Although it isn’t clear how much our economy has recovered since the “Great Recession”, one thing is for certain, America’s largest companies are still alive and kicking.  This past Black Friday, many retailers posted record profits, and America has shown that it is still a country with extra cash to spend.  However, this isn’t true for everyone.

Based on data from a recent report by the National Employment Law Project, the nation’s 12 largest companies compensate their employees the least.  The list is comprised of national restaurant chains and national retailers, most of which pay minimum wage- a rate that is worth about 30% less than it was in 1968, as far as purchasing power goes.  Many of the companies on the report’s list, if not paying minimum wage, still pay $10 or less, classifying their employees as “low-wage” workers.  The big corporations on the list also have histories of poor labor relations, including long and irregular hours, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of full-time positions.   

Yet, pay and perks for executives at these companies are higher than ever.  In fact, the six Walton heirs combined are worth more than the entire bottom 41% of Americans.  And despite the fact that 9 of the 12 companies have been profitable for the past three years straight, lay-offs and wage and benefit cuts have only increased.

Why on earth is such wealth being given only to a few, already extremely wealthy individuals, instead of rightly shared with workers who help ensure the success of these companies?  It’s time to call these corporations out.  This is why unions are great – research shows that workers who work at union retailers make more on average in addition to better hours, benefits, and a union voice on the job That is the union difference.

Below are the five largest companies in America, who provide poor wages to their employees.

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1. Walmart

2. Yum! Brands (Includes Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC)

3. McDonald’s

4. Target

5. Sears