Statements by Plaintiffs Statement of Micki Miller Earwood June 19, 2001 After 10 years of loyal, dedicated service to Wal-Mart, I found myself in the position of Personnel Manager at my store. A position that I had always wanted and knew that I would be excellent at and enjoy. Unfortunately, holding such a position put me in a place where I would grow more and more aware of how differently women were treated from men. I learned things as Personnel Manager that made it clear to me that it was a "normal", acceptable practice at Wal-Mart for Management to make promotions and pay increases more difficult for women. In an attempt to try and make the playing field a little more fair for the women at my store, I decided to utilize what was known as the Wal-Mart "Open-Door Policy" of lodging complaints. After almost 12 years of service, I was pushed out the "open-door" and into the unemployment line. Losing my job was very devastating because I was supporting my 5 year-old child by myself. People who had been my colleagues and friends for almost 12 years were told lies about me by store managers, which tainted my character and my reputation. They were afraid to even talk to me for fear that it could affect their own employment at Wal-Mart. Management told me that I could no longer even shop at Wal-Mart. After discovering that this discrimination against women was not just at the store I worked in, but in many Wal-Mart stores across the country, I knew that I could not sleep if I sat back and accepted what was done to me, and allow Wal-Mart to continue to discriminate against their female employees. I feel fortunate to be in a position to help a lot of women who are or have been in my shoes, and for me, that is all that matters.
Sam Walton was my hero. I dedicated my heart & soul to Sam's Club, believing in his number one founding principle: Respect For The Individual. I accepted 11 transfers in 8 years, thinking that I had found a "home" with Sam's Club. I gave them everything they asked for, and more. I gave everything I had. They made me believe that if I would sacrifice my time, my family life, my outside interests, and all my energy for the sake of their bottom line, I had a great future at Sam's. As an assistant manager, I gladly worked 70, or even 80 hours a week. I never balked at being called in the middle of the night to go check on an alarm. I gave up lunch hours, weekends, vacation time and holidays to be there when Sam's Club needed me. I got on a plane and flew home after work on Christmas Eve, then got on another plane and flew back before dinner on Christmas Day, not just once - every year. My male superiors at Sam's Club were more than happy for me to go that extra mile for them. But when the time came, my promotions went to men. Time after time, jobs I should have had were given to men. In the end, I was fired to make room for a member of that "good ole boys club" who needed my job. The men of Sam's Club left me, a single mother of a 2-year-old child, with no income and no health insurance. Then, to prove that Sam Walton was really dead, they challenged my claim for unemployment benefits. Statement of Betty Dukes I first learned about Wal-Mart in a Sociology class. I learned in that class that Sam Walton had a profound vision and started Wal-Mart on a faith venture. I have always deeply appreciated his visionary spirit and his efforts to reach for the stars. At the beginning of the New Millenium, I was handed a letter from the district manager that read: "It is important to me to insure you have all the training and tools to become a successful associate and aspire to reach your goals with a great company like Wal-Mart." I indeed had a vision, dream and goals when I joined Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I have not been allowed to reach for the stars and achieve the goals I had set for myself as a Wal-Mart employee. Rather, I was denied the training I requested to obtain promotions within the company. When I complained about unfair treatment, I was unfairly disciplined, demoted and forced to accept a pay cut. Moreover, I observed men receive promotions to positions over and over again. I am participating in this case in order to insure that young women such as my nieces and other women are treated fairly at every Wal-Mart store. The time has surely come for equality for women at each Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. For more information, please contact us at lawinfo@cmht.com.
Statement of Stephanie Odle |
