Walmart Paved the Way for Poverty Wages

Walmart Paved the Way for Poverty Wages

Walmart Paved the Way for Poverty Wages

Walmart's bottom-line business model has made the Walton family billions, while pushing employees onto public assistance.

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On Black Friday, hundreds of Walmart workers protested the superstore’s unfair labor practices and “Always Low Wages” policy. While Walmart’s bottom-line business model has made the Walton family billions, their employees in California were 40 percent more likely to need public assistance. Walmart is not only slashing prices on flat-screen TVs—they’re suppressing wages and costing tax payers millions of dollars. Nation columnist Melissa Harris-Perry checks the numbers to see why the Walton’s “Live Better” math—which claims their low-price model benefits all families—doesn’t quite add up.

—Christie Thompson

For more on the fight against corporate greed, check out Allison Kilkenny’s coverage of “Occupy Walmart.”

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