Westpac

Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, the Bank opened branches throughout Oceania, at Moreton Bay (Brisbane) in 1850, then in Victoria (1851), New Zealand (1861), South Australia (1877), Western Australia (1883), Fiji (1901), Papua New Guinea (1910) and Tasmania (1910). [24]. In 1817, the Bank of New South Wales was founded in Sydney as the first bank in Australia. He has since plead guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return related to embezzlement and theft from Wal-Mart while serving as a member of its board. This unit offers a wide range of deposit, loan, transaction account and international trade facilities to personal and business customers. Former members of the board of directors of Wal-Mart include Hillary Clinton (1985-1992), who also worked for Wal-Mart as a lawyer, [22] and Tom Coughlin, who went on to be vice chairman [23]. It is the dominant provider of banking services to small to medium business and is the banker of the New Zealand government. The presence of unions and the difficulty obtaining building permits are two possible reasons for this lack of success.

This unit offers a whole range of consumer and corporate services to clients throughout New Zealand. In Germany, however, after eight years in the market, Wal-Mart's yearly revenue is still less than one-tenth of the leading retailer, EDEKA. This business offers financial services to the corporate and institutional customer base, helping and advising in the management of cash, funding, capital and market risk for enterprises and institutions in Australia and New Zealand. ASDA in the United Kingdom is the largest of the international businesses by sales. There is also custody and settlement services to institutional customers and fund managers. Dollars):. It also includes managed investments, life insurance, superannuation and discount broking. Current store counts and revenue for Fiscal Year Ending January 31, 2005 (revenue amounts in U.S.

Wealth Management designs, manufactures and services financial products to allow customers to create, manage and protect their wealth. Wal-Mart operates 5 major retail formats under 3 retail divisions:. This covers the asset accumulation, investment management and life insurance operations in Australia and New Zealand. He believes that Wal-Mart is merely a symbol of capitalism and success that leftists attack in order to associate capitalism with "exploitation" and "unfairness" to further their own big government/socialists objectives. Investment, superannuation and general and life insurance products are also sold through the branch network. He compares this criticism to the same attacks upon Hummer SUVs while ignoring the issues with many other gas guzzling competitors like old cars the poor could only afford. Westpac is a major home loan provider and also serve the finance needs of business customers with a turnover of up to $20 million. According to Jay Nordlinger of the National Review, criticism of Wal-Mart is more about what Wal-Mart represents; the sucess of capitalist enterprise and how Wal-Mart is the largest retail store in the world rather than what it actually does.

This includes deposit taking, transaction accounts, credit cards and other lending. Specific areas of controversy include the company's product selection; treatment of suppliers, competitors, and employees; impact on local communities, and effects on world trade and globalization. These five business areas are:. Some praise Wal-Mart for benefiting consumers, while other criticise it for being harmful to employees, the community, the economy, and the environment. Westpac's core businesses consist of five main areas of business, through which serves around 8.2 million customers. [20]. . [19] And, this savings has the largest effect on the poor since the average Wal-Mart customer earns $35,000 a year, compared with $50,000 at Target and $74,000 at Costco.

The name is derived from the fact its major operations are in the Western Pacific. However, that $4.7 billion is overwhelmingly offset by the $263 billion it has saved Americans from spending from 1985 to 2004, ($2,329 per houshold) according to a Global Insight study. The bank began life as the Bank of New South Wales in 1817 (making it the oldest bank in Australia), but after various mergers became Westpac in 1982. The efficiencies created 210,000 jobs that would not otherwise exist, but at the same time reduced take-home pay for all retail workers (including the company’s competitors) by $4.7 billion. Westpac Banking Corporation, usually called Westpac, is the fourth largest bank in Australasia, after the National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and ANZ Bank and one of the largest banks in the South Pacific. Wal-Mart increased net consumer purchasing power by $118 billion in 2004. Westpac sold its operation in Niue to Bank of South Pacific. Additional findings from the Global Insight study include: Wal-Mart increased the US economy's overall productivity by three-quarters of a percent by highly efficient distribution systems and pressure on suppliers to be more efficient.

