Beginning next week, Walmart will go before the Supreme Court to defend itself in the largest class action sexual discrimination lawsuit in history. Walmart is accused of allegedly paying female employees less and favoring male employees for promotions at its 3,400 big box stores nationwide.
Cue cries of “But-but-but women take time off to have babies! And to have their period! “which, without fault, in a resounding chorus to justify wage discrimination. Alas, counsel for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club has warned Walmart Inc. in 1995, a lawsuit would be sexual discrimination on the horizon when he finds men earned 19 percent more than women in certain jobs and were five and a half times more likely to be promoted. The Los Angeles Times, a statistician hired by the plaintiffs’ counsel found “women represent about two-thirds of the hourly employees but less than 14 percent of store managers. “And, surprise, here is the trial! Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will not only explain the allegations of unequal pay and promotion, but what the Los Angeles Times called “a culture dominated by men.” Evidence gathered by the plaintiffs’ lawyer Brad Seligman, say the managers referred to female employees as “girls” went to strip clubs together, and held meetings at Hooters. Klassy.
If one of the biggest, wealthiest companies in America was paying whites better than blacks, or promoting whites over Latinos, everyone would be up in arms. Where’s the outrage over almost two million current and former female employees whose families, educations, credit scores and retirement funds have been forever impacted by unequal pay? I suspect some liberals and/or “coastal elites” don’t care because (sneer) it’s Walmart. And I suspect everyone else doesn’t care because this effects low-income women, who are repeatedly screwed by American society.
But it’s huge. Huge, people. For my part, will be watching carefully (in part because, according to Reuters, the result of the class action lawsuit is Walmart should have implications for a similar deal with Costco, another superstore chain). And even if Wal-Mart does win this round (they should try to dismantle the class action aspect of the lawsuit, claiming that employees at different stores in different areas of the country are too diverse to constitute a “class “) I’m fascinated to see how the company would fare in different sexual discrimination lawsuits by the plaintiffs.
P.S. If any Frisky readers are past or current Walmart employees, or know someone who is, we would be curious to hear about your experiences in the comments.
