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):