2004: Westpac begins phasing out the Bank of Melbourne brand in Victoria, the Challenge Bank brand in Western Australia and the WestpacTrust brand in New Zealand. The study indicates that "nominal wages are 2.2% lower, but given that consumer prices are 3.1% lower, real disposable income is 0.9% higher than it would have been in a world without Wal-Mart." (Global Insight Study). In Tonga, Bank of Hawaii sold its shares in Bank of Tonga to Westpac, giving Westpac 60% ownership of the bank. Also in that time period, it is responsible for the creation of 210,000 net jobs for the economy. Westpac now owns 93.5% of Westpac Bank Samoa and Samoan companies and individuals own 6.5%. From 1985-2004, Wal-Mart "can be associated with a cumulative decline of 9.1% in food-at-home prices, a 4.2% decline in commodities (goods) prices, and a 3.1% decline in overall consumer prices" and, that this has saved consumers $263 billion in that time frame ($2329 per household). Westpac offered Samoan investors, who held the remaining shares, the same price it had paid Bank of Hawaii. economy (Several notable economists oversaw the study, including both political conservatives and liberals [18]).

Bank of Hawaii sold its interest in Pacific Commercial Bank (42.7%) to Westpac, which held an equal portion. A 2005 study by Global Insight, the world's largest economics organization, that was commission by Wal-mart found that the company has had a positive net economic impact on the U.S. 2001: The government of Kiribati sought to reduce Westpac's share in Bank of Kiribati from 51 to 49%, leading Westpac to sell its shares back to the government. In 2004, the University of California, Berkeley published a study which asserted that Wal-Mart's low wages and benefits resulted in an increased burden on the social safety net, costing California taxpayers $86 million.[17]. 1973), respectively. Basker's study did not distinguish between low-paying and high-paying jobs. 1971) and Banque de Polynésie (est. Basker concluded that the net change in the number of jobs was not significant.

1998: Westpac sold its operations in New Caledonia and Tahiti to Société Générale, which merged them with Société Générale Calédonienne de Banque (est. Basker found an average decrease of 30 retail jobs in neighbouring counties and 25 wholesale jobs in the entered county. 1997: Westpac acquired the Bank of Melbourne, and subsequently re-branded all Victorian branches as Bank of Melbourne. Half of this increase disappeared as other retail establishments closed over a five-year period. 1996: Westpac acquired the Trust Bank of New Zealand. Basker found that Wal-Mart's entry into a county increased net retail employment in that county by 100 jobs in the short term. Westpac also acquired Western Australia's Challenge Bank, and later adopted the name "Challenge Bank" for all its branches in Western Australia. A 2002 study[16] by Emek Basker of the University of Missouri examined the impact of Wal-Mart on local employment.

1995: Westpac sold its shares in National Bank of Tuvalu to the government, which now wholly-owns that bank. The next largest employer employed the parents of less than 800 children in the program.[15]. 1992: Westpac recorded a 1.6 billion dollar loss, which at the time, was the largest loss for an Australian corporation. More than 10,000 children who qualified for the program had parents working at Wal-Mart. In both places Indochine functioned as the bank of issue until 1966-7.). In 2002, the state of Georgia's survey of children in the state's subsidized health care system, PeachCare, found that Wal-Mart employed more of the parents of these children than any other employer. (Banque de l'Indochine, which later merged into Banque Indosuez, had established itself in New Caledonia in 1888 and in Papeete, Tahiti in 1905. Dean found that point out that though Wal-Mart openings cause some small businesses to close by offering lower prices, it also creates opportunities for other small businesses and that as a result, "the process of creative destruction unleashed by Wal-Mart has no statistically significant impact on the overall size of the small business sector in the United States" (the researchers also claim that the Stone study is flawed) [14].

Westpac bought Banque Indosuez's operations in New Caledonia and Tahiti. Sobel and Andrea M. 1990: Bank of New Zealand sold half its shares in Bank of Tonga to Westpac and half to Bank of Hawaii, giving each of them 30%. In 1997, Stone found that small towns "lose up to 47 percent of their retail trade after 10 years of Wal-Mart stores nearby."[12] In [2003], Stone collaborated with collaborated with Georgeanne Artz, also of Iowa State University and Albert Myles of Mississippi State University to show that there "are both positive and negative impacts on existing stores in the area where the new supercenter locates."[13] A study by Russell S. Westpac also acquired HSBC's operations in Fiji and the New Hebrides. Stone of Iowa State University has published several studies on Wal-Mart. 1988: Westpac acquired the European Pacific Banking Corporation in the Cook Islands and a HSBC subsidiary, the Solomon Islands Banking Corporation, which HSBC had established as a branch in 1973. Kenneth E.

