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Announcer: PLEASE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO LEE SCOTT,
OUR PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
WAL-MART STORES INCORPORATED.
WELL...
I KNOW.
THANK YOU.
I KNOW.
EVERY...
ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
EVERY YEAR...
OKAY, OKAY.
IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE FOR ANYBODY
TO BE THE CEO OF THIS COMPANY
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE SAM WALTON
OR YOU'RE DAVID GLASS OR YOU'RE LEE SCOTT.
WHEN YOU COME TO THIS MEETING, YEAR AFTER YEAR,
YOU GET TO SAY, "WE HAD RECORD SALES."
"WE HAD RECORD EARNINGS."
"WE HAD RECORD REINVESTMENT BACK INTO OUR COMPANY."
I SAY ALL THAT, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, MY FRIENDS,
YOU BETTER BE READY TO BE BETTER.
BECAUSE, TODAY, FOR WHATEVER REASON,
WHETHER IT'S OUR SUCCESS OR OUR SIZE,
WAL-MART STORES INCORPORATED
HAS GENERATED FEAR, IF NOT ENVY, IN SOME CIRCLES.
AND THAT MAKES IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
THAT WE FOCUS ON DOING THE RIGHT THING
AND DOING THINGS RIGHT EVERY TIME.
THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DO.
NUMBER ONE IS TELL THE WAL-MART STORY.
GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE.
AND THE SECOND THING IS STAY THE COURSE.
WAL-MART IS TOO IMPORTANT
TO INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES WHO ARE STRETCHING A BUDGET.
WE'RE TOO IMPORTANT
TO THE SUPPLIERS WHO EMPLOY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
WE'RE TOO IMPORTANT TO OUR ASSOCIATES
FOR WHO WE HAVE SO MUCH LOVE AND VALUE SO MUCH.
AND YOUR COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE
OUR CITIZENSHIP AS A GOOD EMPLOYER
AND A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITIES
THAT WE SERVE SO WELL AROUND THIS WORLD.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'LL PROMISE YOU THIS --
WE'RE GONNA STAY THE COURSE.
AND THIS COMPANY IS GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
Don: ACTUALLY, H&H WAS STARTED...
1962.
STARTED ON MAIN STREET IN MIDDLEFIELD.
LITTLE COUNTRY STORE THAT, AT THAT TIME,
I WAS STARTING A FAMILY, AND IT WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO KNOW.
IT WAS A BIG DECISION.
MY BROTHER-IN-LAW AND I DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THAT STEP.
WE WENT INTO BUSINESS.
STARTED IN A LITTLE ONE-ROOM BUILDING
THAT HAD A FULL BASEMENT.
WE DID ALL OF THE PLUMBING IN THE BASEMENT.
THE UPSTAIRS RETAIL AREA WAS VERY SMALL.
WE WERE THERE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO YEARS.
THEN WE MOVED ON TO A LARGER STORE IN A SHOPPING CENTER
AND SPENT SEVERAL YEARS THERE.
THEN PROCEEDED, IN 1992, AND BUILT THIS FACILITY HERE.
THIS GENTLEMAN HERE HAPPENS TO BE MY SON.
HE'S BEEN A RIGHT-HAND MAN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
IT WAS MUCH EASIER TO RETIRE IN '96
WHEN HE WAS HERE TO TAKE OVER.
Jon: ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARTS, BEING IN THE RURAL AREAS,
WHAT WE CALL OUR HARDWARE SECTION --
THE NUTS AND THE BOLTS AND THEN AILS AND ALL TYPE OF FASTENERS.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN GOOD
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE FARMERS WERE ALWAYS MENDING MACHINERY
AND THINGS AROUND THE FARM.
SOME OF THE KIDS THAT WERE KIDS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN HERE,
NOW THEY'VE GOT FAMILIES,
AND THEY COME IN HERE FOR THE FIX-IT-UP-TYPE THINGS.
PROBABLY SINCE I WAS 8,
COME DOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHTS AFTER SCHOOL, WORK TILL 9:00.
DO YOU HAVE THE CAR?
I WORKED HERE SINCE I WAS 6.
SWEPT OR HELPED CUSTOMERS WHEN I WAS YOUNG, TOO.
AT THE END OF THE DAY,
GRANDPA OR DAD WOULD GIVE US THEIR POCKET CHANGE.
I SPENT A LOT OF LATE NIGHTS IN HERE, TOO,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE BUILDING IT.
I GENERALLY ARRIVE HERE ABOUT 7:15 IN THE MORNING,
AND I UNLOCK THE DOOR.
I COME IN AND TURN THE LIGHTS ON,
AND I GET THE DAY MONEY FOR EACH DRAWER IN THE REGISTERS.
I OPEN UP THE REGISTERS, AND USUALLY AT THAT TIME,
TOM IS HERE.
TOM GOES AHEAD AND KIND OF TIDIES UP THE FRONT OF THE STORE
AND SETS OUT THE AMERICAN FLAG
AND THE BENCHES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO SIT ON.
THE AMISH FELLAS ON THEIR WAY TO WORK
WILL STOP HERE FOR THINGS THEY NEED FOR THEIR DAY'S PROJECTS.
THEY'LL COME AND GET PLUMBING OR ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES
OR, A LOT OF TIMES, SPORTING GOODS.
WE HAVE A BUSY SPORTING-GOODS DIVISION.
Don: JON HAS BEEN PREPARING FOR IT,
TRYING TO CHANGE STOCK AND INVENTORY.
KEEPING IN MIND, BASICALLY, TO STAY WITH SERVICE.
IF YOU CAN'T COMPETE IN ONE AREA,
WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT OFFERED
OR THAT YOU CAN COMPETE IN.
Man: I'VE PROBABLY BEEN SHOPPING HERE FOR 32 YEARS OR SO.
ALL MY NEEDS THAT I NEED FOR HARDWARE...
Jon: THE MASS MERCHANDISERS, TO A GREAT EXTENT,
DO NOT PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE.
I'LL USE WAL-MART AS AN EXAMPLE.
YOU'RE REALLY LUCKY IF THEY HAVE ANYONE IN THE PLUMBING SECTION
WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT PLUMBING.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET READY FOR THEM FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
I HAD A MEETING WITH THE GUYS. EXPLAINED THE PURPOSE OF OUR JOB
AND MAKE SURENWE DO EVERYTHING RIGHT.
EXPLAINED WHAT WAL-MART DID
AND WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENT.
THIS WAS BROUGHT TO US BY AN AMISH CUSTOMER OF MINE.
HE'S SO MUCH AGAINST THE WAL-MART MOVEMENT
AFTER READING THIS BOOK THAT HE WANTED TO GET SOME IN
AND START PASSING THEM OUT OR SELLING THEM TO FRIENDS,
WHATEVER IT COST HIM.
THAT'S BASICALLY...
I GOT A FEW EXTRA ONES.
HE'S TAKING SEVERAL OF THEM AND IS GETTING RID OF THEM.
WILL I? I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A WAL-MART STORE.
I NEVER INTEND TO GO IN A WAL-MART STORE.
I'VE NEVER HAD THE NEED,
AND I'VE NEVER LIKED THEIR PRINCIPLES.
THAT'S NOT NICE TO SAY AT ALL, PROBABLY,
BUT I'VE SEEN A LOT OF SMALL COMMUNITIES
CRUCIFIED AND FORCED OUT.
MA AND PA OPERATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR YEARS
THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET.
THEY HAD TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS JUST BECAUSE OF ONE ENTITY.
AND IT APPEARS THAT THAT IS THEIR INTENT --
TO COME INTO A COMMUNITY AND FORCE EVERYBODY OUT.
THEY DID NOTHING BUT LAY DOWN THE RED CARPET FOR THEM.
I KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS FOR MY DAD, MY GRANDFATHER
TO BUILD THIS BUILDING ON THIS LOT.
THEY WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING
TO TRY TO GET THE COMMISSIONERS AND STUFF
TO ALLOW THEM TO BUILD.
WE HAD SIGN ISSUES. GOTTA BE A CERTAIN SIZE.
WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WE HAD ENOUGH GREEN AROUND THE AREA.
Jon: I'M ALL FOR FREE ENTERPRISE,
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE,
THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE COMPANY
ARE THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
SO, IN REALITY, I THINK THEY COULD SPREAD THAT OUT.
I'M CURIOUS TO SEE HOW MUCH
THEY'LL ACTUALLY GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
TO EVEN USE AMERICAN WITH WAL-MART IN THE SAME SENTENCE
I DON'T AGREE WITH AT ALL.
IT'S...
IT'S LIKE A CHINESE COMPANY TO ME,
ONLY WITH AMERICAN BOARD MEMBERS.
IT'S NOT A MYSTERY. THEY COME RIGHT OUT ON RECORD
AND SAID THEY DON'T BUY AMERICAN.
Dr. Bruening: ALL IT'S DONE IS GIVE CHI ANA BETTER DISTRIBUTION CENTERN.
WHEREAS BEFORE, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO FIND CONTACTS
AND DEVELOP THEIR OWN MARKETS.
NOW THEY'VE GOT A PIPELINE RIGHT INTO EVERYBODY'S LIVING ROOM.
Glassburner: I THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE MORE CONTROL.
YOU TALK ABOUT MONOPOLIES.
IF WAL-MART'S NOT A MONOPOLYN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
I'M NOT AT ALL IN FAVOR OF ANY KIND OF COMMUNISM OR SOCIALISM.
I BELIEVE AMERICA SHOULD ALWAYS AND FOREVER REMAIN FREE.
HOWEVER, I THINK THERE NEED TO BE REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED
WHEREIN...
YOU KNOW, THEY BUSTED UP STANDARD OIL.
AND THEY BUSTED UP MA BELL,
BUT WAL-MART SEEMS TO BE GOING ON A RAMPAGE
THROUGH THE AMERICAN ECONOMY,
AND NOBODY'S EVEN PAYING ATTENTION.
I DON'T...
THE LOGIC OF IT ESCAPES ME.
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT IT.
I'M A REPUBLICAN.
I'M A CONSERVATIVE.
I'M FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE UNIONS.
IT USED TO BE THE UNION WAGE
WAS SOMETHING EVERYBODY WOULD LOOK UP AT
AND SAY, "WOW, HE'S A UNION WORKER.
HE'S MAKING $18 OR $20 AN HOUR."
I REALIZED THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PAYING OUR PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT UNION.
I'M ALL FOR THE UNIONS DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN DO,
WHETHER IT BE WAL-MART OR KMART
OR ANY STORE THAT'S NOT GONNA PAY A FAIR WAGE.
I LOVE AMERICA.
IT'S THE FINEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
I'D STILL, AT MY AGE, FIGHT AND DIE FOR THIS COUNTRY.
BUT IT SEEMS THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON WITHIN THIS COUNTRY,
PARTICULARLY FROM A BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC STANDPOINT,
THAT AREN'T FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE EN MASSE.
A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION IS DOING WELL BY WHAT'S HAPPENING,
BUT THE GREATER MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE
ARE BEING MADE SUBSERVIENT.
SAM WALTON, I DON'T THINK,
WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING.
I DON'T THINK THIS WAS WHY HE STARTED THE STORE.
IT WASN'T TO CRUSH OTHER COMPETITION.
Faenza: WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN,
FAMILIES WHO CAN'T FEED THEIR CHILDREN.
AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR BELONGINGS
IN A CAR AND IN A TRAILER
AND ARE SPENDING MOST OF THEIR LIFE IN THEIR CAR OR AT THE MALL
BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN EVICTED FROM THEIR HOMES
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND WORK.
THEY CAN'T FIND WORK.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T REALIZE
THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE IN TOWN, TOO.
YOU SAY THAT'S IN MIDDLEFIELD.
"OH, NO." EXACTLY.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
I WAS DREAMING THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN
CAUGHT ON TO A GREAT EXTENT,
AND WE WERE ALL OUT IN THE STREET, PROTESTING.
BUT I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT HAPPENING IS...
WE'LL PROBABLY SEE PIGS FLY BEFORE THAT.
Jon: I PUT THIS BUSINESS PLAN TOGETHER
WITH THE HELP OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE.
I WENT TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT BANKS TO CHECK ON SOME FUNDING.
WHEN I GOT AN APPRAISAL ON THE BUSINESS AND THE BUILDINGS,
THE APPRAISER ACTUALLY CAME IN AND DEVALUED THE BUILDING.
AND, HERE, I FIGURED IT WOULD BE APPRECIATING AFTER 10 YEARS.
AND HE CAME IN WITH A LOWER VALUE.
AND I QUESTIONED HIM. "HOW CAN THIS BE?
"WITH INFLATION AND THE ECONOMY'S NOT GREAT,
BUT IT STILL SHOULD BE HOLDING ITS VALUE."
AND HE SAID, "NO."
"ANYTIME A WAL-MART'S COMING INTO A TOWN,"
"THEY KNOCK THE VALUES DOWN"
"BECAUSE, SOONER OR LATER,"
"THERE'S GONNA BE A BUNCH OF EMPTY BUILDINGS"
"AND NONE OF THEM ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO SELL."
ANY COMMUNITY ON A GRAND OPENING IS GOING TO SEE A CHANGE --
DROP IN SALES.
IT HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S WAL-MART OR SOMEBODY ELSE.
YOU'LL GET A DROP IN SALES.
SO THERE WILL BENA DRAMATIC CHANGE OF SOME TYPE.
HOW LONG IT'LL LAST --
IT CAN'T LAST FOREVER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T STAND THE OVERHEAD
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BUSINESS.
SO SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND LET'S HOPE IT DOESN'T COME TO THAT POINT,
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
Jon: WELL, RIGHT NOW, AFTER WE LIQUIDATE PRODUCT...
I'M IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SELL THE...
WE OWN THE BUILDING, SO I'M TRYING TO SELL THE BUILDING
AS WELL AS GET SOMEBODY IN HERE THAT'LL BE ABLE TO LEASE, TOO.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE PEOPLE ON THE LINE
THAT WANT TO TALK TO ME WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
HOPEFULLY, WE'LL WORK SOMETHING OUT
WHERE WE CAN SELL THE PROPERTY
AND I'LL BE ABLE TO PAY ALL MY BILLS
AND WALK AWAY WITHOUT ANY DEBT.
THAT'S IF IT ALL WORKS OUT RIGHT.
I PRAY THAT IT WILL.
Nicholson: I REMEMBER THAT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.
THE HELL WITH IT. WAL-MART WILL BUY THE DAMN TOWN.
WE'LL SHUT THEM DOWN.
WE USED TO DRIVE THROUGH TOWNS GOING, "6 MONTHS.
3 MONTHS. 6 MONTHS,"OF WHEN WE'D BE CLOSING THEM.
Man: YOU DRIVE ALL THE WAY UP TO NEW YORK CITY ON ROUTE 80.
YOU CAN PULL OFF AT CLARION OR ANY OF THOSE TOWNS UP THERE,
AND YOU'LL SEE A WAL-MART UP ON THE HILL.
YOU'LL SEE A PERKINS AND MAYBE A BURGER KING.
THEN YOU'LL DRIVE FARTHER INTO THE TOWN,
AND YOU'LL SEE AN EMPTY TOWN.
IT LOOKS LIKE A NEUTRON BOMB HIT IT.
Springsteen: WELL, I RODE THAT RIBBON OF HIGHWAY
I SAW ABOVE ME THE ENDLESS SKYWAY
Norman: THEY DON'T GET IT.
WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE,
THEY START TALKING ABOUT CHEAP UNDERWEAR.
I KEEP SAYING, "YOU CAN'T BUY SMALL-TOWN QUALITY OF LIFE AT A WAL-MART."
THEY DON'T SELL IT.
BUT ONCE THEY STEAL IT,
YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK AT ANY PRICE.
I FOLLOWED MY FOOTSTEPS
THROUGH THE SPARKLING SANDS OF HER DIAMOND DESERTS
AND ALL AROUND ME...
Thibodeaux: WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOST FANTASTIC THING IN THE WORLD
THAT WAL-MART WAS COMING TO HEARNE, TEXAS.
IT WAS LIKE THEY HAD BESTOWED
SOME GREAT HONOR ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE WELCOMED THEM, LITERALLY, WITH OPEN ARMS.
WE COULD NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THEM.
COULD NOT DO ENOUGH FOR THEM TO HELP THEM COME.
WHEN WAL-MART FIRST MADE THE DECISION TO COME HERE,
YOU COULD COME TO TOWN ON A SATURDAY EVENING
AND NOT FIND A PARKING PLACE ANYWHERE.
I CAME TO DOWNTOWN HEARNE ON SATURDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
AND THERE WAS 12 CARS IN DOWNTOWN HEARNE.
I COUNTED THEM. 12 CARS IN DOWNTOWN HEARNE.
THAT IS PATHETIC.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
THIS LAND IS MY LAND
FROM CALIFORNIA
TO THE NEW YORK ISLAND
FROM THE REDWOOD FOREST
TO THE GULF STREAM WATERS
OH, THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME
WAL-MART WAS A GREAT THING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S REALLY AWAKENED THE WEST SIDE OF OUR TOWN.
I THINK SAM WALTON WOULD TELL US,
JUST AS HE DID BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY,
THAT THE NUMBER-ONE THING IN THIS COMPANY IS OUR ASSOCIATES.
WE'VE GOT STORES THAT AREN'T TREATING ASSOCIATES
AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD BE TREATED.
IT'S A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
I WAS DOING REALLY WELL.
I HAD A 4.0 AVERAGE.
BUT LIFE HAPPENS.
MY DAD GOT SICK. MY MOM GOT SICK.
AND THINGS HAPPEN,
AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT
THE WAY I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO.
WHEN I STARTED WORKING THERE, I HAD SO MUCH PRIDE IN MY JOB.
I DID.
I DIDN'T MIND BEING THERE WHEN THEY NEEDED ME.
I DIDN'T MIND DOING...
I KNEW THAT WE WERE SHORT-STAFFED.
AT THAT TIME, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A PURPOSEFUL THING.
THAT'S THEIR INTENTION.
THEY HAD STACKS LIKE THIS OF APPLICATIONS IN THE BACK.
THEY JUST DIDN'T HIRE THEM.
WE'RE TOLD, "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
WE DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE."
AND I REALLY DID, AT FIRST, I WAS REALLY...
I FELT BAD FOR THEM.
IT WAS LIKE, "OH, OKAY."
"I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXTRA HOUR HERE.
I'LL COME IN EARLY TOMORROW. I WON'T TAKE MY DAY OFF."
DeVoy: ALWAYS HAVING TO STAY LATE.
SUPPOSED TO WORK TILL 11:00. YOU'RE THERE TILL 12:00, 12:30.
KEEP THE NUMBER OF ASSOCIATES FROM BEING FULL TIME
AS MANY AS YOU CAN.
KEEP THEM PART TIME AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
AND JUST KEEP REDUCING THAT EXPENSE.
THE COMPANY DOESN'T ALLOW THE STORES
ENOUGH PAYROLL DOLLARS TO GET THE JOB DONE.
AND THE JOB IS ENORMOUS.
THIS COMPANY IS RAKING IN THE DOUGH, IN THE SALES.
MY STORE ALONE DID OVER $100 MILLION IN SALES
THE YEAR THAT I LEFT.
DeVoy: HAVING TO GET UP WITH THE KIDS.
JUST GETTING THEM OUT TO SCHOOL AFTER FOUR HOURS' SLEEP.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU SACRIFICE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE LOSE THEIR FAMILIES.
IT DOESN'T MATTER
IF THE ASSOCIATES HAVE GOOD HEALTH CARE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER, ANYTHING,
OTHER THAN WHAT THE BOTTOM-LINE PROFIT IS
FOR THAT STORE THAT MONTH.
IT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT
TO HAVE A GOOD FAMILY LIFE AT WAL-MART.
IF YOU CAN SQUEEZE EVERY DIME OUT OF THEM, YOU GO FOR IT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR FAMILIES.
IF THEY FALL APART, THEY GET SICK, THE HELL WITH THEM.
WE'RE TROUBLED BY THE FACT
THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WORK FULL TIME
WHO, IN FACT, CANNOT PROVIDE ENOUGH
FOR THEIR FAMILIES TO LIVE DECENTLY.
IT WAS JUST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME
TO PAY MY BILLS AND PAY FOR DAY CARE AND WORK.
YOU SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO GO INTO THE OFFICE.
THE MONEY I DID GET WENT RIGHT BACK INTO WAL-MART.
I'D GET MY CHECK.
HAVE IT DEPOSITED.
GO SHOPPING.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED WAL-MART,
I HAD MY KIDS ON THE WAL-MART INSURANCE.
IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO HANDLE.
I JUST COULDN'T AFFORD IT.
I'D HAVE TO PAY MY PREMIUMS AT WORK.
AND WHEN I TOOK THEM TO THE DOCTOR'S, I STILL HAD TO PAY.
I ALWAYS HAD TO PAY A CHUNK OF MONEY.
I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE
AND THAT WE HAVE THE WAGES WE HAVE.
PEOPLE THAT'S MAKING $7 AN HOUR THAT HAS TO GO TO A DOCTOR,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR DEDUCTIBLE.
Woman: I HAVE AN 18-MONTH-OLD BABY,
AND HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF INSURANCE.
WHEN HE WAS SICK, I WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND FIX HIM MYSELF.
GET HIM MEDICATION MYSELF.
IF HE HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR,
I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE HIM AND PAY IT AS I COULD.
SAM WALTON BELIEVED THAT IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE
FOR AN ASSOCIATE WITH ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY
TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT,
HOW WERE THEY GOING TO SURVIVE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT?
Noble: I WAS UNDER MY MOM'S INSURANCE PLAN
WITH A LOCAL GROCERY STORE THAT SHE WORKED FOR.
ANY PRESCRIPTION IT WAS, IT WAS $5.
AND NOW, THROUGH WAL-MART,
FOR THAT ONE BOTTLE OF PILLS, I'M PAYING $70.
I CAN'T AFFORD
TO PUT MY CHILDREN ON THE WAL-MART INSURANCE
BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
THERE'S NO WAY I CAN AFFORD
TO HAVE $75 TAKEN OUT OF EACH CHECK JUST FOR MEDICAL.
THAT'S WHY, BECAUSE I'M SUCH LOW-INCOME,
I AM ABLE TO GET THE MEDICAID FOR THE KIDS
THROUGH COLORADO STATE.
BUT THEY'RE A BILLION-DOLLAR CORPORATION,
SO I DON'T SEE WHY THEY CANNOT OFFER
A BETTER MEDICAL PACKAGE FOR THEIR ASSOCIATES
SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO GET OUR FAMILIES ON INSURANCE.
YOU START WEIGHING, "OKAY, HE'S SICK.
WE EAT. WHICH ONE DO WE DO?"
"WELL, LET'S GIVE HIM AN ASPIRIN."
NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, THEY'RE AT POVERTY LEVEL.
I WATCHED SO MANY PEOPLE GO WITHOUT LUNCH IN THE LOUNGES
THAT I STOPPED EATING IN THE LOUNGES.
I HAD MY MANAGERS EAT IN THERE BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND IT.
THEY JUST WOULDN'T EAT,
AND WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO OFFER THEM ANY MONEY.
AND THERE WERE PEOPLE I'D SEE THAT DIDN'T EAT NOTHING.
THEY'D TAKE AN HOUR LUNCH AND JUST SIT THERE.
WE HAD FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED AT WAL-MART.
AND THEY HAD MEDICAL.
BUT THE MEDICAL WAS SO HIGH,
SO THEY HAD TO GO OUT AND GET SOME TYPE OF GOVERNMENT MEDICAL.
WHILE I WAS WORKING AT WAL-MART, I WAS ON WIC.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM.
IT SAVED MY LIFE, REALLY,
BECAUSE YOU GOT ALL THE FORMULA AND CEREAL AND STUFF
YOU NEEDED FOR THE BABY.
AND I ALSO WENT TO THE MEDICAID OFFICE.
IT CAN BE A REAL HASSLE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE OFFICES,
BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE THERE.
I'M THANKFUL FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
IT'S NOT A FUN SITUATION.
IT'S DEMEANING.
I ALWAYS HEARD PEOPLE SAY,
"THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO JUST USE THE SYSTEM."
I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY
I WOULD WANT TO SPEND ANY LENGTH OF TIME
HAVING TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET ASSISTANCE.
YOU TALK ABOUT USING THE SYSTEM.
LOOK AT THE WAY WAL-MART IS USING THE SYSTEM.
THEY'RE PROMOTING PEOPLE TO GO TO HEALTHY KIDS
AND TO GET FOOD STAMPS AND SECTION 8 HOUSING.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE USING THE SYSTEM.
YEAH, IT'S PRETTY BAD WHEN YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR EMPLOYEES
THAT "ALL THESE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING YOU ENOUGH MONEY."
RETAIL GIANT WAL-MART
IS ENCOURAGING ITS WORKERS TO GO ON WELFARE.
INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE HEALTH BENEFITS,
SHE SAYS WAL-MART IS MAKING THE GOVERNMENT TAKE CARE OF IT.
IN FLORIDA, WAL-MART HAS MORE EMPLOYEES AND FAMILY MEMBERS
ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID THAN ANY OTHER COMPANY.
CRITICS ACCUSE THE RETAIL GIANT
OF USING MEDICAID AND STATE PROGRAMS FOR THE POOR
AS ITS HEALTH-CARE PLAN.
Man: THIS REPORT FROM U.C. BERKELEY RESEARCHERS
CONCLUDES WAL-MART COSTS STATE TAXPAYERS $86 MILLION A YEAR
AND COUNTY TAXPAYERS AS MUCH AS ANOTHER $25 MILLION
TO PICK UP THE TAB FOR PUBLIC HEALTH CARE, INCOME-TAX CREDITS,
HOUSING SUBSIDIES, AND FOOD STAMPS.
Woman: EVELYN DEES USED TO WORK FULL TIME FOR WAL-MART
BUT DIDN'T HAVE COMPANY HEALTH-CARE BENEFITS.
SHE LITERALLY COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT,
SO SHE TURNED TO GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
Woman #2: WHAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T UNDERSTAND
IS THAT THOSE "EVERYDAY LOW PRICES"
ARE BASED ON TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES.
WAL-MART IS GETTING AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY CAN.
I TALKED TO THE REGIONAL PERSONNEL MANAGER
ABOUT WHO WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE WAL-MART ASSOCIATES
AND THEIR HEALTH-CARE NEEDS.
HE SAID, "LET THE STATE DO IT."
THE PERSONNEL MANAGER TOLD ME PERSONALLY
THAT THERE'S ASSISTANCE OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO USE IT.
USE YOUR TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS.
I HAD A LIST OF ALL OF THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
AND THE DIFFERENT PLACES PEOPLE COULD GO
IF THEY NEEDED MONEY FOR THEIR UTILITY BILLS,
IF THEY NEEDED TO APPLY FOR FOOD STAMPS,
OR IF THEY NEEDED TO APPLY FOR WIC OR FOR MEDICAID.
YOUR DIGNITY IS NOT THERE. YOUR PRIDE IS NOT THERE.
YOU GO TO WORK KNOWING THAT YOU'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY
TO REALLY MAKE ENDS MEET,
BUT YET YOU GOTTA GO WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND FAKE IT.
YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY BAD.
COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF HEALTH CARE
THAT A FULL-TIME PERSON CAN AFFORD.
AND DON'T HAVE TO PUT ON THE SCALE
"HEALTH CARE" OR "FEED MY FAMILY."
"WHY IS IT THAT A CORPORATION THAT, IN 2003,
"HAD AN OUTSTANDING $240 BILLION IN SALES
"WOULD NOT PROVIDE A LIVEABLE WAGE AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES?"
