About a decade ! That's the time it took the juridical system to rule on whether or not thousand of women who worked at Wal-Mart can sue the giant retailer as a single class for gender discrimination. Now, that means if you are planning on taking this company to court you better be very patient because as we see it in this case, the trial hasn't started yet after about 10yrs. They are still debating on whether or not the steps being followed are legal or not.
I really have an admiration for these women because, it would have been others, they would have already desisted after all the time, and money it would have taken.
One more time this article shows us how difficult it is to bring down the giant retailer. Obviously it is going to take more than unions and court. The Government realy needs to take care of this matter; this is a shame for a country like the USA where you have to wait this long ofr a trial.
Wal-Mart claims that it improved allot in term of supporting its female employees since this case started but, in the mid-time the women the article is talking about have been psychologically and probably emotionally affected by the discrimination they faced during the time they worked for this company. Hopefully the case is going to move forward this time, and.
You're right that the long time this case has taken points to the limit of using the courts as a way to combat discrimination. What do you think individuals, or groups of individuals, who might not be a formal union, might do to address this issue?
ReplyDeleteThey should get organized to make big demonstrations all over the country to get the attention they deserve. As we see it right now in the state of Arizona, and almost all over the country, people are demonstrating against the new anti-immigrant law; the medias are still talking about it, and many politician are expressing their disagrement with that law. Wal-Mart employees should do the same until they eventually win. If they organize big manifestations all over the country and keep at it the Americans will realise that, this attempt to their freedom need to stop. They tried get into unions they weren't allowed, tried to take legal action no result in 10yrs. It is time they do it alone with the help of the community.
ReplyDeleteI agree that publicity can be very effective when the legal sytstem isn't. Arizona will be an interesting example, with lawsuits, boycotts and public demonstrations all going on at the same time: what will be the different outcome of each?
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