1987: Westpac established a branch in Niue that is the only bank in that country. Several studies have been conducted to determined the nature and extent of this effect. 1981) in Tuvalu (ex-Ellice Islands), taking 40% of the shares as well as a 10-year management contract. As Wal-Mart is an enormously large business, it has a significant impact on economies, especially in the United States. 1985: Westpac replaced Barclays Bank in the National Bank of Tuvalu (est. Deaver who formerly worked on behalf of Ronald Reagan, Leslie Dach who worked on behalf of Bill Clinton, and Robert McAdam who worked on behalf of the Tobacco Institute [11]. Bank of Kiribati also fulfilled the functions of a reserve or central bank. Operatives hired include Michael K.

1984: The original agreement between BNSW and the government in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands expired and Westpac and the government of Kiribati formed Bank of Kiribati Ltd as a 51%-49% joint venture. Edelman has set up an internal "war room", a rapid-response public relations team, staffed with high-profile political operatives to respond to negative media attention. 1982: BNSW merged with Commercial Bank of Australia to form Westpac Banking Corporation ("Westpac" being a conjugation of "West Pacific"). It was reported in the New York Times on November 1, 2005 that in response to increased criticism the public relations firm Edelman had been retained. 1969), in which Bank of Hawaii had had an ownership interest since 1971. In 2005, Wal-Mart officials embarked on a public relations campaign to counter some of the criticism it receives, through its public relations website as well as through television commercials which show employees who have had a medical emergency and have been sent by Wal-Mart to the Mayo Clinic. 1977: BNSW formed Pacific Commercial Bank Ltd, in Samoa in a joint venture with Bank of Hawaii, by buying into Pacific Savings and Loan Company (est. Different explanations have been offered for this success:.

1975: It incorporated its local business in Papua New Guinea as Bank of New South Wales (PNG) Ltd. Its stock has dropped more than 20% since then, closing under $50 in August 2005. 1974: The Bank of New Zealand (20%), Westpac (20%), Bank of Hawaii (20%), and the Government of Tonga (40%) established The Bank of Tonga as a joint venture. Since then its stock has climbed from 5 cents (split adjusted) to a high of $63 in March 2002. 1971: It established a branch in the New Hebrides(now Vanuatu). Wal-Mart went public in 1975. 1970: It established a branch on Tarawa in Kiribati (ex-Gilbert Islands), which also took over the government savings bank. Sam Walton's family's holdings in Wal-Mart if combined would comprise the nation's largest fortune; at $100 billion combined they are significantly ahead of Bill Gates.

It resumed operations in 1946. Wal-Mart also does 20 percent of the retail toy business. 1942: BNSW suspended operations in Papua New Guinea as the Japanese Army captured many of the towns in which it had branches and agencies, and bombed Port Moresby. $51 billion). 1931: It acquired the Australian Bank of Commerce, which had branches in both New South Wales and Queensland. Wal-Mart is now the largest grocery chain in the U.S., with 14 percent of all grocery sales -- nearly twice the sales of Kroger ($95 billion vs. 1927: BNSW acquired the Western Australian Bank. workers.[5] According to Wal-Mart's website, Wal-Mart provides insurance to more than 1 million people.[6].

According to an October 2005 article in BusinessWeek, Walmart's health insurance covers 44% or approximately 572,000 of its 1.3 million U.S. At some Sam's Club these employees inspect the contents of the shopping carts of exiting customers. All Wal-Mart stores in the United States have employees referred to as "People Greeters." They welcome people to the store and help prevent shoplifting. Wal-Mart refers to its employees as "associates," and encourages managers to think of themselves as "servant leaders." Each shift at every store, club, and distribution center (theoretically) starts with a store-wide meeting where managers discuss with hourly employees daily sales figures, company news, and goals for the day.

However, this proposal was rejected by the city councillors [4] on June 28, 2005 for several reasons including worry over the possible negative impact to small businesses and a potential increase in traffic as customers drive longer distances to go shopping. This design, too, included wind turbines, geothermal heating and collecting rainwater. An environmentally-friendly design for a Wal-Mart in Vancouver, BC, Canada was proposed. Critics, such as the Institute for Local Self-reliance [3], while acknowledging that the features in the new stores are an improvement, still contend that Wal-Mart practices increase driving, and that it has a poor record of locating stores on environmentally sensitive sites, especially wetlands.

