Did Wal-Mart Wake Up? - The Arthur Page Society

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! ! ! ! Robert Greenwald: Three Errors in Three Minutes While there may be two sides to a story, there is only one set of facts. Instead of presenting a well-documented, objective assessment of Wal-Mart’s impact on the community, Greenwald has amassed an array of advocacy, conjecture and misinformation contrived to fuel his anti- Wal-Mart agenda. 1. Wal-Mart “Crushed” Local Hardware Store Reel Life: At 0:35 of the new Greenwald trailer, a man is pictured on the screen, stating: “Sam Walton I don’t think would be comfortable with the way things are going right now. I don’t…think this is why he started this store. It wasn’t to crush other competition.” Quick cut to a large hardware store with a lightened orange sign emblazoned “H & H Hardware” (with a very large space in between “H & H” and “Hardware”). Against the backdrop of a cold and dreary dusk, the store’s lights fade to black, signaling its imminent demise, the latest local or family competitor “crushed” by Wal-Mart. If there is any doubt, the trailer quickly cuts to a shot of heavy construction equipment shoveling dirt into a metaphorical grave. Real Life: The store pictured in the Greenwald trailer is the former “H&H ACE Hardware” in Middlefield, Ohio. (Source: InfoUsa.com US Business Directory; Plain Dealer (Cleveland), 8/13/04) Look closely at the picture of the “closing” store on its “last day of operation.” There is snow in the foreground, and leafless branches in the background. The last reported snowfall in Northern Ohio, according to the Plain Dealer (Cleveland), was April 24, 2005. But the Wal-Mart that supposedly “crushed” this business by moving into town did not even open until May 18, 2005 (http://walmartfacts.com/news desk/article. aspx?id=1153). In case Greenwald is suggesting that another Wal-Mart may have devastated this store, the next closest Wal-Mart is almost 18 miles away. (http://www.walmart.com/ storeLocator/ca_storefinder_results.do?sfsearch_city=middlefield&sfsearch_state=OH&sfsearch_zip=&c ontinue=&x=14&y=10) So, Greenwald is either arguing that H & H Hardware was crushed by A) a Wal-Mart that hadn’t opened yet, or B) the Wal-Mart to which customers drove up to 36 miles round trip (in this era of escalating gasoline prices) for their hardware purchases. In spite of all this, you might argue, perhaps Wal- Mart has forever decimated the commercial viability of the former H & H Hardware. Wrong again. H & H was sold to a new owner in June, (just after the Wal-Mart opened) who so strongly believed in the location’s long-term potential that he reopened a renovated store, Middlefield Hardware Inc. – also an ACE franchise – in the exact same place as the old 52 !
! ! ! Robert Greenwald: Three Errors In Three Minutes ACE store, on October 20, 2005. (http://www.adzmar.com/acefa/search.jsp?page=storeLocator& address=&city=Middlefield&state=OH&zip=) And why did the new owner of Middlefield Hardware Inc. move so quickly? As the village’s official website notes: “Middlefield Village is now one of the most prosperous villages of its size in Northeast Ohio…Local business are thriving, and more are locating here all the time, giving residents more and more conveniences.” (http://www.middlefieldohio.com/page4.html) 2. Wal-Mart Has “No Place” for African-American Women in Management Reel Life: At 1:11 of the new Greenwald trailer, an African- American woman is pictured on the screen, stating: “He [a Wal-Mart executive or manager] just bluntly told me, there’s no place for people like you in management.” Real Life: Greenwald relays only one story when there is a wealth of evidence to the contrary. Wal-Mart is consistently recognized as one of the most diverse companies in the United States, plain and simple: ! Wal-Mart was recently named one of "The 30 Best Companies for Diversity" by Black Enterprise magazine. The magazine noted, "While the business of diversity may sometimes be difficult, it is important to laud those who are aggressively pursuing initiatives toward changing corporate America's status quo."(Progressive Grocer, 6/15/05 and http://www.blackenterprise.com/exclusivesekopen.asp?id=1186) ! Wal-Mart was rated among the top 50 companies for diversity in the U.S. for 2005 by DiversityInc Magazine, and was named one of the top corporations for multicultural business opportunities in 2004 by DiversityBusiness.com. (Progressive Grocer, 6/15/05 and http://www.diversityinc.com/public/17823.cfm) ! This year, Wal-Mart was also listed on the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility's (HACR) Corporate Index as one of the top 10 companies for Hispanics. (Progressive Grocer, 6/15/05) ! Asian Enterprise magazine also featured Wal-Mart in its listing of the top 10 companies for Asian Americans. (Progressive Grocer, 6/15/05) 3. Wal-Mart Doesn’t Pay a Living Wage (in Chicago) Reel Life: At 1:22 of the new Greenwald trailer, four young African-American children are pictured on the screen, as a voice intones: Robert Greenwald: Three Errors in Three Minutes “No Wal-Mart in Chicago, they don’t pay a living wage, they can’t come to Chicago.” (Quick cut to L train, followed by the narrator, an African- American man, holding a sign stating “NO Wal-Mart in Chicago”) 2 53 !
Page 1 and 2: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!
Page 3 and 4: Introduction Starting off with Sam
Page 5 and 6: 1. Company History An in-depth glim
Page 7 and 8: store in Bentonville, Arkansas. On
Page 9 and 10: according to poll results, Wal-Mart
Page 11 and 12: practices. There are many different
Page 13 and 14: management. 30 The lawsuit also cla
Page 15 and 16: from The Los Angeles Times calling
Page 17 and 18: http://www.abunchofgreedyrightwingl
Page 19 and 20: were being funded by Working Famili
Page 21 and 22: children’s hospitals and healthca
Page 23 and 24: 1. Introduction Teaching Notes Stud
Page 25 and 26: 3. To allow students to apply the P
Page 27 and 28: 4. Teaching Components 4.1 Assignme
Page 29 and 30: Questions for Discussion: • With
Page 31 and 32: seriously as any other cost to the
Page 33 and 34: 5. Application of the Page Principl
Page 35 and 36: Conduct Public Relations as if the
Page 37 and 38: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Page 39 and 40: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Page 41 and 42: Appendices Appendix A: Corporate Fa
Page 43 and 44: ! ! ! ! ! ! Wal-Mart makes the majo
Page 45 and 46: Chart A Appendix C: Westhill Consul
Page 47 and 48: ! 47 !
Page 49 and 50: Average Total Earnings 120000 10000
Page 51: Appendix F: Wal-Mart Press Kit Rega
Page 55 and 56: ! ! ! ! ! ! The Facts on Wal-Mart
Page 57 and 58: ! ! ! ! ! ! Robert Greenwald: The R
Page 59 and 60: ! ! ! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact
Page 61 and 62: "Edelman screws up with duplicitous

Did Wal-Mart Wake Up? - The Arthur Page Society

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