“We have shopped at Wal-Mart before and I think almost everybody in here has,” said Tom Cotter, a farmer and father of four who watched the movie with his wife, Alma. “But jeez, we won’t want to now.”
The 95 minute movie by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films is being shown across the country this week. With a borrowed TV from Bissen TV and Appliance (whose owner was in attendance), Riverland Community College student Kirk Kuchera, 28, hosted the Austin viewing.
“Clearly, this type of thing is working,” Kuchera told an audience of about 70 prior to the show, citing improvements the company had made following environmental criticisms.
And clearly, Wal-Mart has taken notice of the attacks.
The company launched its own campaign to counter Greenwald’s movie. A Wal-Mart press release called the video “propaganda,” charged that Greenwald is offering no solutions, and portrays the retailer as a leading employer, one whose low prices save American families money.
City officials say Wal-Mart, which in early June announced plans to come to northwest Austin, might reapply as soon as next month for a conditional land use permit they hope will satisfy the City Council. Kuchera said he’d like to show the movie again if they do reapply.
The movie began with the story of an Ohio landmark hardware store that lost value on its building and closed up shop as Wal-Mart made plans to move into town.
The filmmaker conducted interviews with several former Wal-Mart associates and managers who assailed the company on a wide range of issues, among them: low wages; poor health insurance benefits and a resulting burden on government programs; poor employee treatment, especially for women and people of color; anti-union campaigns; and poor conditions for overseas distributors.
Wal-Mart’s response to the video’s trailer focused on three claims. It said the Ohio store was sold and reopened as another hardware store after Wal-Mart moved in nearby, that Wal-Mart has been named among the top companies in hiring diversity, and that the company improved the economy in a Chicago neighborhood by creating 600 new jobs at an average of $10.69.
Kuchera had hoped to spark a debate among viewers, but the one who spoke up in support of the company was shouted down and left the building. Much of the discussion was over convincing Austin city officials, none of whom were in attendance, to keep the company out. Kuchera said he invited them but wasn’t surprised none showed up.
At a Planning Commission meeting earlier in the night, Dick Pacholl, 2nd Ward, said he didn’t think it would be right to attend the screening. He said he already has enough information to vote against it.