The buildings also include many other energy and cost-saving technologies. Recently, Wal-Mart has designed two experimental stores [2], one in McKinney, Texas, the other in Aurora, Colorado, which feature wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels, and biofuel-capable boilers. The WFF has also donated to advocacy groups promoting school privatization, such as a $3 million donation in 2003 to the Knowledge Is Power Program. From 1998 through 2003, the WFF contributed $25,000 to the Heritage Foundation, $15,000 to the Cato Institute, $125,000 to the Hudson Institute, $155,000 to the Goldwater Institute, $70,000 to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, $300,000 to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, $185,000 to the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, and $350,000 to the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.

Also in 2004, Alice Walton donated $2.6 million to the Progress for America PAC, which supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Walmart's company political action committee, the second largest corporate donor to the GOP, gave away $2.1 million in 2004, compared to $100,000 in 1994. The Walton Family Foundation (WFF) gave away $106.9 million in 2003, twice as much as in 2000. According to the November 21, 2005 issue of The Nation, recently both the Arkansas-based company and the Walton family have elevated their charitable giving.

About $1.5 million in emergency aid was given to displaced employees, and employees displaced by the storm were offered work at Wal-Mart locations elsewhere in the country. An emergency contact website was set up by Wal-Mart to help locate displaced persons, accessible by Internet and at every store in the country. In addition, an estimated $3 million in merchandise was donated to victims in several states, and in some cases the corporation was able to provide supplies before the federal government. These donations made it the largest single corporate contributor.

After the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster on the United States Gulf Coast, Wal-Mart donated $2 million to the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross and $15 million to the Bush-Clinton Hurricane Katrina Fund for a total of $17 million. More than 90 percent of cash donations from Wal-Mart Stores and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation target local communities. The typical Supercenter channels $30,000 to $50,000 a year to local causes and events. Unlike most corporate donors, Wal-Mart does not provide a figure for its corporate contributions; instead Wal-Mart's reported contributions include those made by its customers in a larger aggregate figure.

In 2004, cash donations to non-profit organizations by Wal-Mart, its employees, and its customers made through Wal-Mart, the Wal-Mart Foundation and the Sam's Club Foundation totaled more than US$170 million. According to a New York Times story, it is seen by 130 million people a month, making it the fifth largest network in America, behind NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox. The Wal-Mart Television Network is an in-store network showing commercials for products sold in the stores, concert clips and music videos for recording artists products sold in the stores, trailers for upcoming movie releases, and news. By focusing on a small number of low-cost products, and siting their retail operations in extremely convenient locations (primarily very small towns which cannot support a Wal-Mart as well as low-income areas of larger metropolitan areas), retailers such as Family Dollar and Dollar General have successfully competed head-to-head with Wal-Mart for home consumer sales.

Due to Wal-Mart's success in selling consumer goods and its necessary focus on more expensive items (and larger population areas) to increase revenue, a niche has been carved out of Wal-Mart's dominance by several shrewd retail corporations ^[1]. Chief competitors of Sam's Club are Costco, which is slightly larger than Sam's in terms of sales, as well as the smaller BJ's Wholesale Club chain operating mainly on the East Coast. Wal-Mart's move into the grocery business has also positioned it against major grocery chains such as Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, Giant Eagle, Safeway and dozens of local grocery chains. Wal-Mart's chief competitors in the discount retail space nationally include Sears Holdings Corporation's Kmart chain and Target, Best Buy, along with many smaller regional chains such as Meijer in the midwest.

Wal-Mart stock is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. In 2003 McLane Company was sold to Berkshire Hathaway. In 1990 Wal-Mart acquired The McLane Company, a foodservice distributor. In the past, Wal-Mart operated dot Discount Drugs, Bud's Discount City, Hypermart*USA, OneSource Nutrition Centers, and Save-Co Home Improvement stores.

This purchase has been approved by Seiyu Group shareholders and The Seiyu will be consolidated into Wal-Mart International in FYE 2006. in Japan, with a proposed US$597 million to increase its stake to 50%. In addition to its wholly-owned international operations, Wal-Mart owns a 42% stake in The Seiyu Co., Ltd. Wal-Mart also operates the largest real estate company in the United States, with an entire division devoted to building new stores, selling old stores, and developing shopping centers around its stores.

