-Mart has even refused to issue her pharmacy technician's license, despite the fact that she had completed all training and requirements for the license.

Octavia is not the only Wal-Mart associate in Connecticut fighting for justice at Wal-Mart. Click here to read more about other Wal-Mart workers fighting for their rights in Connecticut.

If you live in Connecticut and would like more information about the rally, please email field@wakeupwalmart.com.

Last spring, Maryland’s State Legislature became the first in the nation to pass a bill called Fair Share Health Care. This landmark legislation makes sure large, profitable corporations, like Wal-Mart, pay their fair share for health care.

We have the power to hold multi-billion dollar corporations accountable for their behavior and it starts with making sure Wal-Mart pays its fair share for health care. Because when they don’t, the results are disastrous. For example, 600,000 Wal-Mart workers have no company health care and nearly 1 out of every 2 children of Wal-Mart workers has no health care or is forced onto a taxpayer program at a cost of $1.2 billion every year.

Please sign up now to be a citizen co-sponsor of Fair Share Health Care legislation in your state:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/health-legislative.html

We are building the largest grassroots movement to change a corporation in history. We are now a powerful force for change with more than 165,000 supporters in every state in the country.

And, while we are building a positive force for social change, Wal-Mart is building a “war room” to defend the indefensible. Filled with high-priced image consultants, special interest lobbyists and a mass of cash, Wal-Mart is sparing no expense to defend their race-to-the-bottom business model.

But, no corporation can defeat the American people. You have the power to change Wal-Mart and it begins with health care. We need your help to introduce Fair Share Health Care in every state in the America. Its time to level the playing field, and make Wal-Mart pay its fair share for health care.

Please sign up to be a citizen co-sponsor of Fair Share Health Care legislation in your state:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/health-legislative.html

Our campaign to change Wal-Mart has unprecedented momentum. Wal-Mart is stumbling. In the first two weeks of this year, Wal-Mart reported its worst December sales in 5 years, apologized for making racist DVD recommendations and saw its former vice-chairman plead guilty to fraud.

Now is the time to keep building public pressure for Wal-Mart to change. Please help us introduce Fair Share Health Care legislation in every state and join with us in growing our movement by signing up your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to the fastest growing social movement in America.

Today, we are proud to welcome 10,763 WakeUpWalMart.com supporters to our community. These American citizens joined the campaign by signing up with WakeUpWalMart.com supporters at film screenings, rallies, neighborhood canvasses, or other actions as part of our Holiday Campaign over the past three weeks.

We want to welcome new supporters from over 5,273 unique zip codes, a telling example of the pervasiveness of the movement to change Wal-Mart.

It has been tough to keep up with the flood of grassroots information from WakeUpWalMart.com grassroots supporters' faxes and snail mail.

Thanks to all of the Leaders for Change and grassroots supporters who have gone out to recruit new members, some who have braved bitter cold weather to walk door-to-door to continue to speak with their fellow citizens about Wal-Mart's impact on their community.

Yet, we have only begun the fight to change Wal-Mart. We will continue to fight for change in 2006. Post your "Ideas for Change" here or send us an email at ideasforchange@wakeupwalmart.com.

This Sunday in Forest Park, IL, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters and community groups, including Jobs with Justice, ACORN and UFCW Local 881, will join Reverend Calvin Morris and Reverend Jennifer Kottler at one of our Candleight Vigils for Change.

Candlelight Vigils will also be taking place in St. Louis, Milwaukee, Seattle, Richmond, Houston, Columbus, Albuquerque, Charlotte, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Denver just to name a few.

To learn more about the actions or to sign up to take part, please view our Take Action page:
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/canvass

We walk up the suburban driveway past a dark grey Suburban and two dogs. We ring the doorbell.

The door opens and a middle-aged man answers with the curt “what do you want?” We tell him we are with the Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaign, here to ask him to join the movement to make Wal-Mart a responsible and moral employer.

“Wake-Up Wal-Mart” he yells. “Darn right that is what needs to happen.” The man goes on to adamantly tell us some of his personal story. He is a religious man, a Baptist. He is a fairly conservative man, votes Republican in most elections. And, he is a family man, two kids and a happy marriage.

He then tells us about his reasons for wanting to join the campaign: his religious values have instilled in him a belief in justice and fairness for all. His political values have brought him to conclude that we should not spend our tax dollars subsidizing the health care for profitable corporations. Finally, his family values teach him that breaking child labor laws and discriminating against women are "unacceptable."

