Always in the News, Wal-Mart Subject of Program at Rutgers' School of Management and Labor Relations Feb. 28

WHO:	Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the Worlds Most Powerful Company Really Works and How its Transforming the American Economy, and senior editor of Fast Company magazine; Liza Featherstone, author of Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers Rights at Wal-Mart, and contributor to The Nation magazine.
WHAT:	Colloquium on Wal-Mart, presented by Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. The speakers books will be available for purchase and signing.
WHEN:	Noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28. To attend this free luncheon public program, R.S.V.P. (required) to 732-932-9503 or to jmangels@smlr.rutgers.edu.
WHERE:	Labor Education Center, 50 Labor Way, Room 130, Cook Campus, New Brunswick

BACKGROUND: With 4,000 locations in the United States alone, Wal-Mart is the worlds largest retailer and largest private employer, and twice has been named Fortune magazines Most Admired Company. It is central to the lives of millions of people who shop and work there, and for its thousands of suppliers around the world.

The retailer has been the target of much recent criticism, with charges ranging from paying low wages and exploiting workers to causing the loss of American jobs and driving smaller, locally owned establishments out of business. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has just ruled that Wal-Mart must face a class-action lawsuit alleging that as many as 1.5 million female employees were discriminated against in pay and promotions.

Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu