April 17, 2012 – A Call to Demand Equality from Walmart on Equal Pay Day
Posted on April 17, 2012 by jway
Today, female workers can expect to earn about 77.4 cents on the dollar when compared to their male counterparts. The still massive difference in pay represents slightly fewer than 4 cents improvement over the last 16 years. This begs the question, “what is maintaining this gap?”
As the world’s largest private sector employer, Walmart has major influence on nearly all aspects of our economy. In recognition of this fact and Equal Pay Day, Moms Rising published a piece highlighting Walmart’s role in maintaining the glass ceiling. In the article, author Jenya Cassidy proposes that we celebrate Equal Pay Day by challenging Walmart’s role in preventing progress. “[L]et’s recommit to defeating Walmart and what it stands for: low wages, bad working conditions, unequal treatment of women workers, union busting, and a business model that hurts the ability of working families to survive,” she says.
Last year, Walmart made headlines when 1.5 million current and former employees sued the company for discriminatory practices in giving raises and promotions based on gender. While the Supreme Court dismissed the case based on a procedural ground, the plaintiffs’ allegations embodied often-expressed concerns that Walmart may employ discriminatory business practices.
For these reasons, among others, thousands of associates in more than 30 states are standing together with community members to change Walmart so that we can rebuild America.
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