THERE'S NOWHERE AROUND THAT THERE'S A COMPANY
THAT MAKES THIS MUCH MONEY AND STILL TURNS AROUND
AND MAKES THEIR ASSOCIATES GO TO THE STATE FOR AID.
Woman: I THINK MY COMPANY TAKES FAMILY VERY SERIOUSLY.
THEY'LL HELP YOU ACHIEVE ANYTHING YOU WANT.
THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ABSOLUTELY ENDLESS AT WAL-MART.
THINK OF THE CAREERS THAT GET STARTED IN THIS COMPANY
AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME,
JOBS THAT COME WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Noble: WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING AT WAL-MART,
I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO GO TO COLLEGE LATER ON.
THE PEOPLE THAT I WAS WORKING WITH WERE JUST SO NICE.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS AWESOME.
MY JOB FUNCTION AS A TIRE & LUBE EXPRESS TECHNICIAN
IS PERFORMING AN OIL SERVICE, DOING TIRE CHANGES,
BATTERY SERVICE, STOCKING THE INSIDE SHELVES,
WRITING UP WORK ORDERS AND GREETING THE CUSTOMER,
RUNNING THE CASH REGISTER, RINGING PEOPLE OUT
FOR GROCERIES THEY BOUGHT THROUGHOUT THE STORE,
AND THEY WANT IT ALL DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
ALL I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS THE ONE 4% RAISE A YEAR
THAT YOU GET FROM WAL-MART.
I'VE WORKED THERE THREE YEARS,
AND I HAVE GOTTEN, I THINK, $1.07 RAISE.
I DON'T HAVE GOOD HEALTH BENEFITS.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE ON MY OWN ANYMORE.
MOST OF IT IS THE POOR TREATMENT FROM MANAGEMENT AT WAL-MART.
I DON'T KNOW. IT'S JUST WEIRD.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF QUIET AND SHY.
AND NOW I KIND OF NEED TO STANDNUP FOR MYSELF AND MY COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR A WHILE.
WHATEVER I TYPED IN BROUGHT UP THE SAME THING.
I'D TYPE IN "EMPLOYEE RIGHTS." IT WOULD BRING UP THE UNION.
"FAIR LABOR PRACTICE" WOULD BRING UP THE UNION.
THESE CORPORATE PEOPLE IN THE WAL-MART CORPORATION
DON'T EVEN REALLY LIKE TO SAY THE WORD "UNION."
TO THEM, IT'S A CURSE WORD.
"THIRD-PARTY REPRESENTATION" IS THE WAY THEY PUT IT.
Lehman: WAL-MART IS VERY OPPOSED TO UNIONS.
ONE OF THE MOST ANTI-,
IF NOT THE MOST AGGRESSIVELY ANTI-UNION COMPANY
IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
JUST RELENTLESS IN THEIR SEARCH FOR UNION ACTIVITY
AND TRY TO SQUELCH IT, KILL IT.
WE GOT A FEW.
ED DUPONTES. HE GAVE YOU A CALL, RIGHT?
HE GAVE ME A CALL,
AND HE SAYS HE DIDN'T WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE UNION.
HIS ANSWER WAS, "NO, NO, NO."
I HAD A WORKER THAT CAME TO ME WITH A PIECE OF PAPER
THAT SOMEONE HAD TYPED UP ON A COMPUTER.
IN BIG, BOLD, BLACK LETTERS, IT SAID, "WE NEED A UNION."
NO SIGNATURES. THAT'S ALL IT SAID.
THAT IN ITSELF IS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE ME, AS A STORE MANAGER
TO GO AND MAKE A PHONE CALL.
AND THE PHONE CALL COMES TO BE TO VILLE.
AND THAT AFTERNOON, I HAD TO PERSONALLY DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT
AND PICK UP THREE GUYS THAT FLEW IN IN A CORPORATE JET
AND PICK THEM UP AND BRING THEM BACK TO MY STORE.
WE HAVE TO DO THIS FOR THE REASONS WE STARTED IT.
Fortune: WHAT THEY DO IS THEY BASICALLY WALK IN
AND TELL THE STORE MANAGER,
"YOU'RE NO LONGER IN CHARGE OF THIS STORE.
EVERY DECISION GOES THROUGH US."
Nicholson: THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO PROFILE PEOPLE.
OF COURSE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS THE TERM THEN.
AND IT WAS IDENTIFYING PEOPLE
THAT WERE THE STRONGEST REPRESENTERS
OF THE PETITION TO ORGANIZE, OR AT LEAST GET A VOTE.
ANITA WE NEED TO CONTACT STILL.
POSSIBILITY THERE.
YOU WALK UP TO A COUPLE OF ASSOCIATES, AND THEY'RE TALKING.
THEY WALK AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
THEY GOTTA GO.
THEY'RE CONSPIRING TO DO SOMETHING.
Man: BE NOISY.
BE HAPPY.
BE BOISTEROUS.
WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING DESPERATELY
TO FIGHT AGAINST THE WORLD'S LARGEST,
RICHEST, AND PROBABLY MEANEST CORPORATION.
Fortune: THE ASSOCIATES IN THE AUTOMOTIVE DEPARTMENT
WERE FLOODED WITH BRAINWASHING MATERIAL AGAINST THE UNION.
I GOT FOOLED BY A UNION. FOOLED BAD.
ALL THE UNION IS WORKING AT IS TAKING A CUT OUT OF MY PAY.
YEAH, TAKE YOUR MONEY
AND SPEND IT TO HELPING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
AND HELP PEOPLE I DON'T EVEN VOTE FOR.
BECAUSE THEY KNOW A UNION WOULD JUST MESS IT UP.
BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
JUST ASK THE ASSOCIATES WORKING HERE IN THE BUILDING.
NOW I CAN'T GET WITHIN THE STORE OF 50 FEET
BEFORE SOMEBODY APPROACHES ME,
OR THERE'S SOMEBODY FOLLOWING ME AROUND THE STORE
Man: I WAS NEVER ALONE. I WAS FOLLOWED WHEREVER I WENT.
TRULY, THE MANAGERS WOULD FOLLOW ME.
Lehman: DURING THE PROCESS OF INTIMIDATING THEM,
THEY MAKE THEIR LIVES MISERABLE.
THEY DO ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE.
THEY PUT CAMERAS UP IN WORK STATIONS,
WORK AREAS, BREAK ROOMS.
YOU GOT A TARGET ON YOUR BACK.
EVERYBODY ELSE KNOW, "I GOTTA STAY AWAY FROM THIS PERSON
BECAUSE I CAN GET FIRED FOR TALKING TO THIS PERSON."
THEY'RE TARGETING A LOT OF IT AT JOSH.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT JOSH BEING HELD UP ON THEIR SHOULDERS
AND PARADED AROUND.
THEY'RE LIKE, "YEAH, HE'S JUST USING IT
FOR A WAY TO GET ATTENTION."
Fortune: ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE TACTICS IS TO SAY,
"WE HAVE TO FREEZE ALL THE RAISES
BECAUSE WE CAN'T APPEAR TO BE BRIBING ANYBODY."
Kuc: IT WAS A GREAT POLITICAL PLOY BY WAL-MART, IN MY MIND,
TO SAY THAT'S WHY THEY WEREN'T GETTING RAISES.
SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES STARTED PUTTING PRESSURE
ON THE TIRE & LUBE EXPRESS PEOPLE,
BECAUSE "WE CAN'T GET RAISES BECAUSE OF YOU."
I WAS SO SCARED TO GO TO THE BREAK ROOM
BECAUSE THEY MADE US ALL GO TO BREAK TOGETHER
BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY DEAD AFTER THAT.
WE START WALKING THROUGH.
CUSTOMERS AND OTHER ASSOCIATES WERE GIVING US DIRTY LOOKS.
I WAS LIKE, "I'M NOT SITTING IN THAT BREAK ROOM."
ALICIA'S GOOD.
ALICIA'S WAY GOOD.
YEAH.
TALKED WITH HER QUITE A BIT.
AND WE KNOW CODY'S GOOD.
RIGHT. CODY'S WITH US HERE.
IT STRUCK THE MANAGERS TO START HIRING ASSOCIATES IN THE STORE.
AND WHAT THEY DO THIS FOR IS TO TRY TO DISSOLVE THE PERCENTAGES
OF THE PEOPLE IN THE STORE THAT ARE FOR THE UNION.
JAMES. JAMES IS ANOTHER NEW HIRE.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHO THAT IS.
YEAH.
BUT THIS IS OUR STORE.
THIS ISN'T THEIR STORE.
WE'RE MAKING THEM MONEY.
WE'RE THE LITTLE WORKER ANTS.
SO, WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION?
RIGHT NOW, IT'S AT 50/50.
I MEAN, THE FEW PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE
ARE JUST GONNA MAKE IT OR BREAK IT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU LOST ALICIA.
NO. I'VE TALKED WITH HER QUITE A BIT.
SHE'S JUST KIND OF HARD-TO-READ-TYPE PERSON.
I HANG OUT WITH HER ON THE WEEKENDS.
SHE'S DEFINITELY INTO IT.
SHE'S REAL STRONG.
I JUST BELIEVE IT'S REALLY JUST GONNA GO DONE
'CAUSE CODY'S NOT VOTING.
RYAN'S NOT VOTING YES.
AND I'M STILL KIND OF...
I KIND OF REALLY DON'T WANT TO VOTE, BUT I KIND OF HAVE TO.
YOU'RE GETTING ALL FREAKED OUT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA KNOW HOW YOU VOTED.
ALL IT'S GONNA BE IS A BUNCH OF NUMBERS RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'VE GOT 6 FOR A NO.
ANOTHER 6 YES.
SO WE'VE GOT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ON THE FENCE.
Lehman: THE COMPANY DOES EVERYTHING THAT IT CAN,
AND THAT MEANS ANYTHING.
THEY WILL KILL IT.
THEY'LL KILL THE CAMPAIGN.
WAL-MART WINNING OUT, AS YOU SAID, 17-1, BUT THE UNION...
Fortune: IT'S NOT A FAIR BATTLE.
IT'S NOT ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT.
BUT WHEN THEY FIND THAT THERE'S A CAMPAIGN GOING ON,
EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE --
FAIR, UNFAIR, LEGAL, MAYBE NOT-SO-LEGAL --
IS DONE TO KEEP THE UNION OUT.
Interpreter: WAL-MART WAS VERY LUCKY
TO ACQUIRE TWO REALLY GOOD COMPANIES.
BUT, OF COURSE, THEY WERE ALREADY UNIONIZED.
WAL-MART HAD NO CHOICE.
Interpreter #2: BECAUSE OF THE UNION, WE GET 36 DAYS OF VACATION A YEAR.
USUALLY, PEOPLE TAKE 3 WEEKS IN THE SUMMER,
3 WEEKS IN THE SPRING.
IT DEPENDS.
YOU CAN SPLIT YOUR VACATIONS INTO 2 OR 3 TIMES PER YEAR.
OR EVEN MORE OFTEN, IF YOU PREFER.
Interpreter #3: MY JOB IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IF I HAVE TO FEAR FOR MY JOB, IT'S A BAD THING --
A VERY BAD THING.
IF WAL-MART SAYS WE'RE ALL A BIG FAMILY
AND WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, EVERYTHING'S GREAT,
THEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE COLLEAGUES IN AMERICA
CAN'T HAVE A WORKERS COUNCIL,
CAN'T ESTABLISH A UNION.
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
Man: WAL-MART IS A CAREER. IT'S NOT JUST A JOB.
GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE.
GOOD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MY CHILDREN.
IT IS RIGHT FOR THE 1.2 MILLION WAL-MART ASSOCIATES,
INCLUDING MORE MINORITIES
AND MORE SENIORS THAT WORK IN ANY OTHER COMPANY IN AMERICA.
WAL-MART OFFERS THE RIGHT JOB AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THEIR LIVES,
AND IT GIVES THEM A STEP UP THAT ECONOMIC LADDER.
MY NAME IS EDITH ARANA.
I LIVE HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
I HAVE TWO GIRLS.
I GO TO SCHOOL TO BE A PRESCHOOL TEACHER.
I WORKED FOR WAL-MART FOR SIX YEARS.
THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THE DIFFERENT THINGS THEY OFFERED
AND THE TYPE OF COMPANY WAL-MART WAS.
I SAID, "THAT'S A COMPANY I WANT TO WORK FOR."
I ALWAYS FOUND IT REWARDING TO ME
TO HELP THE CUSTOMER FIND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
I COULD WORK WONDERS.
"DO MORE WITH LESS.
"I KNOW THE TRUE MEANING OF DO MORE WITH LESS.
"THEY WANT THE ASSOCIATES TO DO MORE
AND THEY'RE GONNA PAY THEM LESS."
THEY WOULD COME IN THE OFFICE OR ON THE FLOOR.
IT DIDN'T MATTER WHERE YOU WERE WORKING.
THEY WOULD SAY, "WELL, YOU KNOW WE HAVE NO OVERTIME.
THERE IS TO BE NO OVERTIME WHATSOEVER."
WE MAY HAVE FIVE BASKETS OF MERCHANDISE
THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK.
YOU MAY HAVE 30 MINUTES LEFT ON YOUR 8-HOUR SHIFT.
"BUT WE NEED THOSE BASKETS PUT AWAY."
AND THEY USUALLY DO IT WITH A SMILE.
YOU WOULD GO ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE YOU NEEDED THAT JOB.
AND THERE WAS NO IF, ANDS, OR BUTS ABOUT IT.
THEY WOULD LET YOU KNOW, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER,
"IF YOU CAN'T DO IT, I'LL JUST GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
"YOU ARE NOT A PERSON THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED.
AND WE'RE HIRING ALL THE TIME."
AND IN YOUR MIND, YOU GO, "LOOK, I GOT THESE KIDS AT HOME.
I'LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE THAT SACRIFICE."
AND YOU WILL.
