New from WalMartWatch

NYT Op-Ed: Bought And Paid For By Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart Watch raises a disturbing question about the objectivity of the recent New York Times op-ed by Pankaj Ghemawat and Ken A. Mark. Their pro-Wal-Mart thesis was that because the stores save low-income consumers money, the company shouldn’t reform its highly criticized business model. Wal-Mart Watch reveals that “business consultant” Ken A. Mark lists Wal-Mart under his firm’s retail consulting services.

Broad Coalition Takes on Wal-Mart Liza Featherstone takes a look at the broad coalition of groups and activists working to reform Wal-Mart, including our efforts at Wal-Mart Watch and those of our friends at Wake-Up Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart Argues Size Does Now Matter Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the world’s largest company with over 3,600 stores worldwide and a $10 billion profit in 2004 alone, has told a federal appeals court that it’s just not big enough to defend itself against a class action gender-discrimination lawsuit now pending in federal court.

Yet Another State Finds Wal-Mart Tops Medicare Rolls New figures disclosed in Arizona reveal Wal-Mart, yet again, tops the list of companies with employees on state-funded healthcare. “Close to one of every 10 Wal-Mart employees is getting health insurance paid for by Arizona taxpayers, according to figures obtained Friday from the state.”

New Conference To Examine Wal-Mart Role in Economy The Boston Globe reports, “Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, is sponsoring a conference designed to examine its effect on jobs, inflation, and income growth. The meeting will be run by Lexington-based Global Insight Inc., an economic and financial services firm.”

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