After Huge Raid on Illegals, Wal-Mart Fires Back at U.S.

WSJ ^ | 11/19/2003 | Ann Zimmerman

[BurbankKarl]

In a series of predawn raids on Oct. 23, federal agents rounded up 250 illegal immigrants working as cleaning crews in 61 Wal-Marts across 21 states. Twelve federal agents also descended on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offices in Bentonville, Ark. Brandishing a search warrant, they made off with 18 boxes of documents from the company's operations department -- mostly records related to cleaning contractors dating back to March 2000.

[WackyKat]

Wal-mart doesn't know anything about the conditions in Chinese factories, either

[Bamabunker]

I'm boycotting China-Mart nowadays. Back to Sears & Roebuck for more than just tools. They pay employees salaries while they have been called to duty. That's patriotic in my book.

[Willie Green]

WalMart is an oversized leech that sucks the lifeblood out of every small town in America.
First, they drive the much smaller Main Street merchants out of business.
Then they turn around and import Chinese goods, shutting down the factories that provided good-paying jobs in the smaller communities.
It makes me begin to wonder whether we should even worry about having a strong military in the future.
I just don't see where it makes much sense to try to defend the United WalMarts of America.

[elli1]

So Wal-Mart fell for that old line, "We're from the government & we're here to help you."

Slight twist on it this time though--"We're from the INS & we're here to help you."

[applemac_g4]

I did not know that. I'll be shopping at Sears in the future.

[heleny]

Before and after the raids, Wal-Mart says it did what it could to ensure that its contractors were hiring legal workers. Antidiscrimination sections of the immigration code limit an employer's ability to investigate an employee's legal status, the company said. Indeed, in 1996, the INS filed a complaint against Wal-Mart for requiring prospective hires who weren't U.S. citizens to show more verification than required by law. The company paid a $60,000 fine. "Accordingly, our company was very hesitant to ask for more assurances about the status of our contractors' employees," says Ms. Williams, the Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Why don't we let companies require whatever extra documentation they want, as long as they meet minimum requirements like verification of eligibility to work? It sounds like the law doesn't solve the problem it was supposed to solve.

If a company wants to discriminate, it will certainly find a way around the law.

[Holly_P]

They pay employees salaries while they have been called to duty. That's patriotic in my book

So does Wal-Mart (Since 1991) but that's not patriotic is it?

[TheDon]

The unions hate Wal-Mart, perhaps that is why they are being hit, or perhaps just because they are so successful. I shop at Wal-Mart to gouge the unions in the eye, and the prices are rather good.

[Holly_P]

Excerpted from:

http://www.pressi.com/int/release/79793.html

(PRESSI.COM 11/21/2003) American Veteran Awards announced today that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will receive the prestigious "Corporate Patriotism Award".

WAL-MART STORES, INC., TO RECEIVE CORPORATE PATRIOTISM AWARD AT THE 9TH ANNUAL AMERICAN VETERAN AWARDS: A TRIBUTE TO FREEDOM

Hundreds of reservists and members of the National Guard employed by Wal-Mart have been called to active duty this year and the company continues their benefits, provides assistance to their families and makes up the difference between their military pay and Wal-Mart wages

Beverly Hills, Calif., November 20, 2003 - American Veteran Awards (AVA), announced today that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will receive the prestigious "Corporate Patriotism Award" sponsored by the Employer Support for Guard & Reserve (ESGR) at the 9th annual American Veteran Awards: A Tribute to Freedom on November 21, 2003. AVA is America's preeminent tribute uniting arts and entertainment with the patriotic fabric of our nation - our past, present and future military and their families. The show will air on The History Channel in February 2004.

The Corporate Patriotism Award will be presented by Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-principal of DreamWorks SKG, to Tom Coughlin, vice chairman of Wal-Mart. This award is presented each year to a company that exhibits exceptional support and dedication to the ideals of AVA in raising awareness and support of U.S. service members and their families. The award is open to any American corporation who donates substantial resources, without corporate financial gain, in assisting veterans, active duty military and reservists.

"Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB associates are proud to support our country and serve our communities," said Tom Coughlin, vice chairman of Wal-Mart. "Veterans are an important part of our community, representing the values that make our country great. We're honored to receive this award and our associates will continue to honor members of the military and their families."