THEY ARE ASKED TO WORK OFF THE CLOCK
WITH THE IMPLICATION THAT IF THEY DON'T WORK OFF THE CLOCK,
THAT IS WHAT IS EXPECTED AT THIS PARTICULAR STORE,
THEY ARE GONNA LOSE THEIR JOB.
AND THEY DO IT AS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL.
AND IT COMES FROM THE TOP.
Woman: WAL-MART IS FIGHTING LEGAL BATTLES
WITH SCORES OF FORMER EMPLOYEES IN 31 STATES --
HOURLY WORKERS WHO SAY THE COMPANY HAS CHEATED THEM
OUT OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OVERTIME PAY.
THE WAL-MART CORPORATION PAID APPROXIMATELY $50 MILLION
TO SETTLE AN OFF-THE-CLOCK CLASS-ACTION SUIT IN COLORADO.
IN TEXAS, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THEY CHEATED WORKERS
OUT OF UP TO $150 MILLION IN UNPAID WAGES.
OUR POLICY IS THAT WE PAY EVERYONE FOR EVERY HOUR WORKED.
YOU'RE THE CEO OF WAL-MART. THAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN DO?
"IF YOU WORK HERE, WE'LL PAY YOU."
THAT'S IT? "WORK AT WAL-MART.
IT'S BETTER THAN GETTING KICKED IN THE NUTS."
OUR DISTRICT MANAGER EXPLAINED TO US
HOW TO CHEAT WORKERS OUT OF OVERTIME.
HE SAID, "THIS IS HOW YOU CAN COME IN ON YOUR PAYROLL BUDGET
FOR THIS WEEK."
IF YOU HAD, SAY, 3 WORKERS THAT HAD OVERTIME --
MAYBE AN HOUR OR EVEN 20 MINUTES OVER 40 HOURS.
HE EXPLAINED TO US HOW TO GO IN THE SYSTEM UNDER A FALSE USER ID
TO GET INTO THE COMPUTER AND MOVE THAT TIME TO THE NEXT WEEK.
I'VE SEEN MANAGERS GO IN WHEN SOMEONE WORKED 41, 42 HOURS
AND CHANGE IT TO 40 HOURS.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING
TO JUST LIVE ON THE BASICS EVERY DAY OR DO WITHOUT
NEED THAT EXTRA MINUTE OR TWO ON THEIR PAYCHECK.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE VICTIMIZED THE MOST.
I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT DID IT.
I SEEN EVERY MANAGER, EXCEPT FOR ONE GENERAL MANAGER, DO IT.
Man: WAL-MART REFUSES TO FOLLOW THE VERY AMERICAN ETHIC
THAT HAS SERVED THE COUNTRY WELL FOR MANY YEARS.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE PAID FOR THE WORK THEY DO.
Man #2: WAL-MART CURRENTLY FACES LAWSUITS IN 31 DIFFERENT STATES
FOR WAGE AND HOUR ABUSES,
POTENTIALLY INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS.
AS A STORE MANAGER,
YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING YOUR EXPENSES
EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT
IS TO KEEP THE ASSOCIATES' NUMBERS DOWN.
Woman: I WAS JUST GETTING ABOUT 19 HOURS A WEEK.
THAT'S JUST... YOU CAN'T PAY BILLS WITH THAT.
IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT AT ALL.
IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING THOSE FULL-TIME HOURS FOR THAT WEEK,
THAT'S DEVASTATING.
IT MAY HELP THEM ON THEIR BOTTOM LINE,
BUT IT DOESN'T HELP YOU AT HOME.
WHEN IT COMES TO JOBS, WE HAVE GOOD JOBS.
74% OF OUR PEOPLE ARE FULL-TIME.
MOST PEOPLE IN AMERICA DON'T KNOW THAT.
ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
WAL-MART CONSIDERS FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT 28 HOURS A WEEK,
WHICH, AT THEIR STARTING WAGE,
WORKS OUT TO UNDER $12,000 A YEAR.
Man: I.N.S. AGENTS ARRESTED 250 UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS
IN 61 WAL-MARTS ACROSS AMERICA.
WAL-MART IS PAYING $11 MILLION TO SETTLE FEDERAL ALLEGATIONS
IT USED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO CLEAN ITS STORES.
I'M STUNNED THAT THEY WOULD EMPLOY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
VERY STUNNED.
YOU'RE STUNNED THEY HIRE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOR NEARLY NO PAY?
LADY, YOU JUST BOUGHT A SWEATSHIRT THERE FOR $.29.
WAL-MART, THE WORLD'S LARGEST RETAILER,
COULD BE FACING THE LARGEST LAWSUIT
EVER BROUGHT AGAINST A PRIVATE EMPLOYER.
LAWYERS SUING WAL-MART WILL FILE THEIR MOTION TODAY.
IF A JUDGE AGREES, THE COMPANY COULD BE FACING
A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT FOR DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST 1.6 MILLION CURRENT AND FORMER FEMALE EMPLOYEES.
I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE LAWSUIT.
THERE WERE PEOPLE IN MY STORE THAT HAD NO IDEA ABOUT IT, ALSO.
MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT IN THE UPPER ECHELONS OF WAL-MART MANAGEMENT
TALK ABOUT HOW WOMEN AT WAL-MART ARE USELESS.
I HAVE DONE RECEIVING MANAGER.
I WAS OPERATION MANAGER.
I WAS MERCHANDISE MANAGER.
SO, IT'S LIKE I KIND OF DID IT ALL.
I CLEANED THE BATHROOM EVERY SINGLE DAY.
KEN WOULD COME TO ME AND SAY, "IT'S YOUR TURN AGAIN."
I'D SAY TO HIM, "IT WAS MY TURN YESTERDAY."
AND HE'D LAUGH, AND WE'D JOKE ABOUT IT.
WE'D GO BACK AND FORTH.
I'D SAY, "I KNOW. I'M THE ONLY FEMALE THAT'S WORKING OUT HERE.
SO, HENCE, I HAVE TO CLEAN THE BATHROOM."
NOBODY SAID, "WELL, WHY A WOMAN BEEN IN THIS COMPANY
ALL OF THESE YEARS?"
YOU LOOK AT THE EVALUATION.
EVERY GENERAL MANAGER STATED,
"SHE SHOULD BE A G.M. WITHIN A YEAR."
"WITHIN 6 MONTHS."
EVERY EVALUATION.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
THE COMPANY HIDES THE FACT
THAT THESE PRACTICES ARE VERY SYSTEMIC.
THEY'RE SYSTEMIC, MEANING THEY COME OUT OF THE HOME OFFICE.
BOTTOM LINE, IF YOU WERE A FEMALE, YOU WEREN'T WORTH IT.
YOU JUST WEREN'T WORTH THE TIME.
YOU WEREN'T WORTH THE MONEY.
YOU WEREN'T WORTH THE EFFORT -- NOTHING.
A BLIND MAN. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS BLIND.
SHE COULD SEE BETTER THAN WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SEEING.
BECAUSE YOU PUT THE BLINDERS ON.
YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SEE.
WHEN I CALLED, I CALLED TO FILE A PETITION,
OR TO FILE A CLAIM AGAINST THEM,
JUST TO SAY THAT THEY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ME
BECAUSE I WAS A WOMAN.
I'M BETTY. I'M A WAL-MART ASSOCIATE.
I LOVE WORKING AT WAL-MART.
I LOVE THAT THEY PAY ME LESS THAN MEN
BECAUSE THAT MEANS I CAN'T AFFORD TO EAT AS MUCH
AND I GET TO KEEP MY FIGURE.
JIM GOT PROMOTED TO MANAGEMENT OVER ME, BUT THAT'S OKAY,
BECAUSE HE'S A CUTIE.
YOU GO GET THEM, HONEY.
WHEN I APPLIED FOR THE ASSISTANT MANAGER TRAINING PROGRAM,
I DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE BACK AT ALL.
I WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING I HAD DONE FOR MY STORE MANAGER.
AND I HAD DONE IT, LIKE, YOU WOULD DO A CHECK LIST.
SAID, "YOU TOLD ME TO DO THIS. I DID IT."
"YOU TOLD ME TO DO THIS. I DID IT."
HE AGREED WITH A NOD.
AND I SAID, "NOW I WANT WHAT YOU PROMISED ME."
HE JUST BLUNTLY TOLD ME,
"THERE'S NO PLACE FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN MANAGEMENT."
AND I SAID, "WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, PEOPLE LIKE ME?"
AND I SAID TO HIM, "THAT I'M A WOMAN OR THAT I'M BLACK?"
HE SAID, "WELL, TWO OUT OF TWO AIN'T BAD."
I WAS CALLED "MILKBOY," "NIGGER,"
AT THIS PARTICULAR STORE.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE THIS ONE GUY'S BICYCLE,
THEY HUNG IT UP IN THE CEILING
AND PUT A ROPE AROUND IT.
YOU KNOW, LITERARY LYNCHED THIS GUY'S BICYCLE.
I COMPLAINED BECAUSE TO ME IT WAS OFFENSIVE.
AND IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT? NOTHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS MORE DEVASTATED THAN HUMILIATED,
BUT IN MY MIND, THE WAY I LOVE PEOPLE,
I JUST COULDN'T SEE ANOTHER PERSON,
MAYBE THEY ARE NOT STRONG AS I AM,
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT.
THIS WOMAN WALKED THROUGH THE HALLWAY AND SAID,
"EENIE, MEENIE, MINNIE, MOE, CATCH A NIGGER BY THE TOE."
I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT. NOTHING HAPPENED.
IF YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT DISCRIMINATION,
THEY'LL JUST LET MORE PEOPLE OUT ON YOU
TO SEE IF THEY CAN REALLY WORK YOU OUT OF THERE OR WHATEVER.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.
I JUST GOT TIRED.
I STARTED GOING BACKWARDS IN MY MIND OF ALL THE DIFFERENT STUFF,
AND IT STARTED CLICKING AND CLICKING,
AND THE MORE I THOUGHT, THE WORSE I FELT.
BECAUSE I FELT TO MYSELF, "YOU'RE AN IDIOT.
HOW COULD YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN?"
I WAS DEVASTATED.
THE TIME THAT I SPENT ON THOSE ROADS,
I COULD'VE BEEN AT HOME WITH MY HUSBAND.
BUT I WASN'T.
BECAUSE I WAS DOING MY END OF WHAT WAL-MART PROMISED ME.
"IF YOU DO THIS, WE WILL DO THIS."
AND IT WAS NOT WORTH MY HUSBAND'S LIFE.
AND THE WORST PART ABOUT IT IS
IS THAT NOBODY WILL EVER KNOW HOW BIG THIS IS,
WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE.
THERE'S GOT TO BE MORE PEOPLE LIKE ME OUT THERE,
BUT THEY'RE TOO AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING.
Woman: I LOVE MY JOB.
IT'S CHALLENGING, BUT IT'S REALLY SATISFYING.
WE TRULY ARE LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM.
IT'S OUT THERE, AND IT'S AT WAL-MART.
GREAT CITIZE SHIP ALSO MEANS
THAT WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE IN
THROUGH OUR CHARITIES
AND THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT EXIST THERE.
Red: YOU KNOW, THE TIME I WAS BORN, COUNTING HOOVER,
I HAVE LIVED UNDER ABOUT 36%
OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
HOOVER AND ROOSEVELT, TRUMAN, EISENHOWER,
KENNEDY, JOHNSON, NIXON, FORD,
JIMMY CARTER, RONALD REAGAN, BILL CLINTON,
SENIOR BUSH, AND JUNIOR BUSH.
SO THERE'S 13 PRESIDENTS OUT OF 43 I'VE LIVED UNDER.
WE CAME HERE IN 1959
AND STARTED THE I.G.A. STORE, WHICH IS INDEPENDENT GROCERS.
WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 150 EMPLOYEES.
AND OF THESE 150 EMPLOYEES, THE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES --
AND THAT WAS A GREAT NUMBER OF THEM --
HAD FULL COVERAGE ON INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE ALSO HAD 401(k) PENSION PLAN THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATED.
IN SMALL FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES,
YOU DO BECOME ATTACHED TO YOUR EMPLOYEES,
AND THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.
WE ALWAYS TRIED TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS PARTY
OR CHRISTMAS DINNER
WHERE ALL THE EMPLOYEES CAME, AND WE'D CLOSE THE STORES.
Jordan: AND EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL,
I'D GET OFF THE BUS AND RUN UPNTO THE STORE,
'CAUSE WE LIVED A COUPLE OF BLOCKS UP FROM IT.
Red: THE BAILER THAT WE USE HERE IS A BAILER
THAT WAS LEFT OVER FROM WHEN WE CLOSED DOWN THE STORES...
...IN THE LATE '90s.
Scott: I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FAIR
THE WAY THAT WAL-MART CAN COME IN
WITH THE FUNDING THAT THEY GET.
TO PUT THEIR SEWERS, INFRASTRUCTURE,
ROAD, PARKING SIGNALS,
INGRESS, EGRESS, ETC.,
COMPARED TO WHAT THE INDEPENDENT RETAILER GETS.
NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FAIR.
CERTAINLY, IT'S NOT FAIR, AND I THINK HE, AT ONE TIME,
DID GO TALK TO THEM IN CAMERON AND SAY,
"IF WE'RE GONNA RUN A BUSINESS HERE, CAN YOU HELP US?"
WELL, NO, THEY COULDN'T DO THAT.
Red: I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO HELP THEM
TO BUILD ROADS FOR THEIR BUSINESS,
AND AT THE SAME TIME THE STORE OPENS,
PUTS OTHERS OUT OF BUSINESS.
THE COMPETITION THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST
REALLY HASN'T CAUSED A PROBLEM
AS MUCH AS THE COMPETITION BEING HELPED
BY OUR GOVERNMENT.
FROM ONE LEVEL TO THE OTHER, THEY GET ALL THE BREAKS.
WAL-MART IS COMING IN AND RUNNING US OUT.
WE KNOW YOU HELPED THEM, OR YOU GAVE THEM TAX ABATEMENTS.
WILL YOU GIVE US A TAX ABATEMENT?