We talk for a short time. He tells us he has been reading a lot about the Wal-Mart issue and that he has been wanting to get more involved. He signs up for the campaign. We tell him about our upcoming Candlelight Vigil. He says he thinks he can join us and bring along some friends from church. "Perhaps my pastor will come too," he says. "I think he'd agree that this is a moral issue."

We part ways and head for the neighbor's house. About 40 more houses to reach before it gets dark....

Over this past weekend, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters continued our Holiday Campaign with over 200 neighborhood canvasses, going door-to-door in communities all across the country talking with Americans about the campaign. While the reports and new sign ups are still coming, we already have close to 5,000 new supporters signed up from these door-to-door experiences.

We’ll keep you updated as the numbers and stories come in.

On the MSNBC website: "Wal-Mart: Love it or hate it?"

Vote here:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10283253/

Last Friday, thousands of volunteers participated in WakeUpWalMart.com's Black Friday Consumer Alert actions in over 164 cities across the U.S. Many woke up at 4 am or earlier in order to pass out flyers to customers waiting in line for stores to open.

In St. Louis, volunteers passed out over 8,000 flyers to consumers. In Las Vegas, volunteers distributed 1,400 flyers. In western Massachusetts, volunteers passed out over 3,000 flyers despite a severe winter storm. In sunny San Diego, volunteers passed out over 7,500 flyers. All told, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters passed out one million - yes, that is right - one million flyers on Black Friday.

The action was the latest in a string of grassroots organizing during the Holiday Season, which started with Halloween Candy Sales at over 125 stores in October and included hundreds of film screenings during Wal-Mart Week. As part of the long-term, coordinated grassroots campaign, we will continue to interact face-to-face with consumers during the Holiday Season.

Below are some pictures from the 1,196 grassroots actions that have taken place already. And we have only begun. Sign up here to take part in this weekend's neighborhood canvass in your community:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/canvass

This just in from WakeUpWalMart.com organizers in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota:

WakeUpWalMart.com in the Twin Cities has seen a lot of success this week as we hosted Robert Greenwald’s new movie, “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.”

Our first success was with the Crocus Hill for Peace movie showing that boasted about 80 in attendance kicking off Wal-Mart Week. Monday, Macalester College students and the Green Party packed an auditorium with a crowd estimated to be close to 200. Our own Jennifer Christianson hosted a crowd of about 30 at the library in Bloomington in her neighborhood Tuesday night. She also co-hosted a showing Wednesday evening at the U of M through the Labor Education Studies department which had an estimate of 100 folks in attendance.

Although every group had a great screening, two groups in particular have stood out as strong leaders this week. Both Students for Peace at Hamline University and a women’s group in Red Wing put on stellar events. Hamline filled a classroom with 40 students and community members. Red Wing packed the town library with about 125 people, including a Wal-Mart manger who took copious notes. Our thanks goes out to Maxine, lead organizer for Students for Peace and also Colleen, who organized folks down in Red Wing.

Already we have high hopes for our three remaining events this week: Arise! Book Collective is expecting to have to turn folks away tonight and host an additional screening Sunday (About 20 people have signed up online alone!) We also have a WakeUpWalMart.com screening today.

Hats off to ACORN and the Sierra Club as well. Between the two groups, five house parties have been organized all over the city this week alone. Citizens all over the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota are waking up to the high costs of Wal-Mart's business practices.

- Jenny

This morning, Wal-Mart hosted a breakfast fundraiser "honoring" Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-GA). WakeUpWalMart.com staff and volunteers greeted the Congressman and the funders - $1,000 PAC donors and $500 individual donors were invited - at Wal-Mart's DC location, 575 7th Street, NW with signs, flyers and protesters.

WakeUpWalMart.com supporters were wondering why a Democratic Congressman from Georgia would take money from Wal-Mart. In Bishop's home state of Georgia, more than 10,261 children - 6.2 % of all children in the state - enrolled in PeachCare for Kids, the state’s health care program for low income children, had parents working for Wal-Mart. PeachCare coverage for Wal-Mart employee’s children costs state taxpayers $10 million per year.

Please call or write Congressman Bishop today to ask him to send back Wal-Mart's money so that he can remain free from corporate special interests and make companies like Wal-Mart pay their fair share for health care.

