Dancing with Wal-Mart (the Devil)

By: Matt H
Published On: 2/7/2007 4:37:32 PM

It's hard to believe that certain labor unions and certain corporations, including Wal-Mart, have formed an alliance to provide of all things, universal healthcare.

It's also fair to speculate in Wal-Mart's case, that past behavior is a fair barometer of future performance.  How can Wal-Mart champion healthcare for all Americans and yet remain so callous to both its own workers and unions?  We should also not lose sight of the fact that Wal-Mart has an atrocious record with respect to minority, female, and child labor rights. 

How can this alliance be explained?  My only guess unfortunately has to do with the alignment of similar interests.  The common denominator may very well be Hillary Clinton.

As you know, Ms. Clinton sat on the Board of Directors for Wal-Mart.  She is also strongly vying for the support of the several unions that constitute this new alliance.  By placating labor and management on this issue, she can garner support from both.  For this genius stroke of magic she just may wrap up the nomination.

Of course the downside remains that many of us will continue to go without good healthcare, and many will needlessly die prematurely in the interim. 

The UFCW is correct to not joining the fray on this issue.

Comments



Walmart Is A Disgrace to American Capitalism -for so many reasons (eomalley - 2/8/2007 8:50:58 PM)
Matt, I was as surprised by Walmart's healthcare initiative as I was by Lee Scott announcing he was taking the lead on solving Global Warming. 

Now per Wake-Up-Walmart at http://www.wakeupwal...
"In a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2004 federal judge's decision to let the nation's largest class-action employment discrimination lawsuit go to trial. The suit, as the Associated Press reports, claims that as many as 1.5 million current and former female employees at Wal-Mart earned less than men and were bypassed for promotions."  Understand this suit could cost them around $20 billion.

Could Walmart finally be losing the fight on an big issue at a level that may actually hurt them financially? 
I hope so. 

Anyone who wants to join the anti-Walmart campaign should signup at http://www.wakeupwal....  Join this good cause!

Thanks for posting article, Matt! 



The cynicism of politicians and corporations (Info_Tech_Guy - 2/10/2007 1:24:29 PM)
Am I shocked that Wal-Mart is attempting to divide critics and  engages in a well-funded marketing campaign to re-make its public image? Am I shocked that Hillary Clinton sat on the Wal-Mart board of Directors? I think that the continuing social and economic catastrophe unleashed by free trade proponents is epitomised by the ruthless policies of Wal-Mart: toward their employess and toward American workers generally as Wal-Mart floods the U.S. with consumer goods made by Third World workers earning slave-labor wages.