"We are proud to have Wal-Mart as this year's Corporate Patriotism Award recipient. We are also thrilled to have ESGR as the sponsor of this award. American corporations remain an essential part of national defense in that they support and protect the sanctity of employment, making organizations like Wal-Mart and ESGR a vital force in all of our lives," said Harry Shaw, CEO of American Veteran Awards.

During World War II, Wal-Mart founder, Sam Walton and his brother Bud joined thousands of other hometown heroes to protect our freedom, understanding that ideals require action and sacrifice. In 1962, Sam founded Wal-Mart based on the same values he helped defend during war times; respect, quality of life, opportunity and freedom.

Today, Wal-Mart's associates continue to serve their country and their communities. From the local to the national level in good times and bad, they are encouraged to take the initiative when they see a need. Hundreds of reservists and members of the National Guard employed by Wal-Mart have been called to active duty this year. Wal-Mart continues their benefits, provides assistance to their families and makes up the difference between military pay and regular Wal-Mart wages.

For the last two years, Wal-Mart has sponsored National Guard units to come home from training for the holidays before they deploy overseas. To help service men and woman stay in touch with their loved ones, Wal-Mart supports the Veteran of Foreign Wars' (VFW) Operation Uplink by providing free phone cards so they can call home from anywhere in the world. They also set up a kiosk at Wal-Mart where families can send free messages to their beloved soldiers.

With the help of the VFW, Wal-Mart associates and customers also send message books to troops expressing their encouragement and support. Wal-Mart also provided millions of dollars in financial aid to military family support organizations and works with suppliers to send clothing for the wounded and special need items to the troops.

Demonstrating exceptional support and dedication in the past, during the Gulf War, Wal-Mart sent needed merchandise to U.S. troops and offered comfort to the families left behind. The company also donated $6 million to help build the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. The company's associates and customers raised an additional $8.5 million. In times of crisis at home, Wal-Mart rises to the challenge quickly and without question.

[185JHP]

"We're from the govt. and we're here to govern you" is the operative concept in this thing. "I love it when a plan to hammer grasping greedsters comes together."

[jwalsh07]

Hundreds of reservists and members of the National Guard employed by Wal-Mart have been called to active duty this year and the company continues their benefits, provides assistance to their families and makes up the difference between their military pay and Wal-Mart wages

You mean the soldiers have to send Wal Mart a portion of their paychecks?

[Pro-Bush]

The complex relationships between Wal-Mart, its contractors and subcontractors and federal officials are now being examined by a federal grand jury in Scranton, Pa. While the full story is still uncertain, the intriguing outlines are visible in police reports and court records.

I smell a conspiracy brewing!

[Holly_P]

You mean the soldiers have to send Wal Mart a portion of their paychecks?

That's what you think? Read it slowly.

[Fledermaus]

Yeah, but you have to confine your purchases. Sears has limited merchandise and buying online it metted out to third parties they don't do much to control and thus service lacks and accountablility is nil.

I bought some DVD's from Sears.com to send for XMAS to one brother and they have yet to be delivered and I can't get any info. They keep referring me to the third party company they use and they are idiots.

So much stuff is out of stock, you can't get what you want.

But I did spend a good amount at Sears this year, mostly in gift cards to people I know buy car stuff or appliances.

I even went to find a digital camera battery they said they had in store and didn't. I guess their computers aren't that integrated that sales at the retail outlet don't trigger online availability. Of course, they were happy to order it for me and charge me shipping and have to wait 2 weeks. Screw it, I went to another store in the mall and found it cheaper anyway.

[two23]

"Before and after the raids, Wal-Mart says it did what it could to ensure that its contractors were hiring legal workers. Antidiscrimination sections of the immigration code limit an employer's ability to investigate an employee's legal status, the company said. Indeed, in 1996, the INS filed a complaint against Wal-Mart for requiring prospective hires who weren't U.S. citizens to show more verification than required by law. (What??) The company paid a $60,000 fine. "Accordingly, our company was very hesitant to ask for more assurances about the status of our contractors' employees..."

Ok---so our borders are wide open to anyone from anywhere--then retailers have to comply with anti-discrimination policies regarding "illegals" (don't snoop/don't ask--don't tell?)..then they get FINED $60,000 for not sending proper background info????

Dmaned if ya do--damned if ya don't, I guess

[JustPiper]

federal agents rounded up 250 illegal immigrants working as cleaning crews in 61 Wal-Marts across 21 states. Twelve federal agents also descended on Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offices in Bentonville, Ark.

