Wal-Mart fined—for wrong reason
By
Sue Davis
Published Apr 14, 2005 9:22 PM
Wal-Mart, the country’s largest retailer with
3,600 stores and $10.3 billion in stolen profits, has agreed to pay the federal
government $11 million to settle complaints that hundreds of undocumented
workers had cleaned its stores. Though this settlement is four times larger than
any other single payment to the government in similar cases, it’s but a
pittance from the retailer’s cash register, which rang up $288.2 billion
in sales last year.
Several cases, one in 2001 and another in 2003,
exposed the fact that janitors at more than 60 Wal-Mart stores in 25 states were
routinely forced to work eight-hour shifts, seven days a week, with no overtime.
Some workers were even locked in the stores overnight.
Ironically, these
outrageously illegal working conditions were only exposed when federal
investigators arrested the workers for being undocumented.
The real crime
is that Wal-Mart super-exploited the workers under such horrendous working
conditions. So why should the $11 million go to the federal government? The
money belongs in the pockets of the workers, who deserve reparations for their
unpaid labor—especially those who were imprisoned.
Attorney James
L. Linsey, representing workers in a New Jersey lawsuit, is suing Wal-Mart and
the contractors who supplied the janitors for not paying 10,000 immigrants
time-and-a-half for overtime. “It’s time for Wal-Mart to focus on
the individuals who were systematically exploited and to consider what amount of
reparations is appropriate,” said Linsey. He added, “It’s
outrageous this could occur in the early 21st century.” (New York Times,
March 19)
Outrageous, but not unexpected, when you consider
Wal-Mart’s lust for profits.
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