Facts About Women And Wal-Mart

"I saw myself as trainable, but I saw myself not getting the training," she said. "I would go home after work, and sometimes I would be wounded, sometimes I would be angry. I would read the Scriptures, I would encourage myself—I didn't want to come in so full of anger and bitterness and go off on my supervisor and lose my job."

-- Betty Dukes, one of the six original plaintiffs in the pending California sex discrimination class-action law suit. [Christianity Today, 4/22/05]

Women Employees Face Systematic Discrimination in the Workplace at Wal-Mart:

Wal-Mart Facing Lawsuit for Refusing to Pay and Promote Female Employees as they do Men. Wal-Mart is facing a historic class-action lawsuit including 1.6 million current and former female employees for gender discrimination. In 2003, Dr. Richard Drogin, Professor Emeritus from California State University, conducted a study on the wages of female employees at Wal-Mart. Among his key findings:

· Women hourly workers earned up to 37 cents less per hour than their male counterparts.

· Female managers earn nearly $5,000 less than male managers in yearly salary.

· Women comprise 72 percent of Wal-Mart’s total workforce, but only 33 percent of its managers.

· Women comprise 92 percent of Wal-Mart’s cashiers, but only 14 percent of Wal-Mart Store Managers. [Richard Drogin, PhD, “Statistical Analysis Of Gender Patterns In Wal-Mart Workforce”, 2/2003, http://www.walmartclass.com; New York Times, 12/30/04]

Wal-Mart Health Policies Threaten Woman’s Access to Care

Wal-Mart’s Health Insurance Does Not Cover Birth Control. According to the Summary Plan Description of Wal-Mart’s employee health insurance, birth control/contraceptives are on the list of “charges not covered.” [Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2005 Associate Guide, Summary Plan Description, Effective 1/01/05]

· A month’s supply of birth-control pills can cost around $35, which equals almost four hours’ wages for a full-time “average” worker at Wal-Mart, according to the company. [http://www.walmartfacts.com/associates/default.aspx#a41; Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.ppfa.org]

· Wal-Mart is a defendant in a class-action suit in federal court in Atlanta brought by female employees seeking coverage for contraceptives. [Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), 6/23/04]

Wal-Mart Pharmacies Do Not Carry Emergency Contraception. “We do not carry emergency contraceptives,” said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jacquie Young. “It's based on business factors. We have to refer our customers to another pharmacy in the community that can help them in a timely manner.” [The Dallas Morning News, 4/29/05]

· Wal-Mart’s Large Market Share Can Cut Off Access to Emergency Contraception. In many communities, going elsewhere to get the prescription filled is not an option. In ten towns in Texas, for example, Wal-Mart is the only existing pharmacy. [Supermarket News, 5/9/05]

For Working Mothers, Wal-Mart Just Doesn’t Work

Working Wal-Mart Mom was Forced to Sue to Get Her Job Back. Wal-Mart refused to reinstate the Antioch, California woman after her maternity leave. In a recent ruling by the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission, Wal-Mart was fined $188,000 and found to have "willfully and consciously disregarded its obligations as a California employer" by not reinstating Carver to her job. [Sacramento Bee, June 14, 2005]

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