Lessons From Dukes

Wal-Mart is currently embroiled in the midst of the largest sexual discrimination suit in the history of the US. And with 25 years of utter disregard for women biting them in butt, Wal-Mart is beginning to recognize their own patterns of discrimination and adjust behavior accordingly.

Take, for example, the actions of Wal-Mart managers in Daytona Beach. Management meetings were usually scheduled during working hours and held at various “men’s oriented establishments....including strip clubs.” Apparently aware that the sole female manager, Tenna Hopkins, did not love the hot wings at Hooters, the male managers chose never to inform her of these meetings. Forcing a female coworker to go to a strip club constitutes sexual harassment! It is much preferable to be left to mind the store while all the guys go out to discuss the big picture and take advantage of any two-for-one lap-dance specials at local “restaurants catering to men.”

This concern for Tenna’s feelings did not, unfortunately, extend to job security. After complaining that she was being deliberately excluded from strategic management meetings, she was fired.

Another example of Wal-Mart’s new and improved concern for the safety and well-being of their female employees is apparent in New Mexico. In 2006, Anita Loya reported that her manager, Les Williams, was sexually harassing her. Wal-Mart leaped into action! They immediately started investigating these allegations and, worried about Anita’s state of mind, transferred her to a nearby store for the duration. Upon the conclusion of Wal-Mart’s investigation, Williams was fired.

However, in 2007 Les Williams was rehired (by the District Manager no less) to work at the exact Wal-Mart store in Silver City that Anita transferred to a year before. This time around her concerns were not met with the same degree of alacrity. In fact, they were completely ignored, forcing her (like Ms. Hopkins of Florida) to file suit against her employer.

Ah, Wal-Mart. You try so hard - taking those baby steps in the right direction, attempting to learn from past mistakes. Only to eventually show the world that you completely missed the point. Baby steps, Wal-Mart. Baby steps.

Posted by Cass Brulott on Tuesday, March 18, 2008

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COMMENTS

[Apparently aware that the sole female manager, Tenna Hopkins, did not love the hot wings at Hooters, the male managers chose never to inform her of these meetings. Forcing a female coworker to go to a strip club constitutes sexual harassment!]

Hooters is a ‘strip club’? I must have missed something the last time I ate there. Sounds more like the woman not loving the ‘hot wings’, was the real brunt of her complaint.

Charles in Brighton, Tn.
Tuesday, March 18 at 02:35 PM

Charles,apparently you and I had differing comprehensions of the article--- “held at VARIOUS” “men’s oriented establishments....INCLUDING strip clubs.” Apparently aware that the sole female manager, Tenna Hopkins, did not love the hot wings at Hooters, the male managers chose never to inform her of THESE meetings....” IMHO, the inference is that there were OTHER meetngs at strip clubs,and because she did not like hot wings,neglected to inform her,thereby expecting her to attend the meetings where there WERE strippers performing. It would seem that other non stripping venues that did not serve hot wings(or hot legs) could have been selected in lieu of Hooters;in fact ,ALL the meetings could have.Is this the family value oriented management ,so touted by WalMart,that puts wrappers on covers of “suggestive"magazines for sale in WalMart?

ddrb in
Tuesday, March 18 at 03:51 PM

ddrb;

[IMHO, the inference is that there were OTHER meetngs at strip clubs,and because she did not like hot wings,neglected to inform her,thereby expecting her to attend the meetings where there WERE strippers performing.]

So, in your opinion, the male managers expected her to attend meetings at the ‘strip clubs’, but didn’t even bother to ask her to attend if the meeting was being held at ‘Hooters’, where their are no ‘strippers’. Under that logic, the men knew she didn’t like ‘hot wings’,so they didn’t invite her to ‘Hooters’, but they must have thought she liked ‘strippers’, because they DID invite her to ‘strip clubs’, NO, they forced her to go to the ‘strip clubs (Forcing a female coworker to go to a strip club). This story sounds kind of flakey, IMHO.

Charles in Brighton, Tn.
Tuesday, March 18 at 11:32 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen, I direct your attention to the center ring where we have Charles from Brighton, TN beating a dead horse!

I guess they don’t have a Chippendales in Daytona Beach.

Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, March 19 at 05:40 AM

Ken V,

“where we have Charles from Brighton, TN beating a dead horse!”

You mean like WMW and you guys do? Like talking about things that happened YEARS ago, look at Alex in Ontario, with his daily reference to Jonquire and Houston!! But, he’s an anti guy, so that’s okay!!

RDS in
Wednesday, March 19 at 11:17 AM

...beating a dead horse!

Ken, when it comes to dead horse-beating, guys like Charles are little leaguers compared to you and your ilk.

bbrd in
Thursday, March 20 at 12:14 PM

My ilk? Why, bb, whatever do you mean?

Ken V in Texas
Thursday, March 20 at 01:13 PM

Ken V: Hey,Ken,got ilk?

ddrb in
Thursday, March 20 at 04:56 PM

Golly with all the problems Wal-Mart has how come no one is mentionig the problems the SEIU is having? How, many of the rank and file are unhappy with Andy Stern—keep current everyone and always read all sides of the coin - especially now even the edges where we relegated “In God We Trust”

The Sage in
Thursday, March 20 at 11:05 PM

Sage,

Did you ever pay the money you lost in that bet with the San Diego guy. Or does the edge of your coin read “Sage- liar, fraud and cheat. Just like Walmart.”?

Willis

Willis in Atlanta
Saturday, March 22 at 08:16 AM

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