Bishop is a Georgia politician and a member of the United States Appropriations Committee, a committee that in its 2005 oversight plan stated that it "intends to have an active and productive Congress, reviewing both ongoing governmental activities and analyzing the Budget requests in order to reflect the priorities of the American people." America's working people deserve health care. Georgian children deserve health care. We don't need politicians taking money from Wal-Mart, particularly those who have a role in determining our budget priorities.

Call or write Congressman Bishop today. If you are near his office, you might also want to pay his staff a personal visit to express your concerns.

Congressman Bishop's Washington Office
2429 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515-1002
Phone- (202) 225-3631 Fax- (202) 225-2203

Congressman Bishop's Albany Office
235 Roosevelt Avenue Albany Towers, Suite 114 Albany GA 31701
Phone: (229) 439-8067 Fax: (229) 436-2099

Congressman Bishop's Albany Columbus Office
18 Ninth Street, Suite 201 Columbus, GA 31901
Phone: (706) 320-9477 Fax: (706) 320-9479

Congressman Bishop's Valdosta Office
Federal Building, Room 225 401 North Patterson Street Valdosta, GA 31601
Phone: (229) 247-9705 Fax: (229) 241-1035

This week WakeUpWalMart.com and our coalition partners are launching an unprecedented week of action to change Wal-Mart. Join over 125,000 Americans who will be taking part in premiering Robert Greenwald’s new film, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. The critically acclaimed movie is already generating buzz and raising awareness about Wal-Mart’s negative impact on America.

WakeUpWalMart.com has planned hundreds of grassroots movie screenings in more than 140 cities covering 35 states. Nationwide there will be more than 4,000 screenings.

You are invited to see the new movie which exposes the truth about Wal-Mart. Please visit the following link to find a movie screening near you and RSVP today:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/ucp/findevents.html

Today in Boston, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott spoke at the Prudential Equity Group Back-to-School Consumer Conference in Boston. Over 100 WakeUpWalMart.com supporters went to the event to educate the public and tell Lee Scott that Wal-Mart needs to change.

In an introduction speech, the speaker noted that there were some unexpected guests outside, referring to the WakeUpWalMart.com supporters. Lee Scott also referenced our campaign in his speech, calling it: "the largest, most well financed corporate campaign in the history of business."

Scott's speech can be seen online here:

http://www.wsw.com/webcast/pru21/wmt/

This week millions of Americans fled Hurricane Katrina. Across the South families abandoned their homes and businesses, not knowing what would be there when they returned.

Hundreds have died in the wake of the hurricane, and thousands need our help.

America is at its best when we come together as one. Please do what you can today to help the relief efforts for those whose lives have been impacted by this disaster:

Network for Good

Red Cross

Over 50 WakeUpWalMart.com volunteers surrounded Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri talking to the 40,000 plus Cardinals fans about Wal-Mart’s failing policies. Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, in Kansas City, over 70 volunteers gathered outside one of the largest Wal-Mart Supercenters in the U.S., protesting Wal-Mart’s child labor violations.

Elsewhere, WakeUpWalMart.com volunteers staffed a booth at the Black Family Reunion Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended a rally and press conference with religious and political leaders in Dallas, Texas, and signed up supporters near a Wal-Mart in Portland, Oregon. Nina, a WakeUpWalMart.com community leader in Delaware, canvassed 12 apartment buildings in her neighborhood, signing up supporters.

These are just a few examples of WakeUpWalMart.com grassroots actions as part of our “Send Wal-Mart Back to School” campaign this summer.

In an effort to continue to put the pressure on Wal-Mart, WakeUpWalMart.com organizers and volunteers are now gearing up for our Labor Day of Action (September 5). We have actions in over 35 locations covering more than 20 states. And we are adding events every day. Sign up to attend an event in your community or post an action you are planning on your own on the WakeUpWalMart.com Community Forum:

http://forum.wakeupwalmart.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=59

We look forward to seeing you on the streets on Labor Day and beyond.

Today, in more than 30 cities in 20 different states, community leaders, teachers, parents, children, and elected officials will pledge to “Send Wal-Mart Back to School” for failing America. Speakers include a U.S. Senator, State Senate and House members, and leaders of the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and WakeUpWalMart.com.

Our momentum is spreading all across the country as Americans learn the high cost of Wal-Mart’s failure.