Internationally, Wal-Mart employs over 410,000 people (excluding Japan) for a company-wide total of 1.7 million employees. Apart from retail locations, it operates 99 Distribution Centers and Transportation Offices in the United States. Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters are located in Bentonville, Arkansas. As of January 2005, Wal-Mart employed 1.3 million people in the United States.

Wal-Mart also operates Sam's Club—a "warehouse club" (similar to Costco and BJ's) that sells discounted bulk merchandise to due-paying members. Wal-Mart operates discount retail department stores selling a broad range of non-grocery products, though emphasis is now focused on the "Supercenters" which offer a full line of grocery items. . retail stores being spent at Wal-Mart.

It holds an 8.9 percent retail store market share, with $8.90 out of every $100 spent in U.S. It is the largest private employer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2005, Wal-Mart reported net income of US $10.3 billion on US $285 billion of sales revenue (3.6% profit margin). It is the largest retailer in the world and one of the largest companies in the world based on revenue; in 2004 it was the largest, but the recent rise in oil prices has taken at least one oil company past it.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Accessed January 11, 2006. ^  Wal-Mart giant can be tamed The Boston Globe, November 23, 2003. 121; Can't Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More? The New York Times, May 4, 2005.

^  See Palast, p. ^  Down and Out in Discount America, The Nation, January 3, 2005; Wal-Mart's Welfare Dependency, San Francisco Chronicle by Sally Lieber, November 7, 2003. House of Representatives Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat, February 16, 2004; Wal-Marts Cost State, Study Says, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2004. ^ Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay For Wal-Mart (pdf), A Report by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S.

^  Wal-Mart public relations web page, section regarding Benefits (retreived May 25, 2005). ^  Retaliating first, Wal-Mart in Canada, The Economist, Feb 24th 2005; Ex-Wal-Mart Workers Win Battle Globe and Mail, Rhéal Séguin, September 17, 2005. Coughlin Told Others Bogus Expenses Hid Plot Against Unions Retailer Disputes His Claim, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2005. ^  Petty Cash A Wal-Mart Legend's Trail of Deceit Mr.

119-120; Chinese Workers Pay for Wal-Mart's Low Prices, Washington Post, February 8, 2004; [Wal-Mart faces sweat-shop lawsuit Wal-Mart faces sweat-shop lawsuit], Financial Times (London), September 14, 2005; Suit Says Wal-Mart Is Lax on Labor Abuses Overseas, New York Times, September 14, 2005; Workers Sue Wal-Mart Over Sweatshop Conditions, Reuters, September 13, 2005, Sweatshop Workers on Four Continents Sue Wal-Mart in California Court, Press Release, September 13, 2005; Human cost behind bargain shopping Dateline hidden camera investigation in Bangladesh, Dateline NBC, June 17, 2005. ISBN 0745318460., p. The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: An Investigative Reporter Exposes the Truth About Globalization, Corporate Cons, and High-Finance Fraudsters, Pluto Press. ^  Palast, Greg (2002).

ISBN 1585424226.. The United States of Wal-Mart, Tarcher. Dicker, John (2005). ISBN 155369855X..

Megamall on the Hudson: Planning, Wal-Mart, and Grassroots Resistance, Trafford. Porter, David (2003). ISBN 0745318460.. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Owl Books.

Ehrenreich, Barbara (2002). ISBN 1580086683.. How Wal-Mart Is Destroying America and the World: And What You Can Do about It (3rd edition). Quinn, Bill (2005).

ISBN 0465023169.. Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart. Featherstone, Liza (2004). ISBN 1932857249..

Wal-Mart: The medeum Cost of Low Price, Disinformation Company. Disinformation Company (2005). ISBN 0385513569.. The Bully of Bentonville: How the High Cost of Wal-Mart's Everyday Low Prices Is Hurting America.

Bianco, Anthony (2006). ISBN 155860684X.. Data Warehousing: Using the Wal-Mart Model. Westerman, Paul (2000).

ISBN 0785261192.. The Wal-Mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company. Soderquist, Don (2005). ISBN 1591840430..

The Wal-Mart Triumph: Inside the World's #1 Company. Slater, Robert (2004). ISBN 1591840066.. The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Generation of Leaders Turned Sam Walton's Legacy into the World's #1 Company.

Slater, Robert (2003). ISBN 0812963776.. In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and Wal-Mart, the World's Most Powerful Retailer. Ortega, Bob (1998).

ISBN 1595580352.. Wal-Mart: A Field Guide to America's Largest Company and the World's Largest Employer, New Press. Lichtenstein, Nelson (2006). ISBN 0471679984..

What I Learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World. Bergdahl, Michael (2004). [26]. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, a 2005 documentary by Robert Greenwald, the creator of Outfoxed.

Independent America, a 2005 documentary on the larger issue of independent businesses fighting for survival against corpprate chains. Outrageous Fortunes, BBC Three, aired on 26 April 2004, about the workings of Wal-Mart. Featuring interviews with both Wal-Mart top brass and critics, it won a Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody Award for television excellence. The Age of Wal-Mart, a 2004 documentary produced by CNBC.

and China. Frontline: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?, a PBS Frontline documentary on the impact of Wal-Mart in the U.S. Store Wars, a PBS special taking a close look at one community's battle over Wal-Mart. Why Wal-Mart Works & Why That Makes Some People Crazy, a pro-Wal-Mart documentary (not affiliated with Wal-Mart).

Wal-Mart Space a blog run by Bobby Gerry which explores Wal-Mart's financial statements. AlwaysLowPrices.net a blog run by Kevin Brancato (discontinued on November 14, 2005). Wal-Mart political donations. 2004-04-09 10-K.

WMT: Profile for WAL-MART STORES - Yahoo! Finance. Company Profile. Yahoo! - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price A feature-length documentary.

The New Rules Project(critiques big box development, not limited to Wal-Mart). Wal-Mart Free NYC A group fighting to keep New York City Wal-Mart free. Wal-Mart Wiki Though not strictly critical, this wiki is definitely weighted against Wal-Mart in its current state. Wal-Mart Watchlabor union-funded website.

Wake-Up Wal-Mart website by the United Food and Commercial Workers. Index of numerous studies on Wal-Mart's economic and social impacts from The American Independent Business Alliance. Sprawl Busters, site Al Norman, an activist who helps local "site fights" against big box stores. Rotten Library: Wal-Mart.

Video report of Wal-Mart using child labor, CBC News, November 30, 2005. Wal-Mart caught using child labor, CBC News, November 30, 2005. Maryland's House approved a bill that would require all businesses in the state with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits for workers. Sweet Victory: Maryland Stands Up To Wal-Mart, The Nation, Sunday, April 17, 2005.

Retaliating first, Wal-Mart in Canada, The Economist, Feb 24th 2005. Wal-Marts Cost State, Study Says, San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 2004. House of Representatives Representative George Miller, Senior Democrat, February 16, 2004. Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay For Wal-Mart(pdf), A Report by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S.

Article argues that the decline of Union Industry jobs and the rise of Wal-Mart is destroying America's middle class. In Wal-Mart's America, Washington Post, August 27, 2003. Up against the Wal-Mart, Business Week, March 13, 2000, Explains union's attempt to unionize Wal-Marts. "Wal-Mart: High Prices for American Workers" file, (PDF February 16, 2004) from the Democratic Staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

California Legislators Call for Oversight of Wal-Mart's Health Benefits (Study of Peachcare). "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know", Fast Company, Issue 77, December 2003, Page 68 Wal-Mart's relentless pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. "Inside the Leviathan" by Simon Head for The New York Review of Books, December 16, 2004. UC Berkeley report on the community impact of Wal-Mart's lower wages(pdf).

How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart, The New York Times, July 17, 2005. Costco's Dilemma: Is Treating Employees Well Unacceptable for a Public Corporation? The Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2004 Costco's compensation for its employees with comparison to Wal-Mart. Company for the People Seattle Weekly, December 15 - 21, 2004, Article which contrasts Wal-Mart with employee-friendly Costco. The Freedom to Hate Wal-Mart?, Paul Jacob, The Free Liberal, December 5, 2005.

Should We Admire Wal-Mart? Fortune Magazine, March 8, 2004. Economy a study funded by Wal-Mart, determining the net economic impact of Wal-Mart at the national, city, and county level. Measuring the Economic Impact of Wal-Mart on the U.S. of Economics, University of Missouri, 2002.