Latest Headlines

Wal-Mart To Lay Off 300 At Bentonville Headquarters -02.17.10 | Arkansas Business

Walmart, others make money on Oregon’s energy tax credits -02.17.10 | The Oregonian

Former Avon Wal-Mart employees claim discrimination -02.17.10 | Associated Press

More News

Fact Sheets

The Employee Free Choice Act Legislation that will truly make a difference for Wal-Mart workers

Wage & Hour Issues Read how Wal-Mart continually fails to pay every worker for every hour worked

Health Care Wal-Mart's still insures barely over half its employees on the company plan

Always Low Wages Poverty-level wages make life extremely difficult for Wal-Mart's 1.4 million workers

The Environment How Wal-Mart's business model is detrimental for our planet

Pennsylvania Wal-Mart Manager files Gender Discrimination Suit

The former manager of a Pennsylvania Wal-Mart store has filed suit against the company, alleging that she was fired for “not being truthful” in interviews about her relationship with a fellow employee. Helen Masonis claims that not only was she truthful in said interviews, but also that male employees in similar situations were allowed to remain at the company. Masonis joins the ranks of over a million women suing Wal-Mart for gender discrimination. Read more about these and other cases on our Women’s Rights at Wal-Mart page.

*UPDATE*
The complaint, filed by Masonis on January 18th, points out a couple interesting facts. First, there is the allegation that Wal-Mart management knew Masonis’s in-store relationship did not violate Wal-mart’s fraternization policy, yet still required her to sit through two closed-door “investigative interviews.” The official Wal-Mart “Exit Interview” given after Masonis was terminated confirmed Masonis had not violated the policy.

Masonis also calls out five male managers, each of which had either improper relationships with fellow female employees directly under their supervision, or were accused of harrassment, and none of them were fired or subjected to “investigative interviews.” You can read the whole complaint here.

It appears that the interview statements of Masonis and her male “friend”, Ward Thomas, gave differing accounts of what happened, but that it was only Masonis, and not Thomas, that was terminated. It will be interesting to find out the actual fate of Ward, so stay tuned.

Wal-Mart lawsuit over gender bias [Altoona Mirror (Penn.)]

A former department manager at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Clearfield County, who had an affair with an employee, is claiming gender discrimination against the company.

Helen Masonis of Falls Creek said she was fired for having a relationship with a male employee while several male managers who had affairs with employees were not fired.

Masonis is requesting a federal judge order back pay and employment benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, as well as pay her attorney fees and issue injunctions that would reinstate her and bar further discrimination against her.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. court in Johnstown lists the names of other males and females who had affairs at Wal-Mart. She charges that the males never were disciplined.

Masonis said Wal-Mart’s stated reason for punishing her was that she did not relate details of her affair truthfully, but Masonis said her exit interview with the company demonstrated that she told the truth.

“Wal-Mart treats a situation where a male manager interacts with a female employee differently than when a female manager interacts with a male employee,” she charged.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Weber said Monday that Wal-Mart had not been served with the civil charges and, therefore, she could not comment.

“We can’t comment on what we haven’t seen, or on an associate’s [employee’s] departure,” Weber said.

Masonis, who is divorced, stated that Wal-Mart has a nonfraternization policy, barring affairs between workers, but she contended that her affair with another worker did not violate the company’s policy.

The lawsuit claims that Wal-Mart violated the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act in its dealings with her.

Masonis stated that while she was manager of the Case Lot Area at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center, 100 Wal-Mart Drive, Woodland, she struck up a relationship with a supervisor in another department.

The ensuing investigation into her affair included “two highly embarrassing and offensive closed-door interviews conducted by senior management personnel,” her lawsuit states.

“The claim that [Masonis] was fired for not being truthful was merely a pretext,” according to the lawsuit filed by Pittsburgh attorney John Newborg.

She listed names of male managers who had affairs at the facility, which included two department managers with hourly employees, the general manager with a department manager, a personnel manager with a female under his supervision and a general manager with a woman under his supervision.

None of the males was dismissed or disciplined, she stated.

The case is before U.S. District Judge Kim Gibson.

Posted by Media Team on Tuesday, January 22, 2008

COMMENTS

I too have been discriminated against by Wal-Mart. I, and my now partner, were fired for violating the fraternization policy in August 2007. Two other male managers were not terminated for having relationships with hourly associates during the same time period. I feel Wal-Mart definately discriminates against women in most circumstances. I would like to file suit against them also so if anyone knows of any attorneys in Bradenton FL that would take this case let me know.
boomersmom06@hotmail.com

Lisa Valkenaar in Bradenton, FL
Tuesday, January 22 at 06:39 PM

Lisa

My sister filed and won a discrimination suit a few years ago. I can tell you from first hand experiance that lawyers will be very hesitent on taking this type of case until you have been in toutch with the EEOC.

You must file your suit with the EEOC in a “timly” manor (you are running out of time) and then they will get in toutch with you. They will ask for a witness list, and then they will investigate. If they find in your favor, then you can get in toutch with an attourny. You can bet at that point you will have your choice of representation. The key here is you must “GET IN TOUTCH WITH THE EEOC FIRST”. Their desicion is the “GOLD STANDARD”

I hope this helps.

Big D in
Tuesday, January 22 at 09:08 PM

who cares about this crap?big deal

m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Wednesday, January 23 at 05:47 AM

Good luck. I hope you win.