Thousands of you have already signed the “Back to School” pledge, and have helped move us towards our goal of 150,000 supporters. It is only with your help that we will reach our goal. Please forward this email to at least 5 of your friends, and ask them to pledge to buy their school supplies somewhere other than Wal-Mart this year:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/school/pledge.html

Wal-Mart is failing America, from paying poverty-level wages to repeatedly breaking child labor laws. You can hold Wal-Mart accountable by helping to build the largest grassroots campaign in history to change a corporation.

Wal-Mart is spending millions of dollars on advertising this back-to-school season. You have the power to counter Wal-Mart’s big money ad machine by spreading the word on Wal-Mart’s failures to your friends, family, and community. Let’s show Wal-Mart that their money is no match for a grassroots movement like the one you are creating here.

Help keep the momentum rolling. Tell your friends about the national attention the “Send Wal-Mart Back to School” campaign is gaining, and ask them to join in by signing the “Back to School” pledge.

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/school/pledge.html

Thank you for all that you do,

Paul Blank

Our strategy is simple - empower people to change Wal-Mart from the bottom-up. The American people are the only force powerful enough to change the largest corporation in the world.

It really is that simple. But how are we going to do it? We are going to build an army of grassroots supporters, like yourself, from every state in this country who believe in our vision for America - a vision that includes paying workers living wages, not poverty-level wages; providing workers affordable, comprehensive health insurance, not leaving 600,000 workers without company provided health care; respecting communities, not contributing to congestion and sprawl; respecting people, not discriminating against 2 million female workers or abusing child labor laws; and, sourcing products domestically, not purposefully shipping American jobs overseas.

The first step in building our movement for change is to sign up all of your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The next step is to help us build community coalitions - a network of supporters and allies - in every community in America. With this localized volunteer organization at all 3,700 Wal-Mart locations, we will succeed in forcing Wal-Mart to become a responsible corporate citizen.

Help us build our grassroots supporters into a powerful force for change in every community in America. Please adopt a specific Wal-Mart store in your community today:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/finder/

In just a short amount of time, you have built our movement to more than 62,000 supporters in all 50 states. Now, we need to continue to grow our campaign and begin to organize our supporters around each Wal-Mart location.

No corporation, not even Wal-Mart, can defeat an organized army of volunteers in every community in America. You are helping us build the most powerful force for social change in American history.

Just last week, you held more than 124 house parties in 38 states to educate citizens about our “Make Wal-Mart Care About Health Care” campaign. The legislation you helped introduce in the U.S. Congress is gaining steam and even a leading Republican lawmaker in Idaho endorsed your legislation.

Your actions are beginning to shake the foundations of Wal-Mart, and elected officials, corporate CEO’s, Wall St. analysts and media outlets are taking notice. You are building a campaign not just to change Wal-Mart, but to build a better America.

To get more involved and learn about activities you can engage in on the ground in your community, please sign up to adopt a Wal-Mart today, and help us change Wal-Mart one community at a time:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/finder/

By joining together right now, we can Wake-Up Wal-Mart to our vision for America putting our people and our communities first.

By Caroline Vernon, a Wake-Up Wal-Mart Leader for Change

On Friday, many local organizations, in coordination with the Wake-Up Wal-Mart Campaign and Democracy For America, organized and demonstrated against the Davenport Wal-Mart on Elmore St, in an effort to raise public awareness about the fact that large corporations like Wal-Mart are contributing to America’s health care crisis. We are calling on all citizens to join our campaign to Make Wal-Mart Care About Health Care.

At last count, 51 people joined together to protest this unfair treatment by the world’s largest corporation. United, with one voice, we said Wal-Mart should pay it’s fair share for health care instead of shifting the burden to the American taxpayer. Supporters of this effort will also be writing and lobbying our Iowa/Illinois Governors and other statewide political leaders to adopt the Fair Share For Health Care Bill, legislation designed to address the problem of large employers failing to provide affordable healthcare options, and to ensure that state taxpayers do not help subsidize the health care of large and profitable corporations. In Iowa, Senator Joe Bolkom has proposed a similar bill that would require the state to annually report on which companies’ employees seek public assistance, so the state could pressure the companies to increase health benefits.

