Walmart puts children at risk. Why buy your back-to-school supplies there?

[Karmadillo]

Sure, sure, puts children at risk, discriminates against women, viciously anti-union, but look at those low, low prices!!! The suffering of others is a small price to pay for extra pocket change.

http://www.alternet.org/story/22246

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Wal-Mart puts kids around the world at risk. It requires its suppliers to import goods from China and other impoverished nations where young people work horrendous hours for little pay. In this country, it was found guilty in April of violating child labor laws. Wal-Mart exposed 85 of its own employees under 18 to dangerous machinery such as chain saws, cardboard balers and forklifts. It got a light fine, a slap on the wrist. Now it faces the largest class action discrimination suit in history--for how it treats its female employees.

My parents were both union members. Because of their unions, we had a decent standard of living. Wal-Mart is one of the most viciously anti-union companies in America. It takes two Wal-Mart jobs just to earn above-poverty wages. 600,000 of its employees can't afford their health care plan. Consequently, the taxpayers in every state wind up paying for those employees' health care, either through Medicaid, or through higher premiums for their own health care plans.

That's just wrong and I think we can change it. The first step toward changing Wal-Mart's anti-social behavior is to use the Internet to recruit teachers, parents, mentors and concerned citizens to send Wal-Mart a simple, loud, clear message: "Because of your behavior, I'm going to do my shopping for back-to-school supplies someplace else this fall."

I urge you to sign this pledge, then become an essential player in this new movement to change America.

more...

[G_j]

1. this a good article (written by Danny Glover btw) n/t

[minnesotaDFLer]

2. i've never shopped

at walmart, LONG LIVE TARGET!!!

[jeff30997]

3. I live in a small town in Quebec...

And the Wall-Mart here was the first in North America to be unionized.
The bastards recently closed the place pretending that it was not profitable enough.

[NewJeffCT]

4. the under 18 violations were in Connecticut

at least many of them were. Unfortunately, fines were Wal-Mart are chump change for a company that had $288 billion in revenues last year...

[friesianrider]

5. I'm worried most people don't give a shit.

They'd sell their mother's soul for a few bucks in savings.

[natrat]

6. BOYCOTT WALMART FOREVER

[Karmadillo]

7. Kick

n/t