Wow this grew, now its a "Huge Raid"

[familyop]

Yep. The media are helping with a campaign to try to drive Walmart out of business, because it's competitive. The truth is that it is one of the few retail companies whose officers continue to refuse to keystone (mainstreet lingo for 100% markups) its merchandise. The founder built it that way, and his competitors have hated it ever since.

I worked for Sears as a supervisor through a contractor for awhile. Its administration is terribly anti-family and anti-hetero. There aren't many servicemen who work for Sears, because Sears store manager hags hate straight men IMO. They do hire a lot of Aunt Nancies, though.

[elli1]

Your story dovetails somewhat w/ my recent experience. Had a Sears serviceman out (from Wausau) & he told us that he's making service calls all the way down to Madison--that's a 280 mile round trip in a relatively heavily populated region--i.e., we're not talking about the Texas panhandle or eastern Montana in terms of population density.

[CWOJackson]

I personally have always loved the they only sell stuff made in China argument.

Oddly enough, all the Walmarts I've visited carry the same products that all the other stores carry...and often at a better price.

[af_vet_rr]

WalMart is an oversized leech that sucks the lifeblood out of every small town in America.

First, they drive the much smaller Main Street merchants out of business.

Then they turn around and import Chinese goods, shutting down the factories that provided good-paying jobs in the smaller communities.

I've gotten weird looks/comments from people in the past when I tell them I try not to shop at WalMart and will go out of my way and pay a bit more to hit up mom-and-pop stores and/or try to buy American-made. They have this "but you can get everything at WalMart and for cheap prices!!!" attitude.

I know not everybody can afford to pay a little more to buy from a locally-run store or to buy American, and I maybe tilting at windmills when I do so, but that's just me.

[familyop]

You saw a little of the treatment men get from Sears in general. The route you describe is typical of the demands put on the few Sears will hire.

Oh, BTW, by "servicemen," I meant men who are in the Reserve Components of the US military. ...my fault.

[Lloyd227]

""If Wal-Mart was cooperating, why would [the government] have gone ahead with the raids on 61 stores?"

uh... possibly because the prosecutors and LEOs involved a arrogant thugs in need of a headline?

[Eris]

Funny - states want to give illegals driver's licenses, the feds are considering giving them social security.

But when Wal-Mart employs them by proxy, that's a crime.

When I look at all the people who despise Wal-Mart and why, I remember I need to stop by one on the way home tonight and pick up some things.

:)

[gubamyster]

ping

[DLfromthedesert]

Walmart is such a chaotic, messy store; I could never stand to shop there anyway. I get claustrophobic in their narrow aisles.

[Regulator]

By the time the federal prosecutors had closed in on him, Chris Walters was a wealthy man

Yeah, being a human smuggler of indentured slaves will make you rich. Of course, you run the risk of being caught, and possibly losing the money you made by cheating and victimizing people, but don't worry. The free trade cultists will defend your "right" to do that, down to the last slave you've smuggled in.

[janetgreen]

Bush's proposed amnesty will cover the butts of these slave labor employers while screwing American taxpayers.

[TLI]

Wal-Mart says managers at many levels knew about the problem of illegal workers in its stores, because they had been cooperating for as long as three years in federal investigations in both Pennsylvania and Chicago.

Wal-Mart says it was led to believe it wasn't a target of the investigations, and it says it didn't take action to sever its ties with the contractors because federal officials specifically asked it to leave the relationships in place.

Which is a PERFECT example of just how much to trust a fed. They are there to do one thing, make an arrest. The bigger the better. They are NOT your friend / buddy / whatever.

[presidio9]

Back to Sears & Roebuck for more than just tools.

And that is your right. Just be wary of "Conservatives" who demand that the Gub'mint get involved.

[presidio9]

The unions hate Wal-Mart, perhaps that is why they are being hit, or perhaps just because they are so successful. I shop at Wal-Mart to gouge the unions in the eye, and the prices are rather good.

Even better. It pains me to see Protectionist "Conservatives" being manipulated by the socialists. The term "Big Business" is class warfare at its finest.

[PRND21]

Your Tancredo did exactly what Wal Mart did...hired illegals.
Don't be such a hypocrite.

[presidio9]

The free trade cultists

Are you serious with this? What is your motivation for being a Conservative?