Wal-Mart has failed to provide healthcare for more that 52% of its 1.3 million workers. In at least 12 states Wal-Mart has more workers who rely on public health care than any other employer. According to a survey by the Iowa Department of Human Services, Wal-Mart tops the list of employers who pay their staff so little that they can’t afford to pay for health insurance, but also qualify for Medicaid (to be eligible, a family of four must have an annual income of under $22,000). As of October 2004, as the second largest employer in Iowa, Wal-Mart has 845 employees in Iowa receiving Medicaid. By contrast, the largest employer, Hy-Vee, has 361 employees on Medicaid. I find it to be completely disingenuous that a corporation that earned $10 billion dollars in profits last year, is unable to provide affordable healthcare benefits to its workers, most of whom earn so little that they qualify for the State Medicaid program.

Prior to our demonstration I issued a full media advisory about the upcoming event, yet only KWQC Channel 6 showed up to cover it. I’m left to wonder if our local media even believes that this is a newsworthy issue. Fortunately, Bayside Multimedia International, Inc., a brand new local production company was there to film the event. The policy of Bayside Multimedia is to promote and defend the widest possible ambiance of “free speech” expression, consistent with US Constitutional principles developed under the first amendment. Thank you Bayside Multimedia for your contribution to this cause!

I would also like to thank Cathy Bolkom and Karl Rhomberg for advertising our event on AM 1270 - Progressive Radio’s new Saturday morning show from 9 to 9:30, “Conversations with Cathy & Karl”. Thanks a lot and congratulations on the debut of your new show. Great job!

Local groups involved in the campaign and demonstration include Democracy for the Quad Cities, QC Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, QC National Organization of Woman, and Progressive Action for the Common Good - Corporate Reform, Health Care, and Media forums. I would like to send out a special thank you to Dick Fallow with QC Federation of Labor for all of his creative contributions to this campaign. It was Dick’s idea to create a gimmick in order to attract attention as well as stay uniform in our effort to speak with one voice on this issue. Every participant was given a yellow frowny-face with a thermometer sticking out of its mouth, meant to reflect that grassroots pressure will continue to rise on Wal-Mart, until they choose to be socially responsible to the citizens and the communities in which they operate.

Other signs read, “Honk if you are for Healthcare” and “Rolling back the Benefits” as well as our campaign slogan, “Wake-Up Wal-Mart - Make Wal-Mart Care About Healthcare”. The entire event lasted about 2 hours - we received a lot of positive feedback from the many passers-by.

Local groups involved in this effort as well as other important issue forums can be contacted through:

qcprogressiveaction.org

Robert Greenwald's newest film was going to be named "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." He has since reconsidered this title, and is asking for your help to come up with a better one. Click here to go to his website and suggest a new name.

The Washington Post broke a story this morning that Peter Kanelos, the Wal-Mart Public Relations Executive for Arizona and Southern California, resigned for his now infamous role in the “Wal-Mart Nazi Ad.” The ad used an image from a Nazi book-burning to demean residents of Flagstaff, AZ who were trying to protect their community from Wal-Mart’s negative effects.

Paul Blank, Campaign Director for WakeUpWalmart.com released the following statement.

“By immediately signing a petition calling on Wal-Mart to denounce their Nazi ad and apologize to the American people, tens of thousands of Wake-Up Wal-Mart supporters demonstrated the power ordinary Americans have to change Wal-Mart and make Wal-Mart a more responsible company.

But, Wal-Mart’s image problem won’t end with the resignation of the employee who approved the use of the disturbing ad. Whether it is discriminating against 1.6 million women, paying poverty-level wages, not providing health care or violating the law, Wal-Mart’s image will not improve until its business practices do.

Wal-Mart has the power to fix its image problem by undertaking real change, and until they do, on behalf of the American people, we will continue our sincere approach to make Wal-Mart a more responsible company.”

Washington DC - Wake-Up Wal-Mart launched a new legislative and grassroots initiative today to make sure that large companies, like Wal-Mart, provide affordable health care for their workers. The “Make Wal-Mart Care About Health Care” campaign will highlight the high cost American taxpayers pay because Wal-Mart fails to provide their workers with affordable health care. The coordinated grassroots effort, which unites Democracy for America (DFA), the group founded by Governor Howard Dean, and supporters of Wake-Up Wal-Mart, will also include an unprecedented grassroots effort to lobby state leaders to propose “Fair Share Health Care” legislation in all 50 states.

“High deductibles and expensive premiums - that’s the reality of Wal-Mart health care. Wal-Mart’s failure to provide company health care to more than 500,000 of its employees proves Wal-Mart cares more about its profits than its people,” said, Paul Blank, campaign director for the Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaign.