NO, THEY COULDN'T DO THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY NOR THE CITY WOULD DO THAT.
AND, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY KNEW IT WAS UNFAIR,
BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
MAYBE... WELL, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
SEWER, WATER, ANY OF THAT STUFF,
AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE NEVER RECEIVED ONE DIME FROM THE CITY,
COUNTY, OR ANY PLACE LIKE THAT.
IF YOU TELL THEM
THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM IN YOUR CITY LIMITS,
THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO STOP THEM
FROM BUYING FIVE ACRES OUT HERE,
OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, POPPING THEIR BUILDING DOWN,
HOOKING UP TO RURAL WATER
AND HAVING ALL THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE CITY
AND NONE OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS.
Red: THEY HAVE A SUPERCENTER IN CAMERON.
IT TOOK ABOUT 40% OF OUR BUSINESS IN CAMERON
AND ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR BUSINESS HERE IN HAMILTON.
IN BROOKFIELD, IT TOOK OVER 50% OF OUR BUSINESS OVERNIGHT.
Dee: IT'S HARD TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS
WITH OUR WHOLESALER HAVING PROBLEMS.
SO EVERYTHING JUST KIND OF CULMINATED
IN EVERYBODY HAVING PROBLEMS.
TO PAY THE EMPLOYEES, WE USED CASH FROM THE INVENTORY.
AND THEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY INVENTORY.
Ernest: IN THE PROCESS OF ALL THIS,
I HAD TO BORROW MONEY TO PUT IN THE STORES
WITH THE FARM AS COLLATERAL.
IT WENT DOWN FROM THERE,
SO WE HAD NO RECOURSE BUT TO JUST CLOSE THEM UP.
IT WAS 40 YEARS OF HARD WORK
AND SEEING IT DISAPPEAR ALL AT ONCE,
IT WASN'T A VERY EASY THING TO ADJUST TO,
BUT...
AND NOW YOU CAN SEE, HERB IS STILL SADDENED A LOT.
IT CERTAINLY WASN'T WHAT HE PLANNED.
BUT WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD TIMES.
HE DID A LOT THINGS. HE KNOWS LOTS OF PEOPLE.
AND THEY RESPECT HIM.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU'RE GONNA GET OUT...
I CLOSED THAT STORE, AND THAT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING.
I'D WENT DOWN TO OPEN AND...
JUST...
YEAH, I REMEMBER HIM COMING DOWN THE STAIRS
AND SAT DOWN ON THE COUCH, AND MOM TOLD ME.
AND I STARTED CRYING.
IT WAS LIKE A FAMILY MEMBER. WE WERE THERE EVERY DAY.
IT WAS A BIG PART OF OUR LIFE.
IT WAS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PLACE.
I LIKED BEING THERE.
THEY WANTED IT FROM ME.
AND I LOVE THEM TO DEATH FOR IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED IT FROM ME AND MY FAMILY.
AND IF WAL-MART STILL GAINS GROUND AND HAVE A MONOPOLY,
WHERE WILL OUR FAMILIES AND WHERE WILL OUR CHILDREN BE?
AND WHAT WILL THEY HAVE TO DO TO WORK AND TO BE COMPETITIVE,
AND IN TEN YEARS, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO GET TO BE
VERY, VERY SERIOUS FOR THE NATION.
IT MIGHT HAPPEN THAT WAY NOW.
I HOPE IT DON'T FOR OUR CHILDREN'S SAKE,
BUT IT COULD BE...
IT COULD BE REAL SERIOUS,
BE A REVOLUTION.
I WON'T SAY IT WOULD BE A CIVIL WAR,
BUT IT WOULD BE A REVOLUTION.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS THAT.
I'M KIM ROSSETTA, AND I'M A 4th AND 5th GRADE BILINGUAL TEACHER
IN DENVER, COLORADO, IN THE DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AT NEWLON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WAL-MART RECEIVED SUBSIDIES OF ABOUT $1.7 MILLION,
AND WITH THAT $1.7 MILLION, OUR DENVER METROPOLITAN AREA,
THAT COULD HAVE KEPT THE THREE SCHOOLS
THAT WE JUST CLOSED DOWN THIS SPRING OPEN.
I AM MONICA JEFFERSON.
I AM A SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.
AND I WORK FOR SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY.
WAL-MART RECEIVES OVER $31 MILLION IN SUBSIDY
FROM THE MISSOURI GOVERNMENT.
CATHEDRAL CITY MADE A $1.8 MILLION INVESTMENT,
BUT BECAUSE OF WAL-MART'S LIES
AND NOT STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE WITH THEIR COMMITMENTS,
WE'RE SHORT ON POLICEMEN, WE'RE SHORT ON FIREMEN.
WE'VE ELIMINATED THE RECREATION DIVISION OF THIS CITY.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS
THAT THEY NEED AND DESERVE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LIVES HANGING IN THE BALANCE
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
MY NAME IS CHARLES HUSSEY.
I HAVE BEEN A 4th GRADE TEACHER IN WASHINGTON STATE FOR MANY YEARS.
WHEN I THINK OF THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WAL-MART RECEIVED
FOR ITS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
AND WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE THERE FOR STUDENTS,
IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.
TAKING REVENUE AWAY FROM OUR COMMUNITY
THAT WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT
ON OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
IN ILLINOIS,
WAL-MART HAS RECEIVED $100 MILLION IN SUBSIDIES,
AND THAT HAS AFFECTED OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS.
THAT MONEY COULD GO INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS
TO REHIRE ALL OF THOSE SUPPORT TEACHERS THAT WE NEED BACK,
THE SUPPORT PERSONNEL.
WE COULD HAVE OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS BACK,
OUR SOCIAL WORKERS BACK, OUR COUNSELORS BACK.
WE COULD PICK UP...
THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING CUT
BECAUSE WAL-MART HAS RECEIVED SUBSIDIES.
NOW, WHAT WE'RE FACING CURRENTLY IS THAT WAL-MART AND SAM'S CLUB,
WHICH ARE THE SAME PEOPLE,
HAVE, IN FACT, FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES,
DECIDED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO LEAVE OUR COMMUNITY.
AND NOT MOVING 20 MILES AWAY, THEY WERE MOVING 2 MILES AWAY.
Sowles: ONE IS BEING BUILT RIGHT ON THE PROPERTY LINE OF OUR CITY,
WHICH WE STILL WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY BENEFIT FROM.
Pettis: JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
SO JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO BEGIN TO RECEIVE A 100%
OF THE SALES-TAX REVENUE FROM THAT DEAL,
WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAD BEEN THE CHUMP.
TO END UP WITH A VACANT BUILDING
OF THE SIZE THAT MOST BUSINESSES CAN'T FILL.
SO YOU HAVE A HUGE BUILDING
THAT SITS VACANT FOR MONTHS AND YEARS.
Woman: THAT'S WHY AT WAL-MART WE GIVE BACK FIVE DOLLARS EVERY SECOND
TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL YEAR LONG...
TO MAKE THE SEASON AND EVERY DAY A LITTLE BRIGHTER.
RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP
ALSO MEANS LOOKING OUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS AREA'S SUSTAINABILITY.
Lisenby: ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT A RIVERKEEPER ORGANIZATION
IS WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS
THAT VOLUNTEER TO KEEP THEIR PART OF THE CATAWBA RIVER.
BECAUSE THE CATAWBA RIVER IS DAMMED 11 TIMES
AND IT HAS 11 LAKES ON IT, WE HAVE LAKES WITH COVES,
AND SO WE CALL OUR VOLUNTEERS COVE-KEEPERS.
AND THESE COVE-KEEPERS
WORK TO SAFEGUARD AND PROTECT THE CATAWBA RIVER.
ESSENTIALLY, WE DID AN INVESTIGATION,
AND WE VISITED ABOUT SEVEN WAL-MARTS
IN THE CATAWBA RIVER VALLEY
TO SEE WHAT THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES WERE
AND JUDGE WHETHER THEIR CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES
WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT
ON THE DRINKING WATER IN THE TOWN OF BELMONT.
WHAT WE FOUND IN EVERY SINGLE CASE
IS THAT WAL-MART HAD A PRACTICE OF STORING HERBICIDES,
PESTICIDES, AND FERTILIZERS IN THE PARKING LOTS.
WHAT CONCERNED US MOST ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CASE
WAS THE PROXIMITY OF THIS WAL-MART
AND THE CREEK RUNNING RIGHT BY THE WAL-MART SITE,
AND THAT CREEK EMPTIES RIGHT HERE AT THE I TAKE SITE.
FOR ME, WHEN I'M OUT ON PATROL AND ON THE RIVER
AND THERE'S A DRINKING-WATER INTAKE RIGHT THERE,
WHAT I KNOW IS THAT THERE IS A MOM SOMEWHERE
WHO'S AT A KITCHEN SINK
AND SHE'S PUTTING WATER IN A BOTTLE
TO MAKE FORMULA FOR HER BABY.
AND THAT BABY IS DRINKING...
THE LABELS ON SOME OF THE HERBICIDES AND PESTICIDES SAID,
"THIS PRODUCT KNOWN TO CAUSE REPRODUCTIVE HARM
BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND BIRTH DEFECTS."
THESE PALLETS WITH BAGS AND BAGS OF THIS MATERIAL,
MANY OF THEM BROKEN AND BUSTED AND SPILLING ON THE PAVEMENT,
EVERY TIME IT RAINED, ALL THIS MATERIAL
WAS WASHING RIGHT INTO THE STORM WATER,
AND EVENTUALLY MAKING ITS WAY HERE, TO THE CATAWBA RIVER,
THE SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER
FOR ALMOST 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE REGION.
SO WE BEGAN CALLING WAL-MART TO REALLY EXPRESS OUR CONCERN
ABOUT THESE CHEMICALS MAKING ITS WAY
INTO THE PUBLIC DRINKING WATER.
AND THEY GAVE ME A NAME AND A PHONE NUMBER
OF SOMEBODY IN ARKANSAS, HEADQUARTERS, TO CALL.
THAT PERSON, WHEN I TALKED TO HIM, WASN'T THE RIGHT PERSON.
THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSON
THAT WAS IN CHARGE OF HANDLING ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS,
BUT THEY WOULD TRY AND FIND OUT.
THEY NEVER CALLED. SO, AGAIN, I CALLED BACK.
THIS TIME I CALLED THEIR ATTORNEYS.
I CALLED THE CONTACT NAME THEY GAVE ME AND SAID,
"LOOK, I AM NOT GETTING ANY ANSWER
"FROM ANYONE AT CORPORATE WAL-MART,
"AND BECAUSE I HAVEN'T, I AM GOING TO START A WEBLOG,
"AND EVERY CONTACT I HAVE WITH YOU
"I'M GOING TO PUT ON MY WEB SITE
"AND REPORT WHAT YOUR RESPONSE IS.
"AND IF THERE'S NO RESPONSE,
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE ON OUR WEBSITE."
SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.
TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER, THEY STILL DIDN'T CALL BACK.
WE THEN SENT THEM THE LAW.
AND I ELEVATED THE RHETORIC
AND SAID, "IT APPEARS TO US
"AS IF YOU ARE VIOLATING THE STORAGE LAWS.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO CONTACT OUR ATTORNEYS."
STILL, NO ONE CALLED.
FINALLY THE ATTORNEYS FOR WAL-MART
WHO HAD TESTIFIED IN THE HEARING
GAVE ME THE NAME OF A PERSON
THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THEIR CONTACT.
I FINALLY REACHED THAT PERSON
AT WAL-MART HEADQUARTERS IN ARKANSAS,
AND HE SAID HE HAD JUST STARTED THE JOB.
HE HAD BEEN IN TRAINING FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS,
AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL ME.
SO AT THIS TIME, I STARTED CALLING THE NEWS MEDIA
AND ASKING THEM TO DO A STORY.
WE GOT A GREAT LOCAL NEWS STATION
HERE IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA,
THAT RESPONDED ON CAMERA,
SHOWING THESE PALLETS AND PALLETS AND PALLETS
OF CHEMICALS, HERBICIDES, FERTILIZERS
STORED IN THE PARKING LOTS
RIGHT BESIDE THE STORM-WATER DRAIN.
IT RAN IN THE MORNING, THE NOON TIME,
THE 6:00, AND THE EVENING NEWS ON THAT DAY.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS
THAT THE WAL-MART MANAGER FOR THE LOCAL STORE
WHERE MOST OF THE VIDEO WAS SHOT,
THAT HAD 81 PALLETS OF THINMATERIAL OUT IN THE PARKING LOT,
SAW THE STORY.
CALLED HIS REGIONAL MANAGER FIRST THING THE NEXT DAY AND SAID,
"YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I SAW ON THE NEWS LAST NIGHT."
AND FOR ALL HIS STORES IN THE REGION,
HE HAD THEM PULL THOSE CHEMICALS
FROM THE PARKING LOTS AND PUT THEM UNDER COVER.
AS I READ THE CASE HISTORY ON ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL FINDS,
AND PARTICULARLY THE CONSENT DECREES
FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
ORDERING WAL-MART TO ESTABLISH BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,
WHAT FLABBERGASTED ME MOST
ABOUT THE LACK OF CORPORATE RESPONSE
IS THEIR APPARENT DISREGARD FOR THESE CONSENT DECREES
AND THAT THEY HADN'T TAKEN THEM VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S ONLY THE LOCAL GUYS.
I CAN SAY IN MY HISTORY AS RIVERKEEPER,
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED A CORPORATION,
BE IT A POWER COMPANY, AN OIL COMPANY,
AS UNRESPONSIVE AS WAL-MART.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME,
BUT IT'S REALLY EXCITING WHEN A COMPANY LIKE WAL-MART
MAKES IT A PRIORITY, TOO.
WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
THEY HAVE TREATED US VERY FAIRLY IN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
THEY ACTUALLY, MUCH LIKE IN THE U.S.,
THEY HOLD US TO A HIGHER STANDARD --
HIGHER STANDARD OF SANITATION, HIGHER STANDARD OF EMPLOYMENT.
