May 13, 2015 - corporation and a fierce anti-union employer, represents corporate greed. ... farmworkers, Chinese railro
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2015
WWW.APALANET.ORG Contact: William Chiang
[email protected] (202) 508-3733
APALA Condemns the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies for Honoring Wal-Mart Washington D.C. – The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance National Executive Board issued the following statement after their board meeting: The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, condemns the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) for honoring Wal-Mart at their annual Gala. APALA celebrates our community traditions during Asian Pacific Heritage Month, especially the contributions of Asian Pacific American working people. But Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest corporation and a fierce anti-union employer, represents corporate greed. Wal-Mart pays poverty wages, substandard benefits, and has a shameful record with regard to employment discrimination involving race and gender. Wal-Mart has viciously attacked efforts to allow their workers to form and join unions. Wal-Mart has recently closed five Wal-Mart department stores where there were active campaigns among workers, including many workers of color, to organize for better wages and working conditions. Wal-Mart is a global economic powerhouse that promotes the proliferation of sweatshops, violates labor and environmental standards, and is leading the race to the bottom in exploiting workers and contributing to world-wide poverty. For APAICS to honor Wal-Mart is an insult to Asian Pacific American workers throughout the country, and the rich history of Asian Pacific American labor. This is the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape strike when Filipino farmworkers courageously led the fight to organize farm workers in California. APAICS is insulting the legacy of Filipino farmworkers, Chinese railroad workers, Hawaiian plantation workers, New York Chinatown garment workers, and millions of other Asian Pacific American workers who have built this country. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the tremendous contributions of the Asian Pacific American community. APAICS dishonors Asian Pacific American workers by honoring corporate greed, exploitation, and worker abuse. APALA National President Johanna Puno Hester added, "APALA values our partnerships with other Asian Pacific American organizations, and in that spirit, our representatives conveyed our concerns to APAICS leadership about their selection of Wal-Mart as an honoree this year. Let us be clear--we support the mission of APAICS to build the pipeline of elected officials and we look forward to engaging in a conversation about the role of corporate partnerships in the broader community." ###
Wal-Mart is the 1% Wal-Mart is ranked #1 as the largest employer of retail workers and rank in size of private U.S. employers. Making more than $408.2 Billion revenue in 2010, Wal-Mart is the number one Fortune 100 company.
Unlivable Wages Wal-Mart full time employees (34 hours per week) make only $15,500 per year. Hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart full-time workers are forced to live below the poverty line.
Lack of Health Benefits As of January 2012, Wal-Mart employees that work less than 24 hours per week no longer have health benefits accessible to them. Full time employees saw their premiums rise up to 120%.
No Voice on the Job Wal-Mart management and executives are known to deny employees the right to organize and collective bargain. As part of their anti-union tactics, the company requires the workers to attend anti-union meetings while training supervisors in union avoidance.
(In)flexible Scheduling Policy Wal-Mart’s flexible scheduling policy is specifically catered to force higher paid full-time workers to reduce their status to part-time, saving the company money by cutting additional salary and benefits that belongs to workers. As a result many of these workers have to quit, and are replaced by part-time workers.
Globalization Wal-Mart sales strategy relies on a system that puts unbearable pressure on global supply chains to deliver cheap goods on a constant basis. Suppliers from developing countries are compelled to cut costs by any means to meet Wal-Mart’s demands, often leading to worker exploitation, incredibly low wages (as low as $80 per month), and extremely dangerous working conditions etc.
SAY NO TO WAL-MART, STAND UP FOR WORKER RIGHTS!
Sources: http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/files/2012/03/workers.pdf IBIS World Report www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/business/wal-mart-cuts-some-health-care-benefits.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp Walmart’s Position on Unions (For U.S. Operations Only).” Walmart. October 31, 2006 Bianco, Anthony. “No Union Please, We’re Walmart.” Business Week. February 13, 2006 Bhatnagar, Parija. “Walmart seeks to ‘organize’ labor its own way” (04/25/2006) http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/factsheet/ For more information, go to www.apalanet.org and www.ChangeWalmart.org
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the first and only national organization for Asian Pacific American union members to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights.
