The story of Walmart’s rise to retail dominance is as old as the grievances of its underpaid employees. This American corporate saga, however, took a new turn last year with Walmart’s attempt to open its first grocery store in Los Angeles as well as allegations that the company suppressed an internal bribery investigation involving its Mexican subsidiary. Frying Pan News presents a collection of our writers’ ongoing posts about these developments and about the ways Walmart affects our economy, our communities and the standard of living of all workers.
(Note from Warehouse Workers United: Please take action now -- workers like Javier, whose blog appears below, should not be fired with impunity. We … read more.
Walmart might have viewed their plans to open in an existing building in Los Angeles Chinatown as a bullet-proof strategy. The retail giant would … read more.
The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) and other community groups took legal action against … read more.
Talk about your perfect storm. Walmart, which in recent years has been raising the danger level for shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, has now … read more.
October was a banner month for Walmart workers nationwide. Each week saw more Walmart workers speaking up and going on strike, to protest Walmart’s attempts to … read more.
Six community members sat down Thursday in the middle of a major Riverside thoroughfare in front of the Walmart-contracted warehouse where workers are on strike. … read more.
Just three days after the first Walmart employee strike in history, Walmart issued an internal memo entitled Response to Walkout/Work Stoppage that surprisingly cautions … read more.
Following national strikes at Walmart stores and at warehouses in Southern California and Illinois, workers who move Walmart merchandise at those sites have just … read more.
On the heels of growing Walmart unrest that began on Thursday, October 4 at the Pico Rivera Walmart in Southern Los Angeles, the first-ever … read more.
“Good morning, everyone. My name is Venanzi Luna and I’m on strike.” With those words, today’s rally at the Pico Rivera Walmart made history … read more.
Workers at a Southern California warehouse that moves Walmart merchandise filed a complaint with Cal/OSHA Monday detailing a high rate of injury associated with unreasonable … read more.
Many of you have been following LAANE and its partners’ effort to protect Chinatown from Walmart, which is pursuing a strategy to get into … read more.
Workers at a major Walmart-contracted warehouse in Riverside County went on strike Wednesday morning. They are protesting what they say are unfair labor practices … read more.
Warehouse workers will embark Thursday, September 13, on a 50-mile protest march. Warehouse Workers United says the objective is "to urge Walmart to eliminate illegal … read more.
As the summer winds down, family barbeques are in full swing and supermarkets are filled with shoppers searching for the right foods to grill … read more.
Jose Tejeda, a member of Warehouse Workers United, talks about the "dark side of Walmart" -- working 16-hour days without breaks, and at a … read more.
Last month Walmart pulled out of Somerville and Watertown, two cities outside of Boston, claiming it wasn’t economically feasible for the company to open … read more.
On the heels of Walmart’s 50th birthday, several writers have examined the outsized wealth accumulated by six members of the Walton family, the clan … read more.
(The following post first appeared on Salon. Author Josh Eidelson discusses Girshriela Green, who was fired after speaking out against bad working conditions at … read more.
If you’ve been following media coverage of the battle over Walmart’s proposed store in Chinatown, you probably have the impression that the fight is between … read more.
On July 3 theAsian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 filed a lawsuit challenging the City of … read more.
Even as more Los Angeles politicians are pledging to refuse contributions from Walmart, one candidate with Walton family support placed third in the closely-watched June 6th primary … read more.
Nearly all employers struggle to contain health care costs. Walmart, however, has long made it part of its business model to externalize those costs. … read more.
Last Saturday, thousands of people made history in Chinatown at the largest Walmart protest ever held. Spurred by Walmart’s attempt to build its first … read more.
Under clear skies and searing heat, thousands turned out on June 30 to protest Walmart’s controversial plan to open its first L.A. grocery store … read more.
Update: KPPC FM's Hayley Fox reports that L.A. City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Jan Perry is also declining Walmart campaign funds. Los Angeles’ … read more.
As thousands prepare to hit the streets of L.A.’s historic Chinatown on Saturday, June 30, for the largest protest against Walmart ever held in … read more.
(Editor's Note: A slightly longer version of this post originally appeared in Dissent.) Last month Wal-Mart became the latest company to drop its membership … read more.
It's been seven years since documentary film maker Robert Greenwald'sWalmart, The High Cost of Low Price exposed the corrosive effects the retail giant has had on … read more.
While most media attention this week concerning Walmart’s L.A. expansion plans has understandably focused on the cloak-and-dagger shenanigans of self-confessed corporate spy Stephanie Harnett, … read more.
On Wednesday, June 13, Caroline, an organizer at a downtown press conference held by opponents of a proposed Chinatown Walmart store, noticed a young … read more.
(The following post first appeared on the California Labor Federation's Labor's Edge site.) We knew it was bad, but we didn’t know it was this … read more.
Wednesday, June 13, near the very spot where Walmart hopes to establish a beachhead in central Los Angeles, labor, community and political leaders will … read more.
Now that Mitt Romney has clinched his position as the GOP presidential candidate, it’s time more than ever for Romney to avoid talking about … read more.
Last week, after months of hammering by grassroots and webroots, Walmart withdrew from the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC. The 41-year-old … read more.
It must be so confusing to be Walmart these days. The big retailer has been rumbling along happy-faced for years-- crushing local competition, squeezing … read more.
It was only a few breezy spring Sundays ago that the New York Times produced a headline sure to provoke heartburn in Bentonville Arkansas, the … read more.
New York City’s Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, and the Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending (CAPS) have put together a nifty online chart … read more.
This week the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor sent letters to every elected official in L.A. County (including Congress members), urging them to … read more.
The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) has filed a lawsuit against current and former members of Walmart’s board of directors, and other company … read more.
Over the past week retail giant Walmart has squirmed in the unflattering news spotlight. There was a wave of stories about one of Walmart’s … read more.
Frying Pan News recently reported on the curious circumstance of Walmart obtaining building permits for its planned L.A. Chinatown store the very day before … read more.
It’s matzah bargain-hunting season, and guess who has entered the fray? That’s right, Walmart. The world’s largest retailer may not be known for bar … read more.
Yesterday, March 29, a coalition of community organizations, including the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Chinatown small … read more.
It was quite a sucker punch Walmart landed against the community last week in the über-retailer’s fight to open a 33,000-square-foot store in L.A.’s … read more.
Now that we know corporations are people, it may be time to wonder: Is it possible that corporations have feelings? Does Walmart, Corporate Person, … read more.
Editor's Note: Today illustrator Lalo Alcaraz begins what we hope will be a lasting bond with Frying Pan News, which is now publishing original … read more.
You may have already heard that uber-retailer Walmart plans to open a 33,000 square-foot store in L.A.’s Chinatown. Last week opponents of Walmart’s Chinatown … read more.
In response to Walmart’s announced plan for a new grocery store in the city’s historic Chinatown, Walmart employees today held a press conference criticizing … read more.
Happy Birthday, Walmart! You great big mega-marketing rascal--you turn 50 this week. You’ve come such a long way from Roger, Arkansas, the tiny town … read more.
The recent confirmation that Walmart will be setting up shop in Chinatown made my heart drop. This is a neighborhood that will always hold … read more.
Permit applications have been submitted for a Walmart store in downtown Los Angeles’ historic Chinatown, laying the groundwork for the giant retailer’s first grocery … read more.
(A somewhat longer version of this post by Michele Simon appeared January 17 on Food Safety News. Reposted here with author's permission.) Having saturated … read more.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Gary Cohn reports on politics and power in the Golden State.
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