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
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
· 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
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
·
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
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
.