The “Make Wal-Mart Care About Health Care” campaign will officially launch with a series of press conferences in 8 states and 325 Meet-Ups in over 270 cities, involving over 10,000 supporters of DFA and Wake-Up Wal-Mart. Press conferences with civic, community, and labor leaders will be held in Concord, NH; Seattle, WA; Phoenix, AZ; Madison, WI; Little Rock, AR; Austin, TX; Hartford, CO; and Atlanta, GA.

Speakers at the press conferences will call on their state legislative leaders to pass “fair share health care” legislation. In order to highlight the real cost from Wal-Mart’s failure to provide affordable health care for its workers, a bill for the actual amount state taxpayers subsidize the health care of Wal-Mart workers will be presented. The “Wal-Mart Health Care Tax” is a 3-foot-by-6-foot replica of an actual “Wal-Mart bill” and reflects the estimated dollar cost state taxpayers pay for providing health care for Wal-Mart’s workers. A letter will also be mailed to Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, asking Wal-Mart to reimburse state taxpayers for the tens of millions of dollars used to subsidize Wal-Mart’s health care.

Tonight’s Meet-Ups will focus on the “Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis,” and the political and legislative tactics that supporters will use to lobby and pressure their state’s Governor and political leaders to adopt “fair share” health care legislation. As part of this grassroots effort, supporters will be asked to be “Citizen Sponsors” or “Citizen Co-Sponsors” of “fair share health care" legislation in their state. The “Make Wal-Mart Care About Health Care” campaign will also launch a new section on its website to educate the public about the Wal-Mart’s heath care crisis and allow the tens of thousands of supporters to host a “Fair Share House Party” on June 23rd.

Despite your calls to do otherwise, Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich has just vetoed the "Fair Share Health Care" bill, essentially saying no to health care for working families and yes to tax subsidies for multi-billion dollar corporations.

Express your disappointment by sending Gov. Ehrlich an email:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/write-to-mdgov.html

Wake-Up Wal-Mart's reaction to Gov. Ehrlich's veto:

Governor Ehrlich's veto of the "Fair Share Health Care" bill today sends a clear message to all of Maryland - you and your families should pay for Wal-Mart’s health care, not Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart's exploitation of public health programs, like Medicaid, is morally bankrupt. There are 4 corporations with more than 10,000 employees in Maryland, but Wal-Mart is the only one who fails to pay its fair share for health care.

With over $10 billion in profits, Wal-Mart should be embarrassed by how little it spends on health care in Maryland and across the nation. But instead of being ashamed, Wal-Mart sees its abuse of taxpayers as a badge of honor and even threatens to hold Maryland jobs hostage which is all but extortion.

We can only hope Wal-Mart's act of greed and arrogance will be a wake-up call to taxpayers and citizens that Wal-Mart would rather abuse the system than do what is right.

As of 9:00 a.m. EST this morning, over 2,500 of you have sent letters to Maryland Gov. Ehrlich, urging him not to veto the health care of children and working families. Stay tuned for his announcement today around noon EST.

From 5:00 p.m. EST yesterday to 9:00 a.m. EST today, you have generated over 1,500 emails to Maryland Governor Ehrlich, urging him to say yes to health care and no to tax subsidies for multi-billion dollar corporations. That is very impressive, and I'm sure has the Governor thinking.

Keep the heat on -- Gov. Ehrlich is set to veto the Fair Share Health Care bill tomorrow. If you haven't sent him an email, please read more about the bill and send one now at:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/write-to-mdgov.html

If you have already signed, make sure to pass this on to all of your friends.

This Thursday, Maryland Governor Ehrlich is going to hold a "ceremony" celebrating a veto of the "Fair Share Health Care" bill.

The "Fair Share Health Care" bill requires large corporations, like Wal-Mart, to pay their fair share of their workers health care. Maryland has 4 corporations with more than 10,000 employees, yet only one does not pay their fair share for health care.

That's right - only one! Wal-Mart is the only company not to pay its fair share for health care. No wonder so many of Wal-Mart's employees have to rely on taxpayer funded public assistance for health care.

Help us tell Governor Ehrlich don't veto healthcare, make Wal-Mart pay its fair share:

Send an email using this form

or

Call Gov. Ehrlich at 1.800.811.8336

Community activists Peggy, Allen and Dylan reported in their Day of Action numbers from the weekend. They signed up 31 supporters Saturday in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak.

