Wal-Mart's Response to Criticism

A group calling itself Against the Wal has been engaged in street theater on Dickson Street, calling attention to Wal-Mart's business practices and the personal and social consequences of those models. Among their eight demands are calls for a living wage for employees, an end to discrimination against women and people of color, an end to the use of child labor in stores and manufacturing of products, and affordable health care for workers.

According to an article in the Northwest Arkansas Times, Wal-Mart's paid spokesman David Tovar said that Dr. Lee Scott and the corporate management are too focused on celebrating its shareholders to worry about the protests of its treatment of workers. “We don’t have time to worry about some publicity stunt. I think Americans know that Wal-Mart creates millions of jobs and gives competitive wages to its 1.3 million associates. We’re very proud of the work we do.”