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The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes, a massive lawsuit that has been called the largest employment class action in U.S. history. The class of plaintiffs in this case is estimated to include approximately 1.5 million former and current female Wal-Mart employees seeking monetary relief that could amount to […]
By Donna Gallant When the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (San Francisco) affirmed an order certifying the largest employment discrimination class action ever in the United States, Wal-Mart was left facing a class of up to 1.5 million members. Employers were left wondering just how big and powerful these opponents might get. On December 6, […]
By Chris Semerjian The Quebec Superior Court recently upheld an arbitration award against Wal-Mart regarding the closure of its store in the town of Jonquière in 2005. That closure is now also affecting Wal-Mart elsewhere in Canada. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently indicated that Wal-Mart’s actions in Quebec possibly could be perceived as an […]
By Nancy Williams Last April, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave the green light to a nationwide sex discrimination class action against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the nation’s largest employer. Unwilling to permit the suit to proceed without a further challenge, Wal-Mart has now petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the class certification […]
I saw an article the other day with the headline “Shareholders vs. Customers: Who Comes First?” That got me thinking. What was the answer to this question posed by the author of the article? My conclusion: You don’t have to choose. If you want to create long-term shareholder value in any business, you must meet […]
Megaretailer Wal-Mart, called the country’s largest private employer, has agreed to pay $11.7 million to settle a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition to the money, the settlement announced on March 1 requires Wal-Mart to provide jobs to class members as they become available. The EEOC’s suit […]
By Marc Ouellet and Louise Béchamp On November 27, 2009, in two cases involving Wal-Mart (Plourde v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp. and Desbiens v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp.), the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its much-awaited decision on an employer’s right to close operations for alleged antiunion reasons. The Supreme Court decisions rule that Wal-Mart could close […]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, has kicked off the holiday shopping season with a costly expense. The company has agreed to pay $40 million in the most recent of a string of wage and hour class-action settlements that have challenged the retailer over the past 12 months. Last December, the company agreed to […]
As we have reported before (January 6, 2009, December 2, 2008, and August 26, 2008), Wal-Mart has repeatedly been dealt blows by Canadian courts and other decision-makers. Most recently, an arbitrator in Quebec has weighed in – and it’s more bad news for Wal-Mart in Canada. Wal-Mart’s store in Jonquiere, Quebec, was certified by the […]
by John Vering On April 17,2008 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., had agreed to pay $300,000 to a Hardin, Missouri man to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. In addition, Wal-Mart agreed to provide training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to managers at its Richmond, Missouri store, notify […]