Interpreter: MY NAME IS WANG QI.
I'M 21 YEARS OLD.
I'M FROM THE SHANGHAI PROVINCE.
MY FAMILY PLANTS CORN, PADDIES, AND POTATO.
I WANTED TO EARN SOME MONEY
SO THAT THEIR LIFE COULD BE EASIER.
AT LEAST, I DIDN'T WANT THEIR LIFE TO BE TOO HARD.
THEY WOULD WORK FROM DAWN TILL NIGHT.
THEY WOULD BEGIN TO WORK ON THE FARM AT DAYBREAK
AND WOULDN'T GET BACK UNTIL NIGHT.
I THOUGHT ABOUT WORKING IN THE FACTORY
WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING
AND EXCITING TO WORKNIN THE FACTORY.
I LEFT MY HOMETOWN ON APRIL 29th THIS YEAR
AND THEN BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A JOB IN SHENZHEN.
AT THAT TIME, I HAD A FRIEND WORKING IN THAT FACTORY
WHO ALSO CAME FROM MY HOMETOWN.
SO I WENT TO SEE MY FRIEND EACH DAY AT THE FACTORY GATE,
WHICH IS JUST IN FRONT OF WIEN YIE'S ROOM.
Interpreter #2: MY NAME IS WIEN YIE, AND I COME FROM HUNAN PROVINCEN.
Interpreter #1: HE HEARD MY DIALECT WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH MY FRIENDN.
THEN HE SPOKE WITH ME USING THE SAME DIALECT.
HE ASKED ME WHERE I WAS FROM.NI DIDN'T TELL HIM THE TRUTH.
I SAID I WAS FROM THE CHUNGKING AREA.
HE SERVED FOR THE ARMY IN CHUNGKING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS,
SO HE CAN SPEAK THE CHUNGKING DIALECT.
THAT'S THE WAY WE GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
Interpreter #2: MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WORK IN THE SAME WAL-MART FACTORY.
SHE WORKS IN THE OLD WORKSHOP, AND I WORK IN THE NEW ONE.
I AM ON THE NIGHT SHIFT AND FINISH WORK AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING.
SHE BEGINS TO WORK AT 7:30 EACH MORNING
AND WORKS OVERTIME UNTIL 10:00 P.M.
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO SPEND TOGETHER,
BUT WHE EVER THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY,
I'LL COOK SOME DELICIOUS FOOD FOR HER.
Interpreter #1: WE LIKE SINGING KARAOKE, SHOPPING AROUND,
AND BUYING SOME LITTLE THINGS.
AND THAT WAY, YOU FEEL MORE RELAXED.
MOST OF THE TIMES WE GO TO KARAOKE,
SING SONGS, AND LISTEN TO MUSIC, AND WE GET IN A GOOD MOOD.
WE TEND TO RENT A ROOM OUTSIDE AND COOK BY OURSELVES,
BECAUSE THE MEALS OFFERED BY THE FACTORY
ARE REALLY DISGUSTING.
HOWEVER, THE DILEMMA IS WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE DORM
THAT THE FACTORY ALLOCATED OR NOT,
THEY ALWAYS DEDUCT THE RENT FROM OUR WAGES.
YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO LIVE INSIDE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE OUT OF THE DORM,
THE FACTORY WILL TELL YOU, "YOU CAN MOVE OUT
"AND WE WILL NOT CHARGE YOU ELECTRICITY OR WATER.
BUT RENT WILL STILL BE CHARGED."
YOU SEE, IF WE LIVE INSIDE THE DORM,
WE PAY NOT ONLY THE RENT BUT ALSO THE UTILITIES,
WHICH IS CHARGED BY HOW MUCH YOU USE.
THERE ARE VERY FEW FANS INSTALLED IN MY WORKSHOP.
IT'S EXTREMELY HOT INSIDE.
IF THEY PLAN TO INSTALL A NEW FAN,
THEN THE OTHERS WILL TELL US THAT WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE FAN
OR THE FANS THAT ARE THERE.
IN MY WORKING POSITION, THERE IS NO WIND AT ALL.
CAN YOU IMAGINE, I'M SITTING THERE
AND DRIPPING WITH SWEAT ALL DAY LONG.
MY BODY NEVER GETS DRY.
Interpreter #2: WAL-MART INFORMED THE FACTORY
THAT IT WAS GOING TO SEND PEOPLE HERE FOR THE INSPECTION
AND THEY WILL TELL US HOW TO LIE FOR THE INSPECTOR.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE WORKERS MUST RESPOND
AS THOUGH THEY WORK 6 DAYS
WHEN ASKED HOW MANY DAYS THEY WORK,
EVEN THOUGH THEY ACTUALLY WORK FOR 7 DAYS.
Interpreter #1: THEN WE WORKERS DON'T DARE TO SAY ANYTHING WRONG
BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY AFRAID OF BEING PUNISHED BY MANAGERS.
WAL-MART INFORMS US IN ADVANCE
AND HAS A MEETING TO TEACH US HOW TO LIE.
IF YOU LIE WELL, YOU'LL BE REWARDED.
IF NOT, YOU'LL BE PUNISHED OR FIRED.
THE WORKER IS GIVEN A FAKE PAY SLIP.
AND THEY NEVER LET YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH,
BUT THREATEN YOU TO DELIVER FALSE INFORMATION.
WE REALLY WORK DAY AND NIGHT
IN ORDER TO GET THE WAGE OF LESS THAN THREE DOLLARS A DAY.
MY MOM WANTS ME BACK HOME
BECAUSE SHE FEELS IT'S TOO TOILSOME.
BUT I DON'T THINK SO.
EVERYBODY ELSE HERE HAS THE SAME SITUATION AS ME.
IF THEY CAN DO THIS, I CAN DO IT ALSO.
I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT MY MOM WHEN I'M VERY TIRED.
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF SHE COULD BE HERE WITH ME.
SHE TAKES CARE OF ME VERY WELL WHEN I'M SICK.
SHE'LL LET ME HAVE A GOOD REST
AND COOKS ANYTHING THAT I'D LIKE TO EAT.
SHE'S REALLY VERY NICE TO ME.
Interpreter: I WOULD RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO ASK THE BOSS OF WAL-MART
TO GIVE THE CHINESE WORKERS SOME CONSIDERATION
AND A CHANCE FOR A LITTLE TIME OFF.
Interpreter #2: CUSTOMERS OF WAL-MART, WHEN YOU WEAR EXPENSIVE CLOTHES,
WHEN YOUR CHILDREN PLAY WITH HIGH-QUALITY TOYS,
THINK ABOUT CHINA AND THE FAR EAST.
Interpreter #3: THOSE PROFITS YOU MADE
AND THE WONDERFUL LIFE YOU HAVE ARE THE SWEAT AND TEARS
AND OVERTIME WORKING OF CHINESE PEOPLE.
IF ONE DAY I ENCOUNTER A LADY
WHO JUST BOUGHT A TOY FROM WAL-MART,
I'LL SAY, "RESPECTABLE CUSTOMER, RESPECTABLE WAL-MART CUSTOMER,
"DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU CAN BUY SUCH A CHEAP TOY FROM WAL-MART?
THAT'S BECAUSE WE WORKERS WORK ALL DAY, EVERY DAY AND NIGHT."
WE ADDED 125,000 NEW JOBS
AROUND THIS WORLD THIS PAST YEAR --
GOOD JOBS.
JOBS AND BENEFITS. WE HAVE PROFIT SHARING.
RETIREMENT SAVINGS ACCOUNTS FOR OUR ASSOCIATES.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME,
JOBS THAT COME WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
Man: 189,000 YOUNG WOMEN IN BANGLADESH
ARE SEWING GARMENTS FOR WAL-MART.
THESE WORKERS ARE GETTING UPNAT 5:30 IN THE MORNING,
THEY BRUSH THEIR TEETH WITH THEIR FINGER,
USING ASHES FROM THE FIRE,
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD A TOOTHBRUSH.
FORCED TO WORK FROM 8:00 IN THE MORNING UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT,
14 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK
ON THESE WAGES OF 13 TO 17 CENTS AN HOUR.
THESE ARE WOMEN WHO ARE HIT BY THEIR SUPERVISORS,
TRAPPED IN UTTER MISERY.
AS THE LARGEST COMPANY IN THE WORLD,
WAL-MART SETS THE STANDARDS
THAT OTHER COMPANIES ARE GOING TO FOLLOW.
SO, WAL-MART RIGHT NOW
IS SUCKING DOWN STANDARDS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
THESE ARE WORKERS WHO HAVE NO RIGHTS.
THE OUTLOOK FOR THIS COMPANY TODAY IS VERY POSITIVE.
IN EVERY COUNTRY THAT WE OPERATE IN,
THE WAL-MART MODEL WORKS.
BECAUSE ONCE YOUR ASSOCIATES KNOW
THAT YOU WILL STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT,
THEN WHEN THEY SEE A WRONG OCCUR,
THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO CONTACT YOU.
AND WE HAVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM UNDER WAY
TO MAKE SURE, AND HAVE HAD NOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
Lynn: I WAS A GLOBAL SERVICES MANAGER FOR MEXICO,
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
MY JOB FUNCTION ENTITLED THREE THINGS --
OVERSIGHT OF ALL FACTORY CERTIFICATIONS,
WHICH MEANS YOU GO IN THERE AND YOU MAKE SURE
THAT THERE ARE HUMANE WORKING CONDITIONS.
BIG DEAL WITH THE FACTORY CERTIFICATIONS IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE WORKERS ARE IN A CLEAN, SAFE, HUMANE ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN I WAS IN A FACTORY, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK TO THE PEOPLE,
AND THE PEOPLE ARE SO NICE.
AND THEY WERE SO GOOD,
AND THEY WERE JUST WORKING FOR SO LITTLE MONEY
AND WITHOUT ANY CONDITION OF FAIRNESS WHATSOEVER
WITH THEIR COMPENSATION AND THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS.
I WENT BACK TO MY HOTEL ROOM AND JUST WEPT THE FIRST TIME.
YOU KNOW, AFTER DINNER, I HAD PICKED UP THE PHONE.
I WAS CALLING MY WIFE
AND JUST TELLING HER WHAT I'D SEEN,
AND I STARTED CRYING ABOUT THAT.
TELLING HER... SHE WAS LIKE, "IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT."
AND I WAS LIKE, "I KNOW. WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING."
I JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE IT WAS THIS WAY.
I THOUGHT THAT A COMPANY LIKE WAL-MART,
ONCE WE STARTED REPORTING THE TRUTH
OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE FACTORY,
THAT IT WOULD TAKE QUICK ACTION
TO TRY AND MAKE THE WORKING CONDITIONS BETTER.
I BELIEVED IN THE MISSION AND THE CULTURE
WHICH I THOUGHT EXISTED AT WAL-MART.
I LED MORE WAL-MART CHEERS THAN JUST ABOUT ANYBODY THAT I KNOW.
I DIDN'T EVEN MIND BEING THE SQUIGGLY.
I MEAN, IF YOU WOULD HAVE CUT ME,
I WOULD HAVE BLED WAL-MART-BLUE BLOOD.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA MAKE IT THE GOAL
TO CORRECT THE VIOLATIONS.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT ANY RETALIATION
WOULD BE BROUGHT AGAINST ME FOR DOING MY JOB.
I NOW REALIZE I WAS PRETTY NAIVE.
BUT IT JUST DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME
THAT WAL-MART WOULD DO ANYTHING, EXCEPT FOR THE RIGHT THING,
ONCE THEY WERE FACED WITH THE TRUTH.
I KEPT GOING INTO OTHER FACTORIES
AND SEEING THE SAME THINGS
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME
THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE.
ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS FOLLOW THE MONEY,
AND THE ONES WHO ARE IN POWER RIGHT NOW
HAVE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE
ON THEM TO PERFORM LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO KEEP THE GOODS FLOWING
TO THE UNITED STATES.
WHEN PUSH CAME TO SHOVE,
THEY DID NOT STAND UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WAS WE WERE GETTING FIRED
FOR TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FACTORY CERTIFICATIONS.
AND THAT WAS SHOCKING.
IT WAS EMBARRASSING. IT RIPPED MY HEART OUT.
TO HAVE ALL OF THAT RIPPED FROM YOU
AND THEN TO GET SOLD OUT AND LIED TO...
WAL-MART LET ME DOWN,
AND WHEN I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO LOOK OUT FOR ME,
EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRYING TO LOOK OUT FOR WAL-MART FOR YEARS.
Williams: WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT OUR SUPPLIERS COMPLY WITH LOCAL COUNTRY CODES,
WITH HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS --
THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT UNDERAGE, THAT THEY'RE PAID WELL.
MADE IN THE U.S.A. -- IT MEANS SOMETHING.
"MADE IN THE U.S.A." MEANS A JOB FOR SOMEBODY.
Announcer: BUT WE'VE MADE IT OUR POLICY
TO FIND MORE U.S. SUPPLIERS WHO CAN COMPETE
BECAUSE AMERICAN GOODS MEAN AMERICAN JOBS.
AT WAL-MART, WE PLEDGE TO SUPPORT AMERICA'S SOURCES
WHENEVER WE CAN SO YOU CAN, TOO.
IF WE KEEP OUR PRICES LOW
AND RAISE OUR AVERAGE WAGE SUBSTANTIALLY,
WE WOULD, IN FACT,
DECREASE OUR PROFITABILITY DISPROPORTIONATELY.
AND WE WOULD SACRIFICE A HEALTHY CHUNK
OF WHAT IT IS THAT OUR SHAREHOLDERS EXPECT FROM US.
Rev. Lawson: IT IS WRITTEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT,
"THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL."
THIS DOES NOT SAY THAT MONEY ITSELF IS EVIL.
THE FACT THAT I SHARED A ROOM WITH TOM SCHOEWE, OUR C.F.O.,
WHILE WE WERE IN NEW YORK SAVED $200.
