Chronicling Wal-Mart’s countless abuses and abusive policies could easily provide enough content for a whole blog. Apparently (and thankfully), Andy Stern and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) agree.
As my friend Oliver at The Liquid List told me this week, the SEIU has launched a new “Justice at Work” initiative, including a new blog that will help chronicle Wal-Mart’s disgraceful labor policies.
The project isn’t exclusively about Wal-Mart, but it is creating an invaluable resource on a serious problem.
It’s hard to even know where to start in criticizing Wal-Mart. In fact, I rarely write about it because it’s just too daunting. It’s exactly why I’m so happy to see Stern and the SEIU do the heavy lifting.
Considering this is a company that forces employees to work overtime without compensation, hires illegal immigrants to avoid paying minimum wages, has locked overnight employees into its stores, has repeatedly violated child-labor laws and state regulations requiring time for breaks and meals, and goes to extraordinary lengths to prevent workers from unionizing, I can’t think of a more deserving target for the SEIU’s efforts.