Wal-Mart is Target of Event at UMKC: Critics Want Firm to Change Practices
By Randolph Heaster, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Jan. 26–A conference this weekend at the University of Missouri-Kansas City will take a critical look at the business practices of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
“Rollback Wal-Mart” will be held Friday evening and Saturday at UMKC’s Pierson Hall, 50th Street and Rockhill Road. The event is being held to counter Wal-Mart’s annual managers meeting, which is being held this week, said Judy Ancel, director of the Institute for Labor Studies at UMKC.
Wal-Mart is holding its meeting at Bartle Hall. About 6,100 people are attending the event, which began Wednesday and runs through Tuesday.
Speakers scheduled for Saturday at “Rollback Wal-Mart” are Andy Grossman, executive director of Wal-Mart Watch, an organization backed by labor and environmental groups that wants Wal-Mart to change its practices; Philip Mattera of Good Jobs First, an economic development watchdog group, and author of a study on Wal-Mart’s use of public subsidies; and the Rev. Spencer Barrett of Bethel AME Church in Kansas City and co-chairman of Interfaith Worker Justice Kansas City.
Workshops will be held throughout the day.
On Friday evening, Ancel said, there will be “unconventional entertainment” in the form of satirical ballets and songs, guerilla theater and a “slam Wal-Mart” spoken-word and open-mike contest.
“We should have a lot of young people on Friday telling us what they think about big-box stores,” Ancel said.
A Wal-Mart spokesman said that the groups involved in the UMKC conference were misguided. Wal-Mart created 125,000 jobs last year, and one study showed that Wal-Mart saves each U.S. household an average of $2,300 annually, said Kevin Thornton, a company spokesman.
“Why are union leaders spending membership dues on attacking a company where union members shop?” he said. “Union leaders should let working Americans decide for themselves where to shop and work.”
Through Wednesday morning, about 75 persons had registered for the conference. Registration through Friday is $25, and those interested in participating should contact Ancel at (816) 235-1470 or e-mail ancelj@umkc.edu .
In addition to the labor institute and Interfaith Worker Justice, the conference’s co-sponsors include R eclaimDemocracy.org, Tri-County Labor Council AFL-CIO of Eastern Kansas, Service Employees International Union Local 1 , United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2 and the Greater Kansas City Fair Trade Coalition.
To reach Randolph Heaster, call (816) 234-4746 or send e-mail to rheaster@kcstar.com .
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