National Employment Law Project Report Details Walmart’s Negative Effects on the Local Economy
June 6, 2012
Major retailers like Walmart are driving down wages and workplace safety standards on a scale far greater than understood before, according to a report released June 6 by the National Employment Law Project.
The explosion of “domestic outsourcing,” the aggressive practice of contracting warehousing, transportation and goods delivery to a complex hierarchy of contractors and subcontractors, has lowered the quality of jobs in Southern California and disproportionately impacted working Latinos here.
“We worked long days, often 16 hours with no breaks, no time for lunch and no overtime pay. We knew it was wrong, but it seemed like there was no one to talk to to make it better. Things started to change when we stood together in the face of retaliation.” David Acosta, father of three young children, described his experience working inside Southern California warehouses.