THE FACT THAT MY DINNER WAS $10 LAST NIGHT SAVED MONEY.
Rabbi Jacobs: YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
DOESN'T THIS TEACH US THAT KEEPING EVERYTHING FOR OURSELVES
IS A FORM OF STEALING
OR ARE WE COMMANDED TO HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE
TO FIND ENOUGH TO EAT?
TODAY I WANT YOU TO KNOW, HOWEVER,
THAT FIVE MEMBERS OF THAT FAMILY
TOGETHER ARE WORTH $102 BILLION.
THE WIDOW AND FOUR CHILDREN
HAVE, IN THE LAST 20 YEARS,
EMERGED ON THE LIST OF THE TOP TEN WEALTHIEST PEOPLE
IN THE UNITED STATES.
THEY COULD EASILY TAKE TEN BILLION OF THAT
AND SEE TO IT THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE OF WAL-MART
IN THE UNITED STATES
HAS HEALTH CARE, ADEQUATE PENSION, AND ADEQUATE WAGES.
WAL-MART, AFTER THE 9-11 ATTACKS
ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND PENTAGON,
THEY APPARENTLY DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A BUNKER.
THERE'S A FACILITY FOR THE WALTON FAMILY
IN CASE OF AN APOCALYPTIC ATTACK --
A RESIDENCE THAT THEY CAN LIVE IN
IN CASE THEY HAD TO DO THAT.
THERE'S A HELIPAD BEHIND THE FACILITY BACK THERE
WHERE THEY CAN COME IN BY HELICOPTER,
AND THERE ARE SATELLITE UPLINK DISHES BEHIND THE FACILITY.
MOST OF IT IS UNDERGROUND, AS YOU CAN SEE.
YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE MUCH FROM THE GATE
WHICH IS ALL FORTIFIED.
FAITH MEANS NOTHING AT ALL IF IT DOES NOT INVOLVE US
LOVING ONE ANOTHER AS NEIGHBORS, IN COMPASSION FOR THE POOR...
Woman: WHEN YOU HEAR THESE BELLS AT WAL-MART,
DO YOU REMEMBER THE PEOPLE THEY'RE RINGING FOR?
THEY REMIND US OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
WHO COULD USE A LITTLE HELP.
THAT'S WHY AT WAL-MART WE GIVE BACK...
...THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND ALL YEAR LONG.
OF COURSE, THE MOST IMPORTANT BENEFICIARY OF THIS STORE
IS OUR CUSTOMER.
IT'S A CUSTOMER WHO LIVES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WAS ACTUALLY SELLING CARS FOR SIX MONTHS,
BUT PRIOR TO THAT, I ACTUALLY HAD MY OWN BUSINESS.
I WAS DOING WOOD REFINISHING ON BOATS.
AND I ACTUALLY DID QUITE WELL AT THAT.
GETTING A LITTLE OLD FOR THAT.
IF I WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT I WENT THROUGH,
I WANTED SOMETHING TO COME OUT OF IT -- SOMETHING GOOD.
THERE WAS A TRUCK TO ONE SIDE. THERE WAS A VAN TO ONE SIDE.
I THOUGHT, "YOU DON'T WANT TO BE
IN THE SPOT WHERE NOBODY CAN SEE YOU."
BUT I THOUGHT, "FOUR CAR SPACES FROM THE FRONT DOOR."
I THOUGHT THEY HAD SECURITY OUTSIDE.
I THOUGHT, "I SHOULD BE FINE."
WHEN I GOT OUT, THERE WAS TWO OF THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE CAUGHT ME. I GOT OUTSIDE, BUT HE CAUGHT ME.
AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED HE HAD A GUN.
HE HAD A GUN IN THE ARM THAT WAS HOLDING ME.
THAT'S WHEN THEY TOLD ME, "GET IN THE CAR
OR I'M GONNA BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF."
THE YEAR BEFORE WHEN I WORKED AT THE PHONE COMPANY,
WE HAD A SAFETY MEETING.
IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMASTIME,
AND THEY HAD THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT THERE.
AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT
IF YOU'RE IN A PARKING LOT AND THIS HAPPENS,
WHAT TO DO -- DON'T GO WITH THEM.
IF YOU GO WITH THEM, YOU'RE LIKELY NOT GOING TO LIVE,
BECAUSE, I GUESS, STATISTICALLY, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
THEY'LL KILL YOU.
THAT'S WHAT FIRST WENT THROUGH MY MIND,
IS THAT, "I'M NOT GOING TO SURVIVE THIS."
SORRY.
SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE DECISION TO JUMP OUT,
BECAUSE I THOUGHT, "I WANT TO CHOOSE."
I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO RAPE ME, TOO.
WHEN HE SAID HE DIDN'T WANT THE CAR,
I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO RAPE ME.
SO, WHEN THEY GOT ME BACK IN THE CAR
AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE GUN,
I JUST KIND OF RESIGNED TO, YOU KNOW...
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.
AND YOU GO KIND OF COLD INSIDE.
THIS IS THE PARKING LOT
WHERE LAURA TANAKA FACED HER ATTACKERS.
INSIDE THE STORE,
WAL-MART HAD MORE THAN 200 SECURITY CAMERAS
AND FOUR SECURITY GUARDS ON PATROL.
OUTSIDE, THERE WAS NOTHING.
THE POLICE DID RECOMMEND ON-SITE SECURITY.
THERE WAS NONE.
THEY HAD ASSURED THE PEOPLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE ARMED SECURITY
AND MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT WASN'T DONE.
IT WAS EVIDENT THAT WAL-MART KNEW
THEY HAD SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEMS IN THEIR PARKING LOTS.
WAL-MART WAS AWARE
THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CRIME THROUGHOUT THE STATES
OCCURRED IN THEIR PARKING LOTS.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT 80% OF THE CRIME
OCCURRED IN THEIR PARKING LOTS,
THEY HAD DONE ALMOST NOTHING
TO PROTECT THE CUSTOMERS IN THE LOTS.
RAPE, MURDER, KIDNAPPING --
ALL OF THESE SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS
AND THEY COME FROM WAL-MART SHOPPERS.
Woman: REPORT OF A WAL-MART PARKING-LOT ATTACK.
TONIGHT, NORTH TEXAS POLICE
ARE ON THE HUNT FOR A WOULD-BE KIDNAPPER.
A VIOLENT ATTACK IN THE PARKING LOT
OF AN ORANGE COUNTY WAL-MART.
AT LEAST ONE MAN TRIED TO CARJACK, ROB, AND SHOOT A WOMAN.
Man: ...WHO SHOT AND KILLED 33-YEAR-OLD MARK KORENEK
IN THE STORE'S PARKING LOT.
A BOLD AND DEADLY SHOOTING.
IT HAPPENED THIS MORNING AT THE WAL-MART...
A TAYLOR WOMAN IS RECOVERING TONIGHT AFTER FIGHTING A THIEF
IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT.
Woman: A MAN IS ARRESTED AFTER A TIRE-IRON ATTACK.
IT HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT OF THIS WAL-MART.
Woman #2:NTHE TWO TEENAGE WORKERS SHOT WHILE GATHERING CARTS
IN THE PARKING LOT YESTERDAY AT THIS GLENDALE WAL-MART.
Woman #3: IT HAPPENED AT 1:48 THIS MORNING
IN THE WAL-MART PARKING LOT IN RIVERDALE.
SHE TURNED TO RUN FROM THE SUBJECT
AND WAS SHOT IN THE BACK.
Woman: WAL-MART HAS CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON CRIME IN ITS PARKING LOTS,
AND CRITICS ACCUSE THE COMPANY
OF A NATIONWIDE PATTERN OF COVERING UP THAT RESEARCH,
OF FAILING TO TURN IT OVER IN LAWSUITS.
HERE'S WHAT WAL-MART DID NOT WANT TO SHOW.
AS EARLY AS 1994,
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS INTERNAL DOCUMENT,
A WAL-MART STUDY SHOWED THAT 80% OF CRIME AT WAL-MART LOCATIONS
OCCURRED IN THE PARKING LOT.
AND WHEN THE COMPANY ADDED ROVING PATROLS AT SEVERAL SITES,
THE CRIME RATE DROPPED TO AS LOW AS ZERO.
A DISTRICT JUDGE IN BEAUMONT TONIGHT
IS FINING WAL-MART STORES $18 MILLION.
JUDGE JAMES MAHATHY IS SANCTIONING WAL-MART
FOR WHAT THE COURT BELIEVES WAS A PATTERN OF DECEPTION.
IT INVOLVES THE CASE OF A SOUTHEAST TEXAS WOMAN
WHO WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND RAPED
IN THE PARKING LOT OF WAL-MART.
THE COURT FOUND THAT WAL-MART DID NOT DISCLOSE
THAT IT HAD CONDUCTED A SAFETY STUDY --
A STUDY THAT FOUND IF WAL-MART
WOULD PUT EMPLOYEES IN GOLF CARTS
PATROLLING ITS PARKING LOTS,
CRIME THERE WOULD DROP TO ZERO.
Stahl: JUDGE SHERILYN WOOD HEARD A CASE
AGAINST WAL-MART IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, IN 1999
INVOLVING AN ASSAULT IN A WAL-MART PARKING LOT.
SHE SAYS THAT IN 17 YEARS ON THE BENCH AND OVER 25,000 CASES,
SHE'S RARELY SEEN SUCH FLAGRANT ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM.
IT WAS VERY DISTURBING TO SEE
SUCH AN INTENTIONAL COURSE OF CONDUCT. IT WAS CORRUPT.
Stahl: SHE'S CHARGING WAL-MART WITH CHEATING IN COURT.
AND SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. THIS IS ONE JUDGE --
"IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE DRINKING WATER IN ARKANSAS
THAT SAYS PERJURY IS ALL RIGHT?"
ANOTHER JUDGE --
"RARELY HAS THIS COURT SEEN SUCH A PATTERN
"OF DELIBERATE OBFUSCATION, DELAY, MISREPRESENTATION,
AND DOWNRIGHT LYING."
TRUE.
Fortune: UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE CUSTOMER,
THEY REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT GOES ON
AFTER YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY IN THERE
AND COME OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT TO GO HOME.
Man: POLICE FOUND HOLDEN SHOT TO DEATH
ALONG THE SIDE OF A ROAD IN STANTON, TEXAS --
400 MILES FROM WHERE SHE WAS ABDUCTED.
Kirkpatrick: MEGAN WAS VERY SPECIAL.
WE GREW UP TOGETHER. WE LIVED TOGETHER.
SHE'S REALLY, REALLY GONNA BE MISSED A WHOLE LOT
BECAUSE SHE HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LOVE HER.
SHE WAS JUST A VERY SWEET PERSON AND...
SHE NEVER WANTED A WHOLE LOT OUT OF LIFE.
BUT SHE JUST WANTED TO LIVE AND, YOU KNOW, BE HAPPY.
THAT'S ALL SHE WANTED.
JUST RECENTLY, BEFORE SHE DIED,
WE WERE IN HER ROOM LISTENING TO A CD.
WE WERE SINGING TOGETHER.
AND WE COULD JUST BE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER.
WE DIDN'T CARE.
Man: POLICE SAY MEGAN HOLDEN WAS CHOSEN AT RANDOM
ON THE WAY TO HER PICKUP TRUCK
IN THE WAL-MART PARKING LOT JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
AFTER THAT CRIME WAS CAUGHT ON SURVEILLANCE VIDEO,
POLICE SAY WILLIAMS,
A MARINE VETERAN WITH A HISTORY OF DRUG OFFENSES,
SPED OFF IN HOLDEN'S TRUCK, HEADING WEST,
WHERE HE APPARENTLY MURDERED
THE 19-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR-COLLEGE STUDENT
AND DUMPED HER BODY NEAR SOME RAILROAD TRACKS
IN THE WEST TEXAS TOWN OF STANTON.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
WAL-MART COULD HAVE DONE.
THERE SHOULD BE SOMEBODY WATCHING THE CAMERAS.
SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE CAMERAS.
WAL-MART HAS THOSE CAMERAS OUT THERE IN THEIR PARKING LOT,
AND I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE WATCHING.
Man: A SECURITY CAMERA WITHOUT SOMEONE WATCHING IT
IS OF NO USE AT ALL.
THE ABDUCTION AND MURDER THAT HAPPENED IN TEXAS
HAPPENED AT A STORE
WHERE THE LOSS-PREVENTION TEAM WAS SENT IN TO SET UP
A SECURITY SYSTEM OUTSIDE
THAT WOULD TRACK THE UNION ACTIVITY IN THAT STORE.
AND THE ONLY REASONS THAT THEY HAD THE PICTURES THAT THEY DID
WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD THE UNION PACKAGE
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE STORE.
WAL-MART FOCUSES ON PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY
AND NOT THEIR PATRONS.
A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR COMPANY...
COULDN'T YOU PAY SOMEONE LIKE $12 AN HOUR TO WATCH A CAMERA?
IF PEOPLE ARE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE SAFETY,
THEY'RE PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE HUMAN LIFE,
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY TO THEM.
Woman: A MAN IS SUING A WAL-MART IN NEWCASTLE,
SAYING HIS MOTHER DIED AFTER A BOTCHED ROBBERY ATTEMPT
IN THE STORE'S PARKING LOT.
Man: THE RANDOM SHOOTING HAPPENED HERE.
THAT THREE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND THREE OTHERS INJURED...
THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY SHOPPING DAY.
AT LEAST ONE MAN TRIED TO CARJACK, ROB, AND SHOOT A WOMAN.
REPORT OF A WAL-MART PARKING LOT ATTACK...
TONIGHT, NORTH TEXAS POLICE
ARE ON THE HUNT FOR A WOULD-BE KIDNAPPER.
A BOLD AND DEADLY SHOOTING... A SHOOTING RAMPAGE...
RANDOM SHOOTING...
A BOLD AND DEADLY SHOOTING. IT JUST HAPPENED THIS MORNING.
THE SHOOTING HAPPENED...