Rob in Surfside Beach, SC
Wednesday, January 23 at 10:13 AM

Corporations have had fraternization policies for almost as long as there have been corporations,and double standards have long been at work.According to “In Sam We Trust”,by Bob Ortega, Sam Walton broke J.C.Penney’s own dating ban back in 1941.(page359). There seems to be a history of “Do as I say ,not as I do” in the WalMart hierarchy,as evidenced from the other examples Mr. Ortega further illustrates in his book.As I have said on more than one ocassion, this is an excellent ,thoroughly researched book on the history of WalMart...and the roots of many issues that are playing out in their corporation today.

ddrb in
Wednesday, January 23 at 11:45 AM

Go to any message board frequented by current/former Wal-Mart associates and ask for instances of “fraternization “ and see what response you get.

I recommend Wal-Mart Blows.

Ken V in Texas
Wednesday, January 23 at 03:32 PM

Matt, if you don’t care why are you reading this? Better yet, why are you even commenting?

Lisa in Bradenton, FL
Wednesday, January 23 at 06:14 PM

Lisa did you get my e-mail?

Big D in
Wednesday, January 23 at 07:50 PM

Nix that Lisa just got your reply via E-mail.

Big D in
Wednesday, January 23 at 07:53 PM

how about k-mart and target ken?are they all miss priseses and so great and innocents?i dont think so.

m att hew vantress in gresham,oregon
Friday, January 25 at 06:23 AM

Why don’t you go over to www.consumerist.com and type in Kmart, Target or nearly any other store. Guess what? There are stories about all of them. You can also read up on stories about McDonalds and other fast food joints since you complain they don’t get enough bad press either.

You always complain that nobody complains or writes stories about the others. Well, you just aren’t looking in the right places. Does it really surprise you that this site would be focusing on Walmart? So if you really believe the others aren’t getting their fair share of criticism than I suggest you visit sites like consumerist and corpwatch.

Corgishepmom in Irrigon, OR
Friday, January 25 at 11:31 AM

Corgishepmom

You can’t really expect a blithering idiot like Mat to understand a concept that is as complex as that.

I mean you’re talking to a guy that has to have Velcro instead of laces, and that has to hang on to the rope when he goes on outings. LOL

Big D in
Friday, January 25 at 03:10 PM

I know Big D, it’s like talking to a brick wall. But I used to work with children so can maybe explain things in a way even Matthew might understand.

Just thought I would point out sites like Consumerist who contribute some of the Walmart stories on here also have blogs about other retailers. But obviously they don’t post those on here because it is Walmartwatch afterall. He is stubborn though and likes to stomp his widdle foot in protest that the others never get bad press.

Corgishepmom in Irrigon, OR
Sunday, January 27 at 03:21 AM

if anyone gets to this part the woman in question had affairs with the managers of wal-mart to get her position she was not a good manager by any means she had so to speak sucked her way to management not through hard work the D.C. in question has many affairs going on and also if you look at this d.c. everyone in management is married or related in some way or they are all friends but this not the wal-mart policy if you want to look at anything you should look into dc 6027 and see how many policies are violated there

spanky in
Sunday, January 27 at 05:38 PM

spanky in, Seems like you know that place well. You are absolutely right. I am not so sure its all Walmart, but 6027 that made up their own policies. Its a festering bed of lies, backbiting, empty promises and illicit affairs with the inmates running the asylum.

beatendown in PA
Monday, January 28 at 12:45 AM

As a former shipping/encode/break-pack/receiving employee who’s had the pleasure of being screwed by 6027 numerous times - I hope she wins. I can personally attest to at least 2 of the affairs mentioned in the complaint filed by H.M.’s attorney...and I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked to find out that the other “affairs” mentioned did, in fact, take place. During the time I called 6027 my personal hell, I experienced pretty much everything beatendown describes in his/her post. Working there completely changed my outlook on Wal-Mart as a consumer. Now I try not to shop there as much as possible. The “management” at 6027 (starting at the very top) definitely employs a “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO” policy. One of my personal favorites was the illusive “handbook” that was always referred to, but never actually seen. I recently watched “The High Cost of Low Prices” thinking the entire time how true it all is. I would LOVE to see a strike take place...or, even better, the formation of...(whispers) a UNION. All I can say now is, THANK GOD it was only temporary!!!

Former Sweat-shop 6027 Employee in PA
Wednesday, January 30 at 06:15 AM

I will say that I do agree that she was not a manager of greta esteem. But then again how many there are??!!!! There have been many promotions based on who u knoew (or you know the rest). It truely is a “family oriented place” , only trouble is everyone’s orienting themselves w/ some one elses family!! I will say that I do hope she wins as I am absolutely sick or the bald faced lies and back stabbin that goes on here. For it being the #1 of the entire company it’s surely a sad place to have to work. And it goes to show what the rest is actually like.The entire company seems to be built ion “ how bad can we screw the employees and the supplier?” It is a madhouse run by juvenile inmates!!! Hopefully a goo axing seccion will straighten things some, but after 15 yrs, I find it highly unlikely!!! LIES GOT YOU TO THE TOP AND NOW MAY JUST BE YOUR UNDOING!!!!

still feelin it in 6027 inPA
Wednesday, January 30 at 10:17 PM

Commenting is not available in this content entry.