Cynthia Murray is a sales associate at Wal-Mart in Laurel, Maryland. She has been with Wal-Mart for almost six years. Due to a car accident several years ago, Cynthia is partially disabled and is unable to stand for long periods of time. When Wal-Mart first hired Cynthia, the management acknowledged her disability and placed her in the fitting rooms of the clothing department, where she can sit and answer phones. Cynthia has held this position throughout her tenure at Wal-Mart and has received various awards for her job performance.

Recently, store management claimed Wal-Mart had no record of her disability claims and demanded additional proof of her disability; otherwise they would take her chair away. Unfortunately, Cynthia cannot afford the health care necessary to rehabilitate her from her injuries, because she makes under $10.00 per hour. Wal-Mart’s health insurance would cost her $130.00 a month and up to $1,000.00 a year in deductibles.

Cynthia explains, “I've worked at Wal-Mart for more than 5 years, and I still can't afford their health care. I know many of my co-workers can't afford it either. I think it’s fair to say a majority of the workers in my Wal-Mart store don't have Wal-Mart's health care because they can’t afford it.“

Despite her fear of being fired, Cynthia knew something needed to be done to improve the way Wal-Mart treats its workers. When she heard about the Fair Share Health Care Bill being debated in the Maryland legislature, she decided to tell her story to the public and Maryland’s lawmakers. Cynthia’s courageous testimony was critical in the Maryland Legislature’s decision to enact Fair Share Health Care Legislation.

Cynthia wrote in a letter to the Maryland state legislators, “The sad truth is many of these associates are scared to speak out, but I felt this bill is too important to stay silent. That is why I am taking a public stance to ask every legislator to listen to the hardship of workers who can't afford health care and personally ask Maryland lawmakers to help improve life for me and my co-workers by making sure corporations do the right thing and provide us health care.”

Cynthia has promised to do all she can to help make Wal-Mart a better place to work for her and her co-workers. Click below to read more about Cynthia’s leadership in the fight for justice for Wal-Mart workers: http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/wwa/fair-share.html

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Bettie Madsen
Cindy Starns
Cynthia Murray
Dana Razaie
Diane Muthig
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Greg Pierce
Josh Smith
Kristen Bonardi Rapp
Lance Hindman
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