TONIGHT, NORTH TEXAS POLICE ARE ON THE HUNT
FOR A WOULD-BE KIDNAPPER.
A WAL-MART STORE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETY
TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO FITS IN AND REPRESENTS
WHAT IT IS SOCIETY EXPECTS FROM A BIG COMPANY.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE, IN FACT, WORK TOGETHER
TO CAUSE THEM TO WANT TO HAVE A WAL-MART.
Laney: ON DECEMBER 6th, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF OUR LOCAL PAPER,
AND IT SAID THAT WAL-MART WAS GOING TO BUILD A SUPERCENTER
ON THE CORNER OF QUEEN CREEK AND ALMOND SCHOOL,
WHICH IS JUST A VERY SHORT DISTANCE FROM MY HOUSE.
AND THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION
WAS WITHIN OUR PLANNED COMMUNITY,
AND IT WAS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
AND A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I FELT THAT IT WAS AN INAPPROPRIATE LOCATION
FOR SOMETHING OF THAT MAGNITUDE.
SO I DECIDED TO FORM A CAMPAIGN
AND SAY, "NO WAL-MARTNIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD."
Rev. Perez: LIVING AS CHRISTNHAS TAUGHT US,
WE BEGIN TO TRANSFORMNTHE WORLD.
THIS TRANSFORMATION IS VISIBLE
IN THE READING THAT WE HAVE FROM ACTS.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SHOW WHY THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING
IS THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL.
THE LESSON WE LEARNED IN INGLEWOOD
IS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY, THROUGH OUR DEMOCRACY,
TO TAKE POWER AND TAKE CONTROL
AND ACTUALLY HOLD BIG COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE.
AS A NATION IN THIS WORLD,
THE MOST POWERFUL, THE MOST AFFLUENT,
WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL HAVE WHAT THEY NEED,
THAT THIS IS NOT SOME PIE-IN-THE-SKY VISION,
BUT INSTEAD, THAT THIS IS OUR CALL, AS CHRISTIANS,
TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Laney: ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS AND I WENT
AND HAND-MADE SOME LITTLE POSTERS
AND WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A MEETING
IN THE LOCAL PARK,
WHICH WAS ABOUT A BLOCK FROM HERE.
WE HAD NO IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP.
WE WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZED,
AND ALL OF THEM WANTED TO DO SOMETHING.
Rev. Perez: IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS ONLY A FEW OF US.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME TO THE MEETINGS,
ONLY SOME SUPERMARKET WORKERS AND A COUPLE OF CHURCHES.
AND THEN MORE PEOPLE UNTIL THEY STARTED FEELING THE PRESSURE.
THEY WANTED TO BUILD THE WAL-MART ON THIS WHOLE PARCEL.
IT WAS GOING TO BE 215,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND THERE WAS GOING TO BE...
WAL-MART WAS GOING TO TAKE THIS WHOLE SPACE.
IT'S LIKE 17 FOOTBALL FIELDS BIG.
AND THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD ONE BIG BOX THAT WAS WAL-MART
AND THEN LITTLE STORES IN BETWEEN
AND ANOTHER BIG BOX THAT WAS SAM'S CLUB.
Laney: PEOPLE VOLUNTEERED TO DO THE VARIOUS CHORES THAT WE HAD,
AND THEN WE SOLICITED WHAT I CALL A CORE COMMITTEE,
AND THAT WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STRATEGY,
THE PRESS RELEASES,
EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO ORGANIZE OUR CAMPAIGN.
Rev. Perez: THEN THE COALITION STARTED GETTING BIGGER,
AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, EVERYBODY FELT LIKE,
IF THEY WEREN'T PART OF A COALITION FOR A BETTER INGLEWOOD,
THEY WEREN'T STANDING UP TO DEFEND THE COMMUNITY.
Aparicio: THE OTHER LESSON LEARNED IN INGLEWOOD
IS THAT THERE'S NO KIND OF MAGIC POTION TO SUDDENLY...
YOU CLICK THIS, YOU PUT THIS TOGETHER,
AND SUDDENLY YOU'RE GOING TO WIN.
IT'S A HARD PROCESS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO COME IN PLACE.
BUT WHEN YOU PUT THOSE THINGS IN PLACE, YOU CAN WIN.
IT INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO ORGANIZE REGULAR PEOPLE,
SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS, WORKERS...
WE GOT OUR MESSAGE FOCUSED.
WE HAMMERED AWAY ON THE PHONES, HAMMERED AWAY ON DOORS.
PEOPLE SAW US COMING AND GOING WHEN THEY WENT TO CHURCH
AND EVERY TIME THEY WENT TO A STORE IN INGLEWOOD,
THERE WAS A FLYER ABOUT OUR EFFORT.
WE HELD RALLIES.
IT WAS LEGAL STRATEGY.
ENOUGH RESOURCES TO HAVE THE RESEARCH
TO BE ABLE TO MAKE YOUR CASE,
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE MATERIALS.
IT INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO GET OUT YOUR MESSAGE TO THE PRESS,
TO DO MEDIA EVENTS.
Laney: WE GREW TO 187 VOLUNTEERS,
AND WE HAD BLOCK CAPTAINS, AND WE HAD AREA CHAIRMEN.
WE PROCEEDED TO GATHER SIGNATURES ON OUR PETITIONS,
AND WE STARTED OUT WITH 1,500 SIGNATURES.
AND BY THE TIME WE GOT THROUGH, WE HAD 4,000 SIGNATURES.
AND THEY WERE ALL FROM PEOPLE
WITHIN OUR, WHAT I CALL OUR AREA CODE --
OUR ZIP CODE. ZIP CODE.
I ALWAYS GET THE TWO MIXED UP -- ZIP CODE.
Man: INGLEWOOD IS THE FIRST TEST
FOR WAL-MART'S AMBITIOUS PLANS IN CALIFORNIA,
AND ACTIVISTS SAY THE STAKES HERE ARE HUGE.
THIS IS LIKE "GODZILLA EATS TOKYO."
THIS IS MUCH BIGGER THAN DAVID AND GOLIATH.
ALL OF THE INFORMATION COMING FROM WAL-MART
KEPT SAYING, "IT'S A DONE DEAL.
"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
"WE HAVE OUR ZONING.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME."
BUT WE KNEW BETTER.
THEN WE HAD NUMEROUS PUBLIC MEETINGS TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW
WHAT WAS HAPPENING, WHAT THE STATUS WAS.
IT IS NOT LIKE THEY CAME I TO THE SMALL TOWNS IN THE SOUTH
OR TOWNS THAT HAVE NO BUSINESS AND THEY BROUGHT IN BUSINESS.
NO. THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
THEY REPRESENT, FROM BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS,
PLANTATION CAPITALISM.
THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON OUR ABILITY
TO STOP THE MONSTER IN ITS TRACKS.
Man: WAL-MART SPONSORED THE BALLOT INITIATIVE
AFTER INGLEWOOD'S CITY COUNCIL
OPPOSED BUILDING A WAL-MART SUPERCENTER ON THE SITE.
TODAY, WAL-MART OPPONENTS CHARGED THE INITIATIVE, MEASURE 4A,
HIJACKS THE CITY'S PLANNING PROCESS.
IT IS 71 PAGES OF LEGAL FINE PRINT
THAT SEEKS TO CUT THE COMMUNITY
OUT OF ITS OWN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
Hutchinson: WHAT THEY DID WAS ESSENTIALLY TELL THE CITY OF INGLEWOOD,
"GET OUT OF HERE.
"WE ARE THE BIGGEST CORPORATION IN THE WORLD.
WE CAN GO IN AND ESSENTIALLY BUY AN ELECTION."
Laney: WE HELD PUBLIC MEETINGS. WE DID OUR LETTERS.
WE HELD PRIVATE MEETINGS WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE WERE OUT ON THE STREET AND DOING THE WORK
TO ENSURE THE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD
THAT TO THOSE WHO MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN, MUCH WILL BE EXPECTED.
I'M SURE THE WALTON FAMILY BELIEVES
THAT THEY'RE A GOOD CHRISTIAN FAMILY.
BUT I THINK THEY HAVE MADE MILLIONS
AT THE EXPENSE OF POOR WORKERS.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT THINK THAT THEY'RE GOOD CHRISTIAN COMPANIES.
NOT IF THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE MONEY
OFF THE BACKS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING.
Laney: A LOT OF PEOPLE SACRIFICED
AN AWFUL LOT TO HAVE ALL THE FREEDOMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT FLAG, TO ME, REPRESENTS ALL OF OUR FREEDOMS.
OUR FREEDOM TO FIGHT WAL-MART.
OUR FREEDOM TO LIVE WHERE WE WANT TO,
WORK WHERE WE WANT TO...
...HAVE A SAY IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
THEY CAN SAY AND BELIEVE WHATEVER THEY WANT ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, TRICKLE-DOWN THEORIES OF CAPITAL
AND WHATEVER OTHER NO SENSE THEY WANT TO INVENT
TO HOLD ON TO THEIR CAPITAL.
BUT AS CHRISTIANS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
THAT'S NOT OUR OPTION.
THAT WE'RE NOT ABOUT CAPITAL, THAT WE'RE ABOUT PEOPLE.
Laney: WE CAME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE FINAL VOTE,
AND THE COUNCIL VOTED 6-0 TO DENY WAL-MART
AND BEST STAR, THE DEVELOPER,
THE RIGHT TO BUILD THE STORE ON THAT PROPERTY.
Man: RESIDENTS OF INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA, ARE VOTING TODAY
ON WHETHER TO APPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION
OF A NEW SHOPPING DEVELOPMENT DOMINATED BY WAL-MART.
Rev. Perez: WE GATHERED AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT
HOPING FOR A MIRACLE
BUT BRACED TO GO BACK TO COURT IF THE MEASURE PASSED.
Woman: AND NOW, THE VOTES ARE COMING IN
ON A PROPOSED WAL-MART SUPER STORE IN INGLEWOOD.
3,100...
Woman: THIS SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE TOOK ON A GIANT AND WON.
AND IT WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL
BECAUSE NOBODY THOUGHT WE COULD WIN THIS.
WE DIDN'T THINK WE COULD WIN.
DAVID BEAT GOLIATH!
THE CITY COUNCIL OF MONROEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,
HANDED WAL-MART THEIR HAT TODAY.
WAL-MART PACKS ITS BAGS IN COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA.
COMMUNITY RESISTANCE PAID OFF IN HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINAN.
WAL-MART HIT THE ROAD.
ANTI-WAL-MART CANDIDATES SWEEP THE HELOTES, TEXAS, ELECTION.
ANOTHER TRIP DOWN THE LONG AND DUSTY FOR WAL-MART
IN BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI.
WHEN YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE, A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE,
WHO DON'T WANT YOU IN THE COMMUNITY,
DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO THERE?
THORNTON, COLORADO, DEFEATED WAL-MART.
WAL-MART BEATEN... WAL-MART LOSES TO PLAINFIELD, ILLINOIS.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, DEFEATED WAL-MART.
VICTORY IN MAINE...
WHEN YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE,
A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, WHO DON'T WANT YOU...
DON'T WANT YOU IN THE COMMUNITY...
WAL-MART LOSES TO CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN.
NEIGHBORHOOD FIGHTS OFF PROPOSED WAL-MART STORE.
WAL-MART BEATEN.
WAL-MART LOSES TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
WAL-MART ZONED OFF FROM FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS, REJECTS WAL-MART.
VICTORY IN COLCHESTER, CONNECTICUT.
SUCCESS. CENTERVILLE, UTAH.
VICTORY. HARRISON, NEW JERSEY.
AN ANTI-WAL-MART SLATE WAS ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL
IN DEPTFORD, NEW JERSEY.
VOTERS REJECTED WAL-MART IN LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.
THE WAL-MART MAN? DEFEATED... IN GLENDORA, CALIFORNIA.
WAL-MART BEATEN IN MEDFORD, OREGON.
WHO'S GOING TO TAKE THE PICTURE -- YOU?
Man: ONE MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR
VISIT WASHINGTON'S ADULT HOME IN MOUNT VERNON.
ON THIS PRESIDENT'S DAY, THERE WAS DISBELIEF THAT ANYONE
WOULD DREAM OF DISTURBING HIS BOYHOOD HOME.
BECAUSE THERE'S PLENTY OF PLACES FOR A SHOPPING CENTER,
BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE WASHINGTON FARM.
Man: SURVEYORS HAVE ALREADY MARKED OFF THE PROPERTY LINE FOR THE WAL-MART.
Woman: NO. THAT'S HISTORY.
THEY SHOULDN'T DESTROY PEOPLE'S HISTORY LIKE THAT.
Woman: MAY 29th,NA HAWAIIAN GROUP SUED,
CLAIMING WAL-MART AND THE STATE
VIOLATED GRAVE-DESECRATION LAWS AND PUBLIC TRUST.
WHERE DO YOU GET OFF COMING HERE, YOU KNOW, A FOREIGN...
WHAT IF IT WAS THEIR GREAT-GRANDFATHER THAT WAS DESECRATED?
FOR NOW, THE REMAINS ARE BEING STORED IN A TRAILER BELOW A RAMP
LEADING TO A PARKING GARAGE AT WAL-MART.
Man: WE PUT A SIGN UP IN THE WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA, STORE
THAT WAS 10 FEET OVER THE CITY CODE THERE.
AND THE BUILDING INSPECTOR RED-TAGGED IT.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, THERE'S AN OVERNIGHT --
THEY CALL ME AND TELL ME
THERE'S AN OVERNIGHT PACKAGE COMING FOR ME
AND I'M TO TAKE IT TO THIS PERSON.
THE ENVELOPE WASN'T SEALED.
AND SO I JUST OPENED IT UP, AND THERE'S A $10,000 CHECK.
AND I GAVE IT TO THE INDIVIDUAL,
AND THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE RED TAG'S OFF THE SIGN.
WHEN YOU HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE,
A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE,
WHO DON'T WANT YOU IN A COMMUNITY,
DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO THERE?
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