November, 2005

Economic Justice, Health Care, Press Releases, Retail, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, Walmart

WAL-MART VS. AMERICA NEWSPAPER AD OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES WAKEUPWALMART.COM’S EFFORTS DURING NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION

Nov 15, 2005

Nov. 14 – Washington, D.C. – Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, announced the launch of the next phase of its media campaign and its activities during Wal-Mart Week. This week, hundreds of thousands of Americans will take part in local movie screenings of Robert Greenwald’s new movie – Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. WakeUpWalMart.com also announced it has surpassed more than 125,000 Americans in all 50 states – making it one of the fastest growing social movements in America.

“”This is not just the beginning of a campaign, it is the beginning of a national movement. Wal-Mart’s record of poverty level wages, unaffordable health care and child labor violations undermines American values. When the American people know the truth, they will reject Wal-Mart’s bad business practices and join our movement to make Wal-Mart a responsible corporation,”" said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

The message of today’s New York Times ad, and the framework for the week, is “”Wal-Mart vs. America.”" The ad shows a map of the United States being pulled apart by Wal-Mart’s Smiley Face on one side and Uncle Sam on the other side. It details the difference between Wal-Mart’s America and Our America on issues such as: poverty level wages, poor health care, gender discrimination, special interest lobbyists and child labor. The ad, also, previews upcoming events during Wal-Mart Week, stating, “”This week, in cities and towns all across the nation, hundreds of thousands of Americans are standing up to corporate greed and demonstrating the amazing power all Americans have to change Wal-Mart and America for the better.”"

“”We are building the largest, most coordinated campaign in history to change Wal-Mart. With more than 125,000 supporters, in all 50 states, WakeUpWalMart.com is an unprecedented grassroots effort to educate consumers about the high cost we all pay for Wal-Mart’s greed,”" said Paul Blank, campaign director for WakeUpWalMart.com

During Wal-Mart Week, WakeUpWalMart.com supporters will hold screenings in over 140 cities and 35 states. In total, supporters of the campaign and Robert Greenwald’s movie have planned over 4000 screenings during this week of action.

WakeUpWalMart.com is building the largest grassroots movement to change a corporation in history. With over 125,000 supporters, WakeUpWalMart.com is one of the fastest growing social movements in America. Find out more about the campaign at www.WakeUpWalMart.com.

Economic Justice, Health Care, Packing and Processing, Press Releases, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, Workplace Safety & Health

Statement of Joe Hansen, UFCW International President

Nov 14, 2005

Justices Agree to End the Workplace Rip-off

(Washington, DC) – Meatpacking, poultry and food processing workers finally have the backing and protection of the highest court in the land.  Today, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the position long held by workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) – that employers must pay workers for time spent obtaining required safety equipment and reporting to their work location in the plant.  The UFCW has advocated for decades that all required time is paid time.

For far too long, employers have cheated workers out of their full paycheck by refusing to pay them for the time it takes to pick up their required safety equipment such as chain mail gloves, hair nets, aprons and heavy boots.  Meat industry giants like Tyson Foods, which owns IBP, have long insisted that workers paid time does not include as much as thirty to forty minutes per day spent collecting and putting on their gear and walking to their station on the production line.

Today, the Supreme Court justices unanimously agreed that workers deserve to be paid for that time.  In reality, the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court had to rule on such a case speaks volumes about the greed and arrogance of employers in this country.  It wasn’t enough to cheat workers out of their wages, the meat packing industry fought for the right to continue its rip-off all the way to the highest court.

The time has finally come for the hundreds of thousands of workers to receive their rightfully due wages when they report for duty in America’s food industry workplaces.  Today’s court ruling is a tremendous victory for workers.

Click here for a copy of the ruling.

Constituency Groups, Corporate Responsibility, Press Releases, Retail, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, Walmart, Women's Network

WakeUpWalMart.com Releases New 30-second Ad

Nov 09, 2005

First Commercial to Highlight Wal-Mart’s Growing Moral Corruption
and use Tom Delay’s “Smiley Face” Booking Photo
and Scooter Libby Indictment in Ad Campaign

Washington, D.C. – WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, launched a new 30-second advertisement that asks and answers the question “Who is the most corrupt in America?”

The dramatic spot highlights the growing number of morally corrupt scandals in America, including Rep. Tom Delay’s arrest, Scooter Libby’s indictment, and Sen. Bill Frist’s investigation and concludes none of these are as bad as Wal-Mart and CEO Lee Scott’s morally corrupt policies.

“American values and morality are being perverted by our nation’s corporate and political leaders.  The definition of corrupt is to become morally debased.  Is there anything more morally debased than a $290 billion giant like Wal-Mart having over 600,000 of its workers without company health care or being sued by more than 1.5 million women for discrimination?” said Paul Blank, campaign director WakeUpWalMart.com.

The 30-second commercial presents the specific reasons why Wal-Mart is the most morally corrupt.   The ad highlights Wal-Mart’s failure to provide affordable health care to all of its workers, its record of repeated child labor violations, and the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in history affecting over 1.5 million female employees.

The ad will also be the first in the nation to use Tom Delay’s “Smiley Face” booking photo and Scooter Libby in a national media campaign.

“To be frank, it was tough to decide who is the most morally corrupt between Tom Delay, Bill Frist, Scooter Libby, or Lee Scott?   But, Wal-Mart is the most morally corrupt because they choose to put their own greed before their own people everyday.”

The first phase of the “Who Is the Most Corrupt?” media campaign launches on over 22 websites with a collective reach of over 17 million page views daily.   The ad campaign is a prelude to next week’s grassroots actions all across the country led by WakeUpWalMart.com and its coalition partners.  As part of Wal-Mart Week, WakeUpWalMart.com and its 115,000 supporters will host movie screenings of Robert Greenwald’s movie “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price,” and will be taking part in an array of actions to raise public awareness about the negative effects Wal-Mart is having on its workers, their families, and the nation.

TV ad script – Most Corrupt

Corrupt.  To become morally debased.
So, who is the most corrupt in America?
Is it Congressman Tom Delay?
Senator Bill Frist?
Former Bush official Scooter Libby?
Or, Wal-Mart’s CEO, Lee Scott?
Over 600,000 Wal-Mart workers have no company health care
Wal-Mart repeatedly violated child labor laws.
And, over 1.5 million women are suing Wal-Mart for discrimination.
So, who is the most corrupt?
Lee Scott and Wal-Mart

To view this ad, click here:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/video/corrupt.html