Wal-Mart Facing Class Action Law Suit

[pennypinch]

Wal-Mart may be in very hot water right now. A Federal Appeals court has approved the largest class action lawsuit in history to go to court. It's about a dispute that has been going on for quite some time now saying that Wal-Mart gives more and better opportunities to men than they do women.

The Appeals court have decided to allow this class-action suit to go to trial which could result costing Wal-Mart billions of dollars.

The plaintiffs allege women were paid less than, and were given fewer opportunities for promotion than, their male counterparts. They seek back pay and punitive damages against the world's largest retailer.

The lawsuit alleges the company's "strong, centralized structure fosters or facilitates gender stereotyping and discrimination."

The lawsuit says that woman make up more than 70% of their workforce but less than 1/3 of store management.

The suit was first filed by Betty Dukes, a store greeter in Pittsburg, California, along with five of her co-workers in 2001.

"It has taken a very long time, and a tremendous amount of work, but it looks like we're finally going to get our day in court," Dukes said after the ruling was announced. "That's all we've ever asked for."

[Rae74]

I am glad to hear that this issue is finally going to be addressed,it is about time someone made enough noise on this issue.Women have been mistreated by Walmart for long enough.

It is a good company to work for if you are a man,you can almost count on advancement this way.It is a shame that the company is this way about women though.

I hope that equality can be reached with in this company because of the fact that they are such a big and good company otherwise.

[DynoDollar]

I think I remember watching a film about Wal-Mart and how they mistreated workers in certain ways, by not giving them all their overtime pay, plus not all of their employees are insured.
It's not just the women who feel this impact from Wal-Mart, but because their employees are mostly women it has a larger affect with them.

If action is taken against Wal-Mart to pay back all the monies due to their employees, their prices will most likely go up for a while.
I'm all for giving what's due to those who are/were dedicated Wal-Mart workers.

[dimetime]

A very long time ago now a friend of mine did work for this company and this is something that everyone saw first hand and it really ticked the employees off!! Actually there was a gentleman who was hired the same day that my friend was, and they ended working in the same department.

Though a short time later he managed to get a promotion to department manager!!! In this store 98% of supervisors, managers or what ever they wanted to call themselves were male.

I hope to see this store pay big time for what they have done and are doing. Promotions should come to those who have earned them rather than because of gender!!

I thought in this country we were supposed to be passed the whole idea that men are better than women, yet still today there are businesses which seem to throw it back into our faces. Maybe one of these years we will once and for all be able to say that men and women are equal and it be a true statement.

[BSClay]

How can you truly count every Wal-Mart though... Different stores have different people over the store. This would be actions taken by those in charge of that persons store correct? I personally think the whole company should not have to suffer at the ignorance of one store managers... I think they should remove those involved and get someone in there that believes in equal opportunity.

Now do not hate me for saying this... but how high can a Wal-Mart greeter get in the chain of command?

[centsgirl]

This does not surprise me at all Wal-Mart is the worse company I know, I worked for them for 7 months would not tell any of my friends to work for them. They treat their workers badly, do not care anything about them, and yes I noticed women was treated worse then the men.

[dimetime]

You see all of these advertisements about this company and they of course make it appear that they actually give a rosey red rats rear end about their employees and yet if you have worked there or know someone who does then you also know that this is not at all true.

The one friend of mine who works for this company needed some time off because her brother was in an accident and wanted to be with him in the hospital. She was actually told that she could not take the time off because that year she had already used her vacation time.

I thought that was pretty crappy. She didn't miss work because she needed the job and feared of being let go if she were just to leave anyway.

Sad part is her brother passed away two days later and she never got to see him or to say good bye. That incident still haunts her to this day!!!