IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2008

CONTACT: Meghan Scott
(202) 721-8014

IT TAKES A COURT RULING FOR WAL-MART TO PAY EMPLOYEES FAIRLY

Today Wal-Mart agreed to pay up to $54.25 million to settle a Minnesota class action lawsuit, Braun et al. v. Wal-Mart, Inc. et al. The suit, one of many across the country over wage and hour labor violations, sought payment for around 100,000 current and former Wal-Mart employees.

“In such a tumultuous economy, the basic ideas of fair pay for honest work should be fundamental,” said Meghan Scott, spokesperson for WakeUpWalMart.com, “It shouldn't take a court of a law to force America's largest corporation to pay their employees fairly. And it shouldn’t take a court of law to force America’s largest corporation to live by America's values. Wal-Mart workers should be able to go to the corporate office with issues like this, not be forced into the court system.

“To make matters worse, this case in Minnesota is just the tip of the iceberg. America’s largest private employer is currently involved in at least 72 wage and hour class action suits across the country. For years Wal-Mart systematically underpaid and overworked its employees to line its own pockets. While this one case represents a victory for those workers, it is certainly too little too late. It should never have come to this point.

“In this time of economic turmoil, hopefully Wal-Mart will learn to stand up for workers, rather than against them in courts across the country. Unfortunately, this is a company that we have seen time and again putting profits ahead of people.”