With their 31 pledges, we just went over our goal of 20,000. Their pledges put us at 20,003. After more faxes from across the country, our final pledge count was 21,788!

We did it.

With small groups of people like Peggy, Allen and Dylan on a busy street corner in Royal Oak, Michigan, we can change the largest company in the world.

With community leaders like Theondra — who organized a local group of Democracy for America volunteers in Clarksburg, West Virginia who signed up 225 supporters — we will be successful.

Here are the final "Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart" numbers from communities across the country:

Cherry Hill, New Jersey action: 993
Clarksburg, WV action: 225
Mayview, MO action: 2
Seattle, WA actions (2): 795
Seattle, WA Working America canvass: 87
Portland, OR Working America canvass: 168
Washington, D.C. action with Working America Virginia: 711
Atlantic City, NJ action: 12
St. Louis, MO Working America action: 77
Buena Park, CA action: 83
Sacramento, CA action: 156
Royal Oak, MI action: 31
Detroit, MI action: 12
Columbus, OH action: 853
Toledo, OH actio: 61
Cleveland, OH action: 158
Albuquerque, NM action: 576
Kansas City, MO action: 336
Wheat Ridge, CO action: 518
Milwaukee, WI action: 132
Milwaukee< WI and Oshkosh, WI action: 129
South St. Paul, MN action: 203
Lexington, MA action: 12
Tacoma, WA action: 425
Bend, OR action: 12
Coos Bay, Eugene, Portland, OR actions: 200
Las Vegas, NV action: 46
Indianapolis, IN action: 331
Houston, TX action: 69
Portland, OR Convention Center action: 1,554
Call ins: 15
Canadian Pledges: 57
Online signatures: 12,769


Total: 21,788

Congratulations on all of your hard work. The "Mother of All Mother's Day" cards is being sent to Wal-Mart's CEO Lee Scott right now with all of our Mother's Day pledges.

Well, I just came back from a great “Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart” action in Washington, DC and realized that I needed to add paper to the fax because we had received so many sign-up sheets from across the country.

Already today, we have 576 pledges from Albuquerque, New Mexico, 708 from Seattle, Washington, 492 from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, 336 from Kansas City, Missouri, 300 from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, 132 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 84 from Houston, Texas, 96 from Cincinnati, Ohio, 48 from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and 57 from Canada!

We have about 2,000 pledges left to reach our goal, and the faxes and emails are still coming in. We even got a fax from a woman in Illinois who does not have a computer. The fax simply said: “Please include my name on the Mother’s Day Pledge to Wal-Mart. I agree with this campaign with all my heart.”

Reading that fax and working with the 20 volunteers at the Farmer’s Market today made me feel proud of all this campaign has accomplished in a few short weeks. In a few more hours, we will hit our “Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart” goal because people have taken this campaign to the streets.

Jeremy

There were about 20 grassroots volunteers today at Eastern Market in Washington, D.C., talking to people about the "Love Mom, not Wal-Mart" campaign, and having people sign the pledge.

Over 700 supporters joined our campaign and added their name to the pledge, and the "Mother of all Mother's Day Cards" was a huge success, so much so that there is almost no more room left on the card for people to sign.

We will keep you updated as the numbers come in from the other events that were held all over the country today.

Tomorrow, Saturday May 7, supporters across the country will be talking to people in their community about our campaign and having people sign the "Love Mom, Not Wal-Mart" Mother's Day pledge.

Over 70 actions in 25 states are planned, involving nearly 1,000 volunteers.

From a garage sale in Mayview Missouri to Pike's Place Market in Seattle, a Mother's Day picnic in Denton Texas, the chow wagons in Louisville, Kentucky, and the street corners in Detroit Michigan, Wake-Up Wal-Mart supporters will be spreading our message and encouraging people to join our campaign.

Grassroots supporters in Tooele, UT, Birmingham, AL, Haysville, KS, Clarksburg, WV, Davenport, IA, Wheat Ridge, CO, and Plymouth, MN are also taking part in the Day of Action.

If you are interested in holding an event of your own, please send an email to field@wakeupwalmart.com.

We have a toolkit available for you to download and print out flyers, the "Love Mom, not Wal-Mart" pledge, and sign-up sheets here.

Thanks for all you do,

Jeremy