[freeangel]

"federal officials specifically asked it to leave the relationships in place"

Wal-Mart better have that in writing or a tape made somewhere. And if it does it will be interesting to watch the developments of the case.

[Old Professer]

The agents told the Wal-Mart officials that the contractors recruited illegal immigrants through overseas ads and charged them $10,000 to come to America, which they then had to work off. "They are indebted to the groups that bring them over, and stealing is one of the ways they labor to pay off the debts," the agents told the Wal-Mart employees, according to a Wal-Mart memo chronicling the meeting

White slavery; the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[atlaw]

ON THE ONE HAND: "It probably sounds a little naive now, but we were simply trying to help our government and cooperated closely with federal agents for three years," says Mona Williams, Wal-Mart vice president of corporate communications. "Throughout that time they specifically told us we were not the target of any investigation and that we would be given a heads-up before any arrests were made in our stores. Instead, they conducted unannounced raids on our stores and created a well-planned media frenzy by saying they had proof that Wal-Mart executives knew what was going on. All we knew was what they had told us."


ON THE OTHER HAND: "Before and after the raids, Wal-Mart says it did what it could to ensure that its contractors were hiring legal workers."


A consistent story would help their case.

[norton]

"If Wal-Mart was cooperating, why would [the government] have gone ahead with the raids on 61 stores?" a person close to the investigation said.

I could suggest an answer but the bureaucrat close to the investigation would really, really, hate the answer.

[Bamabunker]

I did not know that Wal-Mart continued to keep their employees salaried while gone on active duty.


Thank you for the information.

[Walkin Man]

"It probably sounds a little naive now, but we were simply trying to help our government and cooperated closely with federal agents for three years," says Mona Williams, Wal-Mart vice president of corporate communications.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

[Regulator]

Are you serious with this?

Of course I am. What would make you think I'm not?

What is your motivation for being a Conservative?

Why do you want to know? Still searching for the Meaning of Life, and you're taking a poll to find out?

[janetgreen]

Don't be such a hypocrite

Don't YOU be such an apologist for illegal immigration. We're of different opinions, you know that, so why do you continue to try to change my mind? You won't. You live in southern California, the haven for illegal aliens, so why doesn't this bother you, and why do you not mind paying for the mess it has become? Are you an employer of illegal aliens? Are you an illegal alien? Do you have false documents that allow you to collect all the freebies? Just wondering.

Why don't you "come out" and tell us why you continually attack anyone who doesn't agree with you? See, I can be just as nasty as you can.

[PRND21]

You yell about WalMart while the guy in your tagline was guilty of the samr thing. Hence, hypocrite.
I'm not trying to change your mind, just countering your anti Bush nonsense.

Illegal labor aided Tancredo

[lainde]

bttt

[txdoda]

Bush's proposed amnesty will cover the butts of these slave labor employers while screwing American taxpayers.>>>>>>>

SHEESH.....WM probably donating 'big bucks' FOR another amnesty.

The WM warehouse in my area loves hiring the hispanics, & it's NOT that they work any harder or better that the Americans.
It's mainly due to the fact that very few sign up for insurance (that WM pays part of). There's also a large turn-over, thereby the employee never gets 'vested' in the profit sharing plan. (WM also pays into this).
When WM hires more than enough, they CUT everyone's hours to about 30 a week. Even thru the Christmas rush this warehouse is not working any of the employees 40 hr. a week.

People here think WM will soon have all 'part-time' (warehouse) employees, just as they've done in many of the stores.

[txdoda]

Illegal labor aided Tancredo >>>>>>>

LOL........

Show me where in your link it say that Tancredo KNOWILLING hired illegals ???

The charges against WM is that they KNEW their contractors hired illegals.

[PRND21]

I was under the impression that Wal Mart's sub contractors made the hire.
If wrong, I retract.
Please source your claim.

[txdoda]

was under the impression that Wal Mart's sub contractors made the hire.>>>>>>>


(from this article)"the government had wiretaps showing that Wal-Mart officials KNEW its contractors were furnishing illegal cleaning crews."

While your link about the Tancredo 'fiasco' clearly states that Tom hired a contractor who stated he had "documentation on all his workers". Then later two of the workers said their "documentation was false". (To make headlines ??)

Big difference between working folks you KNOW are illegal, & working illegals who have phony 'documentation' (that you do not know about).

Also, No charges were ever filed against Tom, or his contractor, that I know of.