Contact: Chris Kofinis (202) 486-6422

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America's campaign to change Wal-Mart, hand delivered Lee Scott a letter just as he entered a breakfast meeting with congressional leaders. The "principles for change" letter was personally handed to Lee Scott by a WakeUpWalMart.com staffer, Buffy Wicks.

Ms. Wicks handed Mr. Scott the letter and said, "I would like to give you this letter on behalf of WakeUpWalMart.com and our 180,000 supporters."  Mr. Scott accepted the letter and replied to Ms. Wicks, "you are too kind."

"We hope Wal-Mart and Mr. Scott realize the incredible opportunity they have to work with us to improve the lives of 1.3 million workers and their families.  Clearly, Lee Scott has a choice, and we hope he chooses to do the right thing and meet with us to address our genuine concerns," stated Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com

The letter handed to Lee Scott states, "Wal-Mart has a great opportunity to work with us to help improve the lives of so many Americans who face an economic and health care crisis everyday, everywhere in America. The American people want to know, will Wal-Mart do what is right for America or will Wal-Mart lead a race to the bottom?"

The letter continues, "In the end, we are not your enemy. Our goal is to be your partner in making Wal-Mart a better business.  We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss how we can help Wal-Mart grow and prosper in new ways."

The letter is the second time in six months that WakeUpWalMart.com has formally reached out to Wal-Mart to work together.  The first letter, similar in substance, was delivered in response to Wal-Mart's positive actions following the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

WakeUpWalMart.com is leading the campaign to change Wal-Mart and has become one of the fastest growing social movements in America, with nearly 180,000 supporters from all 50 states.

A copy of the letter handed to Lee Scott is below:

Dear Mr. Scott,

Wal-Mart has a great opportunity to work with us to help improve the lives of so many Americans who face an economic and health care crisis everyday, everywhere in America. The American people want to know, will Wal-Mart do what is right for America or will Wal-Mart lead a race to the bottom?

We believe now is the time for Wal-Mart to address the serious issues facing its 1.3 million workers, their families, our communities and our country by agreeing to the following "six demands for change."

1. Living Wage.  Pay all Wal-Mart workers a fair living wage so they can support their families.

2.  Affordable Health Care.  Provide all workers comprehensive, affordable health insurance coverage so they can care for their families and no longer be forced to rely on taxpayer-funded public health care.

3.  End Discrimination.  Ensure equal opportunity and equal pay for women and people of color in your workforce at all levels through a stringent and independent monitoring process.

4.  Zero Tolerance on Child Labor. Adopt a zero tolerance policy and institute an independent monitoring program to stop the exploitation of child labor in the United States and abroad.

5.  Buy American.  Establish a "Buy America" program that annually increases the percentage of "Made in America" goods purchased by Wal-Mart so as to help protect American jobs. 6.  Respect Communities. Work with local communities to effectively address Wal-Mart's negative impact on issues like traffic, sprawl, the environment, and local businesses.

As you stated recently, "When you do the right thing, good things accrue to you."  We agree.  Just imagine the good Wal-Mart can do if it works with us to become a better company by doing the right thing - everyday. We hope you will view our "six demands for change" as a sincere effort to form a new partnership for change.

In the end, we are not your enemy. Our goal is to be your partner in making Wal-Mart a better business.  We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss how we can help Wal-Mart grow and prosper in new ways. But, make no mistake about it, if Wal-Mart refuses to change for the better, we will continue to build this broad-based social movement into one of the most powerful forces for change the nation has ever seen.

Wal-Mart has an incredible opportunity - right now - to work with us to better the lives of all your workers, to set a new standard for corporate America, to be a better business, and to build a better nation. We hope you will and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

WakeUpWalMart.com - America's Campaign to Change Wal-Mart