Walmart Was Almost Charged Criminally Over Opioids. Trump Appointees Killed the Indictment.

Even as company pharmacists protested, Walmart kept filling suspicious prescriptions, stoking the country’s opioid epidemic. A Republican U.S. Attorney in Texas thought the evidence was damning. Trump’s political appointees? Not so much

On a Tuesday just before Halloween in 2018, a group of federal prosecutors and agents from Texas arrived in Washington. For almost two years, they’d been investigating the opioid dispensing practices of Walmart, the largest company in the world. They had amassed what they viewed as highly damning evidence only to face a major obstacle: top Trump appointees at the Department of Justice.

The prosecution team had come to Washington to try to save its case. Joe Brown, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, led the group, which included Heather Rattan, an over-20-year veteran of the office who had spent much of her career prosecuting members of drug cartels.

They first went to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s headquarters to meet the acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon. There Rattan laid out the evidence. Opioids dispensed by Walmart pharmacies in Texas had killed customers who had overdosed. The pharmacists who dispensed those opioids had told the company they didn’t want to fill the prescriptions because they were coming from doctors who were running pill mills. They pleaded for help and guidance from Walmart’s corporate office. Continue reading.

 

Demise of Walmart ‘greeters’ reveals shortcomings in the Americans with Disabilities Act

Walmart’s decision to eliminate the “greeter” position in all its stores is a case study of why the Americans with Disabilities Act is falling short of its original vision.

Back in 2015, the retailer began experimenting with a new position it called “hosts” to replace the employee who traditionally greeted customers entering a store. The new position, however, required the ability to lift 25 pounds, clean up spills and stand for long periods of time – duties that would be difficult or impossible for many greeters with a disability.

After a public backlashWalmart said it would give greeters with disabilities extra support and time to find a new job in the company.

View the complete May 13 article by Stacy Hickox, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, on the Conversation website here.

 

The Real Reason for Walmart’s Wage Hike

The following article by Charles Fishman was posted on the Politico website January 12, 2018:

Credit: Getty Images

Was it really the tax cut? And should the motivation behind such good news even matter?

When Walmart announced that it was giving all employees raises, bonuses—or both—thanks to the new tax cut, it didn’t take long for the political spinning to start around the news. For Republicans and supporters of President Donald Trump, it added up: This was the trickle-down effect that proponents of the law promised. Many conservative websites headlined Walmart’s explanation—“Walmart Sharing Tax Cut Savings Via Pay Boost, $1,000 Bonuses,” the Fox News story read; others went a step further, offering it as proof that the “Trump tax cut is working.” Some, though, were more skeptical. Tweeters were quick to jump on the fact that Walmart sibling Sam’s Club had also shuttered 63 stores that same day as evidence that these might not exactly be boom times for the retail giant. For these people, Walmart’s announcement was political spin from a famously stingy company eager to prove that only after Walmart got the tax law it wanted would it finally be able to give its employees a little more—and do Republicans a political favor in the process. Continue reading “The Real Reason for Walmart’s Wage Hike”

Walmart quietly lays off thousands of workers after bonus announcement

The following article by Judd Legum was posted on the ThinkProgress was posted on their website January 11, 2018:

Workers across the country were not told of the closings and showed up to work to find stores shuttered.

Thursday morning, Walmart had a flashy announcement: Thanks to corporate tax cuts, it was giving its employees bonuses of up to $1,000. Walmart and President Trump pointed to the announcement as proof that the corporate tax cuts are really a boon to working-class Americans.

Thursday morning, Walmart had a flashy announcement: Thanks to corporate tax cuts, it was giving its employees bonuses of up to $1,000. Walmart and President Trump pointed to the announcement as proof that the corporate tax cuts are really a boon to working-class Americans. Continue reading “Walmart quietly lays off thousands of workers after bonus announcement”

‘Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required’: Walmart Removes Threatening Shirt From Store

The following article by Billy Perrigo was posted on the Time Magazine website December 1, 2017:

Walmart has removed a shirt bearing the words “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required” from its website, following a complaint from a journalist advocacy group.

The shirt was listed on Walmart’s website through a third-party seller, Teespring, which allows people to post their own designs for sale.

“This item was sold by a third-party seller on our marketplace and clearly violates our policy,” a Walmart statement said, according to CBS News. “We removed it as soon as it was brought to our attention, and are conducting a thorough review of the seller’s assortment.” Walmart reportedly removed the shirt five hours after the complaint was made, according to the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), which made the complaint. Continue reading “‘Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some Assembly Required’: Walmart Removes Threatening Shirt From Store”