Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart

Rating:
Summary: Timely, necessary, and flawlessly reported
Review: (As for the punctuation, just click on the book cover! It's Amazon's error, not Ms. Featherstone's or the publisher's.)

If you have any doubts about who's right in the big Wal-Mart class-action lawsuit, look no further than this book by Liza Featherstone, a longtime labor reporter. Her interviews with women who work for the retail giant will tell you all you need to know about who's working harder -- the mothers and wives and daughters struggling to get by on shockingly low wages, or the management of the company trying as hard as it can to keep them from getting promoted or even paid equally. Betty Dukes, the African American lead plaintiff in the case, deserves a place in the American hero pantheon.

Read "Selling Women Short" and see America as it is, not as politicians want you to imagine it. Ms. Featherstone's poignant, hard-hitting, and often hilarious narrative will be an essential companion as this historic case continues to change the face of labor as we know it.

Rating:
Summary: Wal-Mart Women against the Wal-Mart Behemoth--a must read
Review: Best non-fiction read of the year, Selling Women Short is neither boring nor pedantic. It is packed with hard hitting realism dealing with the lives and stories of real hardworking women in their quest to survive and rise within Wal-Mart's anti-woman, anti-union corporate behemoth. This fascinating true story reveals how the Wal-Mart culture destructively works against poor working women while "serving" their poor workingclass communities. Against daunting and seemingly hopeless odds, most of the women Featherstone has written about have not given up. Their perseverance is inspiring. Lisa Featherstone's must-read book is inspiring.

Builder Levy, NYC

Rating:
Summary: Selling Women Short
Review: Betty Dukes is the lead plaintiff in a recent class action lawsuit charging Wal-Mart, the nation's biggest employer, with sex discrimination in pay and promotions.The giant retailer recognized the energy and dedication of the 52-year-old African American clerk - until she applied for promotion to management and crashed into a glass ceiling. When she complained, she was demoted. More than 100 women working at Wal-Mart joined Ms. Dukes in the suit, which charged that advancement at Wal-Mart is controlled by an "old boys" network. They came forward to talk about how they gave their all for Wal-Mart only to see men who were their juniors and had contributed less racing up the management hierarchy.

The case is the largest class-action suit in history, covering 1.6 million past and present women employees.Liza Featherstone tells their story in "Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers Rights at Wal-Mart." Wal-Mart projects an image of a family-friendly company whose workers are valued "associates." But Wal-Mart managers often justify paying men more because they must provide for a family and women less because their family responsibilities might interfere with managerial duties. Women make up more than two-thirds of Wal-Mart's workers, but only 1/3 of its managers. The firm's deep-rooted sexist culture includes meetings at Hooters restaurants, exclusively male social gatherings and persistent segregation of entire departments.

Featherstone points out that even if all the discrimination ended, most Wal-Mart workers would still live in poverty with many needing food stamps and Medicaid to survive. Wal-Mart is a poster boy for labor law violations such as abusing undocumented workers, locking employees in at night, denying overtime pay and buying goods from overseas sweatshops. Because Wal-Mart is such a giant, it depresses pay and benefits for most retail workers in the U.S.

Unions have yet to succeed in organizing Wal-Mart workers, whose blind loyalty may result from intimidation. Because of Wal-Mart's huge size and effect on other workers, some unions have recently proposed that the entire labor movement pool resources for an all-out organizing drive. So Liza Featherstone's new book is not just a necessary primer on one company's excesses, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of the labor movement.

- Ken Nash



Rating:
Summary: Shocking and informative
Review: If you were brought up to believe that sexism is a thing of the past, and that these days all a woman has to do to be as successful as her male counterpart is to competently work as hard for as long as a man, this book is a shocking read. Sexist attitudes of the women-belong-in-the-kitchen variety are alive and well, at least at America's largest employer. I think what shocked me the most reading this book is that the company doesn't even seem to be aware that there are such things as anti-discrimination laws in this country. Or even have a sense of basic fairness. The main plaintiff's cases read like some kind of what-not-to-do from a sensitivity training workshop. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the book wasn't really a story so much as a series of legal briefs. Since the case isn't settled yet that's understandable. But the book is still really informative and a page-turner-- after the first chapter I decided I could never shop at Wal-Mart again or at least I won't until the suit is settled.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reporting, trouble ahead for Walmart?
Review: It is amazing that this book hasnt gotten more attention that it has. In one of the well-organized, focused book on corporate behavior, Liza presents the basis of the class action lawsuit against the retailing giant - Walmart. It is really shocking to see that the self-styled conservative retailer seems to be more of a sexist (and some some plaintiffs allege, racist) corporate giant. Even if there is a modicum of truth in the arguments made in this book (which seems to be the case, looking at its well-documented arguments and statement of facts), Walmart may be in trouble.

The allegations reported in the book, mostly part of the class action lawsuit, could have far reaching implications than just changing Walmarts style of functioning. Due to its clout in the retailing industry, its ability to prevent unionization of workers, and a host of other unique business practices, Walmart has been a successful company - financially, at least. This lawsuit may have some unpleasant implications for Walmarts investors as well. Any one remotely connected to Walmart - shoppers, employees, employees of its major suppliers, investors, industry watchers....all will gain a new perspective from this book.

Liza does try to provide a balanced picture by incorporating Walmarts positions or rebuttals, wherever available. Moreover, theg allegations are presented in a logical manner without any histrionics.

The first chapter of the book is perhaps the best written. Though the rest of the book is interesting and well-organized, the stories of the different employees come back to the same point over and over again. For some parts of chapters 3 and 4, it gets a little bit monotonous. Other than that, the book is an excellent read.

Rating:
Summary: A host of reasons to be critical of this dispicable company
Review: It matters not whether you are a liberal like author Liza Featherstone or a dyed in the wool conservative concerned with holding down government spending. "Selling Women Short" presents an abundance of evidence that should persuade an awful lot of Americans to spend their hard earned dollars anywhere but at Wal-Mart. Citing testimony from dozens of present and former Wal-mart employees, Featherstone describes how the company has routinely underpaid its female employees while at the same time denying promotions to those women who wish to advance in the company. And to be sure these practices have dire consequences for many of those women trying to eke out a living on the meager wages Wal-Mart pays them. And as I indicated, conservatives will not be too happy when they learn that Wal-Mart routinely encourages its underpaid employees to take advantage of government programs! Featherstone cites Wal-mart documents that instruct employees on how to apply for Food Stamps, state health programs for the poor and other welfare programs. How do you like that Mr.& Mrs. Taxpayer? You are being forced to subsidize the worlds largest retailer. Add to that the tax breaks many towns and municipalities give to Wal-Mart and the true story of how this hideous company does business begins to emerge.
"Selling Women Short" only reinforces what I have long believed about Wal-Mart. It would be a cold day in hell before I would ever shop at one of their stores. But I am lucky because I can afford to make that choice. Many poor men and women don't have that luxury and that is the crux of the problem. When Wal-Mart comes to town it forces a great many smaller businesses to close leaving Wal-Mart practically the only game in town. And those businesses that do remain often cut wages and benefits for their employees just to compete with Wal-Mart. It is a lose-lose situation for just about everyone but Wal-Mart. Throughout her book, Liza Featherstone references the landmark class action suit Dukes vs. Wal-Mart. It is a fascinating case. And so whatever your political perspective, I would recommend "Selling Women Short" as a very worthwhile read.