Friday was the company's annual meeting, and, as expected, officials had to address the ongoing firestorm of criticism of Wal-Mart's practices, and the well-organized national campaigns [link to wakeupwalmart.com and walmartwatch.com] backed by labor and other social justice groups. Did CEO Lee Scott assure his employees that he was listening, and that Wal-Mart was doing everything it could to make the company a more humane place to work? Did he promise to unveil a compensation plan that would keep workers and their families off welfare? No, Scott, who last week denied reports that his job was in danger, did something even more astonishing: he blamed the workers themselves for the recent spate of public relations disasters. "You better be ready to be better," he told them. In another gem of sage advice, Scott offered that "associates" should be "doing the right things and doing things right."
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Out of Reach
Liza Featherstone: As the cost of college hits the stratosphere, students are organizing to bring it down to earth.
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Help Wanted for Green Jobs
Liza Featherstone: It's inspiring to have a president who talks the talk on green-collar jobs. But we need megawatts, not just megawords.
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Andy Stern: Savior or Sellout?
Liza Featherstone: SEIU President Andy Stern heads one of the strongest unions in the country. Why is he so cozy with corporations?
In other news, Wal-Mart is hoping to win back the good will of the American people by...sponsoring a reality show. Admittedly, the strategy has worked for Anna Nicole Smith and Kirstie Alley, both of whom did have some image problems, albeit mild ones: they were has-beens of less-than-svelte girth. Wal-Mart has far more to overcome.
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