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you are here: Home » Press Room » Fact Sheets and Backgrounder » Walmart » Wal-Martization and Women

Wal-Martization of Women's Jobs

The backbone of Wal-Mart's workforce, approximately 700,000 women work for the company to make it the largest private sector employer of women in the U.S. Unfortunately, these workers suffer under unequal pay and discrimination in advancement and job assignments. Wal-Mart's pattern of discrimination runs through all levels of the company -- from hourly employees to senior management. In addition, Wal-Mart is currently being sued for gender discrimination in promotion and pay, in what would be the largest class action lawsuit in U.S.history.

UNEQUAL PAY

Two Pay Scales Shortchange Wal-Mart Women
For the same job classifications, women earn from 5 – 15% less than men. These women workers earn 40 cents an hour less than male hourly workers in the same jobs—even though women have, on average, longer seniority and higher merit ratings than their male counterparts. less than men for the same work.
Moving Into Management Does Not Guarantee Fair Treatment
Women in management positions earn nearly $5,000 per year less than men. Male management trainees make an average of $23,175 a year, compared with $22,371 for women trainees.
Even Top Women Executives are Subjected to Discrimination
The average male senior vice president at Wal-Mart makes $419,435 a year, while the four women senior vice presidents earn an average of $279,772.

SYSTEMATIC DENIAL OF ADVANCEMENT

Men Dominate the Ranks of Management
Despite making up 72 percent of the Wal-Mart’s hourly workforce, women only account for 33% of managers and 15% of store managers. Instead of being able to move up the ranks, women are concentrated and stuck in the lowest paying jobs—comprising 92% of cashiers and 76% of sales associates.
Wal-Mart is Stuck in the Past
Wal-Mart employs fewer women in management today than its competitors did in 1975. Twenty comparable retailers employed an average of 41.6% women managers in 1975, Wal-Mart only employs 33% TODAY. (Women make up 56.6% of the management positions at competitors today.)
Women Face Unreasonable Obstacles to Advancement at Wal-Mart
The average time from their date of hire until they are first promoted to an Assistant Manager job is 4.38 years for women and only 2.86 years for men. For example, a woman who worked as an assistant manager for seven years at Wal-Mart--and who received "exceeds expectations" on her evaluations—expressed a desire to move into a higher management position. She was told she had to commit, in writing, to working overnight for a full two years—which was neither a commitment nor a task required for men seeking higher positions.

LARGEST GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN HISTORY

On June 19, 2001 current and former female Wal-Mart employees filed a massive nationwide sex discrimination class action lawsuit in U. S. District Court against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Case No.: C 01-2252 MJJ). The suit is seeking class action status that will make it the largest class action lawsuit ever—with well over 1 million participants.
The suit charges that Wal-Mart discriminates against its female employees in promotions, compensation and job assignments. It claims that women are predominately assigned to the lowest paying positions and are systematically denied advancement opportunities.*

*UFCW is distributing information about the lawsuit. UFCW is not a party to the lawsuit and did not bring the lawsuit.

Facts from the Wal-Mart Class Action Website at https://walmart.walmartclass.com/walmartclass94.pl
Also visit www.walmartvswomen.com