Open Letter from David Bonior to Run in
Thursday’s The Hill and Roll Call Publications

WASHINGTON, DC—The labor rights advocacy organization American Rights at Work will run a full-page print ad in The Hill and Roll Call this Thursday recognizing Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., for settling wage-and-hour lawsuits by agreeing to pay $640 million in back wages to workers, and at the same time insisting the company do more than just feign commitment toward worker-friendly policies.

The ad highlights an open letter to Wal-Mart’s new CEO Mike Duke from American Rights at Work Chair David Bonior, the full text of which appears below. In it, Bonior acknowledges the settlement is progress for Wal-Mart, but calls on the company to quickly address its many other failures as a responsible employer.

“The company has taken a step on the road to being more responsible, but if Wal-Mart wants to show us its efforts are for real, the retail giant will seriously overhaul its employment practices,” said David Bonior, Chair of American Rights at Work.

Cynthia Murray, an employee of Wal-Mart in Laurel, Md., agrees, commenting that "you could see for a little bit that they started to change, but they still treat us the same. For example, we still need better health care.” She believes her employer “can afford to make changes that will help us.”

Some of the issues Wal-Mart can begin to resolve include a pending lawsuit for sex discrimination filed by almost two million women, child labor law violations, lack of high-quality affordable healthcare, and opposition to a worker’s right to choose union representation freely and without intimidation.

AD TEXT

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A New Year, A New Wal-Mart?

Dear Mr. Duke,

Starting the New Year with a new CEO is a perfect opportunity to change Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., into a model employer. You’ve already made a good start by recently settling more than 60 wage-and-hour lawsuits and agreeing to pay as much as $640 million in back wages to workers.

We were encouraged when your top lawyer said that the legal claims against Wal-Mart's business practices "are not representative of the company we are today," and that “resolving this litigation is in the best interest of our company, our shareholders and our associates.” We fully agree that operating in the interests of all stakeholders is the responsible course, and expect that you take the next critical steps to ensure Wal-Mart workers have a fair share in the company’s success. They include

• Quickly and fairly settling with the nearly two million women who have sued Wal-Mart over sex discrimination in pay and promotion.
• Keeping the company’s child labor law violations in the past.
• Providing high quality, affordable health care to your entire workforce, so states will no longer carry the burden of covering billions in medical costs for Wal-Mart employees. 
  
• Ensuring workers are free to choose a union to improve their wages, benefits, and working conditions without the fear of intimidation or reprisal.
• Demonstrating that "everyday low prices" and respecting workers’ rights are not mutually exclusive.
• Ending your opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, commonsense legislation that will level the playing field for workers.

We want to take you at your word that the old days are gone and truly look forward to seeing the "company you are today." The time is ripe for a new Wal-Mart with an incoming President who has pledged to bring change to this country, ensure a fairer economic system for workers and business alike, reform health care, and restart our economic engine so that it works for all Americans.

Here’s to a New Year, a new Wal-Mart, and a new resolve for being part of the positive change that’s coming.

Sincerely,
David Bonior,
Chair,
American Rights at Work

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