inside2.qxd 11/8/2005 11:16 AM Page 1 WAL-MART: ROLLING BACK WORKERS’ WAGES, RIGHTS, AND THE AMERICAN DREAM An American Rights at Work Report inside2.qxd 11/8/2005 11:16 AM Page 2 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Part I: Dragging Down U.S. Labor Standards An examination of Wal-Mart’s abysmal labor standards, including its poor compensation, difficult working conditions, and effective strategy to remain union-free. Everyday Low Wages and Benefits 2 Utter Disrespect: Work Life at Wal-Mart 4 Wal-Mart’s Union-Free State 6 Part II: Putting Middle-Class Jobs on the Chopping Block How Wal-Martization is eroding middle-class standards for workers in the grocery industry. Grocery Workers Gain Through Collective Bargaining 15 When Wal-Mart Comes to Town 18 The Invisible Hand of Wal-Mart 23 Conclusion 30 References 32 For additional copies of this report, please visit our website, www.americanrightsatwork.org, or contact
[email protected] Wal-Mart: Rolling Back Workers’ Wages, Rights, and the American Dream © November 2005 American Rights at Work By Erin Johansson, Research Associate, American Rights at Work All Rights Reserved. inside2.qxd 11/8/2005 11:17 AM Page 1 Introduction Frequent revelations in the news about Wal-Mart’s manner of aggressively interfering with its Frank Casciato, Bleiweiss Communications mistreatment of its workforce have called into employees’ democratic right to form unions as a question the true value of the company’s “every- method to address their mistreatment. day low prices.” Accounts of employees locked Although unionbusting is a longstanding business inside stores at night, the company encouraging practice, the explosive growth of its use in recent workers to apply for Medicaid, and major class decades has contributed to the decline of working action lawsuits accusing Wal-Mart of everything conditions and demise of union and non-union from preventing employees from taking lunch middle-class jobs in all sectors of the economy.