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WAL-MART SCORES LOW ON STANDARDS OF POLITICAL CONDUCT FOR CORPORATIONS National Network of Activists Quarantine Wal-Mart Locations Across the Country For Immediate Release: Contacts: Boston, MA--Today, Corporate Accountability International joins with Jobs with Justice, the Ruckus Society, ACORN and other activists across the country in calling for a National Day of Action pressuring Wal-Mart. While CEO Lee Scott convenes Wal-Mart's annual shareholders' meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, thousands of concerned citizens dressed in hazardous materials suits and armed with yellow caution tape will be putting Wal-Mart locations across the country under "quarantine." The National Day of Action is drawing attention to Wal-Mart's treatment of its employees: a majority of Wal-Mart employees are not covered by Wal-Mart's healthcare plans, while those who are often face prohibitive annual deductibles. Corporate Accountability International is also challenging the retail giant for using its economic muscle to manipulate policies and boost profits at people's expense, violating the majority of Corporate Accountability's Standards of Political Conduct for Corporations. "Wal-Mart buys access to public officials and manipulates public policies at all levels of government," says Corporate Accountability International Research Director Scott Klinger. "The retail giant uses its tremendous economic and political clout at the global, federal, state and local level to get away with a whole range of abuses." Between 1994 and 2004 Wal-Mart's federal political contributions increased twenty-one fold. "Now Wal-Mart weighs in on U.S. politics with one of the three largest corporate PACs in the country," Klinger explains. "And that only includes contributions that are on the books." Off the books, Wal-Mart hosted a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, Jr. in December 2004. Ehrlich later vetoed legislation requiring large employers to provide health insurance for employees. At the local level, Wal-Mart swindles its own customers, whose sales taxes are sometimes diverted from local schools, parks and emergency services, to fund site improvements at the Wal-Mart store. At the Bullhead City, Arizona Wal-Mart Supercenter, the corporation received sales tax rebates of $1.2 million to pay for a highway turning lane, a traffic signal, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drainage. This is one of hundreds of subsidy deals collectively worth more than $1 billion that have been unearthed by Good Jobs First. According to CNN, Wal-Mart is lobbying the World Trade Organization to lift government limits on size, height and number of stores that can be established. This move could make it easier for Wal-Mart to expand into small communities. Laws giving preference to local stores or limiting the number of stores foreign retailers can operate would be struck down as illegal under the free trade rules Wal-Mart advocates. "If Wal-Mart's lobbying effort at the WTO succeeds, this will remove some of the last hurdles that prevent Wal-Mart from going global with its irresponsible and dangerous practices," says Klinger. "Corporate Accountability International is joining the voices of activists around the country, calling on Wal-Mart to stop interfering with public policies, and to adhere to Corporate Accountability International's Standards." Corporate Accountability International created Standards of Political Conduct for Corporations as a vision and goal for how corporations should function in a democracy and believes the Standards will lead to a safer, healthier and more democratic world. # # # Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations--like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria--to stop abusive actions. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.
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