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In the last week, the blog Chicagoist has written what is one of the most in-depth looks at what it means for Americans to work at Walmart we’ve seen in the media this year.

In a three-part series, Chicagoist journalist Kevin Robinson, interviewed three current and former Walmart employees about what it is like for them to work for the world’s largest private employer and took a look at the labor practices that Walmart uses to create massive profits while at the same time depressing wages throughout entire industries.

That the Chicagoist is taking a look at Walmart is especially, well, appropriate. The Good Jobs Chicago coalition has been working for years make sure that if a Walmart is built in the South Side community of Englewood it will provide good jobs with living wages.

And we mean years.

If you live in Chicago (and I would imagine most regular Chicagoist readers do) you’ve been hearing about this proposed Walmart store for some time. A big-box wage ordinance that was aimed at the retailer was passed by the City Council and was then vetoed by Mayor Daley, his only veto to date (and he’s been in office for two decades). In 2007, a coalition of activists, unions, and community organizers pushed back against Daley, not supporting him for reelection, and helping to elect a number of pro-labor alderman. Now activists are looking to push a living wage ordinance that would require any company with 50 or more workers to pay the wage of at least $11.03 per hour if the company benefits from a city subsidy.

So Walmart might have been in the news a few times.

Part One of the Chicagoist series introduces the three associates, all working at Chicagoland area Walmart stores, how tough management can be as taskmasters, safety concerns (two of whom have suffered injuries on the job), and how Walmart’s push for low prices extends into how they pay their employees.

The second part addresses wage concerns and one of the scams that Walmart uses to increase profits. The scam? Pushing employee wages so low that many employees qualify for food stamps and public assistance. Specifically, the piece looks at how Walmart employees make such low wages that they are eligible for food stamps, which they then spend at Walmart to great advantage by the company.

Part Three examines Walmart’s labor practices, something near to our hearts here at Wake Up Walmart. That Walmart has one of the most aggressive anti-union practices in the world should come as no surprise, and Robinson includes some very interesting information about how those practices directly impact associates.

So if you have a few minutes, head over and read the articles. It is a very good introduction to how Walmart operates nationwide and provides good insight for anyone who might be hearing about a Walmart attempting to move into their town, or for Walmart associates to know that they are not alone when it comes to the kind of poor working conditions and employee treatment that occurs in Walmart stores everywhere.

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Check out Wake Up Walmart’s latest piece over on Huffington Post. It highlights the story of Patricia from Ohio, a Walmart worker who was faced with the choice of going to work sick or losing her job because of Walmart’s irresponsible and harmful sick day policy. 

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Walmart just announced, with much patting of their own back, that more of their employees are enrolled in their company health insurance this year. The total number of their own workers enrolled in their insurance? It is up to 54% from 52% last year. The industry standard, by the way, is 65% and many big retailers insure a much larger percentage of their workforce. Costco, for example insures 85% of its workers.

But the real news in Walmart’s announcement is that more employees are uninsured and more employees are relying on state aid. The AP reports:

The number of Wal-Mart employees with health coverage — provided by either Wal-Mart or another source — dropped from 94 percent last year to 87 percent.

Wal-Mart said 43,000 of its workers receive health coverage through a state assistance program, up from 36,000 last year.

So not only does Walmart fail to insure 644,000 of its workers, a whopping 182,000 are left completely uninsured while another 43,000 (that Walmart admits to) must rely on Medicaid and other state run programs.

David Tovar, Walmart’s spokesperson said, “We believe this is just one more indicator that our nation’s current health care system is not sustainable.” But the comment fails to understand that Walmart is a part of the problem with our nation’s current health care system. Employers have to take some of the responsibility for providing health insurance and they fail to take any.

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Do you want the real story about who destroyed America’s REAL economy?

We wanted to recommend a new book that just hit the shelves. In Cornered: The New Monopoly Capitalism And The Economics Of Destruction, New America Foundation’s Barry C. Lynn takes an explosive look at how Wall Street financiers took advantage of the overthrow of our antimonopoly laws to consolidate unprecedented powers.

They use these powers in ways that destroy jobs, degrade safety, crush independent businesses, forestall innovation, harm our environment, and threaten the political foundations of our democratic republic.

Not surprisingly, Walmart is a major player in this disturbing story. Lynn discusses Walmart as one of the quintessential examples of the destructive monopoly, arguing that Walmart needs to change its ways not just for the benefit of workers or communities, but for the entire economy.

Here is what others are saying about Cornered:

Cornered has changed my view of what’s gone wrong with American capitalism. Brilliantly argued and meticulously reported, it confronts with the age-old enemy of both progressives and libertarian conservatives—the power of monopoly.
-Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed and Brightsided.

This book is essential to understanding how we got into our current mess.
-Michael Mandel, chief economist, BusinessWeek.

This is a truly groundbreaking and eye-opening work that everyone interested in understanding how the world really operates should read.
-Ha Joon Chang, winner Leontief Prize in economics, author Bad Samaritans.

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How often have you thought, “hey, I’d really like to keep up with Walmart news, see what folks are doing to change Walmart, and help spread the word about Walmart’s negative impact on worker’s rights and communities”? Well you’re in luck because we’ve joined forces with Wake Up Walmart, and we’re on Facebook and Twitter, and we want to connect with you! So take a minute to click on these links and become a fan of WakeUpWalmart.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Once you’re connected with us, we’ll tell you all about what we’re doing, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest Walmart news, and, more importantly, you can let us know what you think!

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Interested in the movement to make Walmart a more responsible employer?  Do yourself a favor and plant yourself in front of your television tonight. 

“The New Age of Walmart” is set to premiere at 9PM tonight.  The CNBC produced, 90-minute documentary follows up on David Faber’s 2004 documentary with a similar name: “The Age of Walmart.” Walmart Workers for Change and WakeUpWalmart.com are both featured in the show.

Check out CNBC’s description of the piece:

CNBC presents “The New Age of Walmart,” reported by award-winning correspondent David Faber. The 90-minute documentary takes an inside look at a company that sold more than $400 billion worth of goods last year and continues to thrive, even in an unforgiving economy. Faber investigates Walmart’s effort to reinvent itself and whether new leadership, aggressive green policies and a full-scale store overhaul signify real change for the controversial powerhouse.

The documentary delivers an exclusive, never-before-seen look at how Walmart decides where to build a store.  For the first time, television cameras accompany one of the teams that secretly traverse the country and the world looking for new places to plant its flag.  CNBC speaks with Brian Hooper, the man in charge of the real estate development team for Walmart and Sam’s Club in the Northeast.  CNBC takes you on this covert operation where a decision to build can change a town’s fortune forever.

In this economic climate, some might think the prospect of a brand new Supercenter would be an easy sell to communities. Faber found that while some people believe the opening of a Walmart would bring new job opportunities, others are convinced it will lead to their town’s demise.  In his first extended interview, new CEO Mike Duke addresses some of the tough issues that make Walmart both successful ... and controversial, including the company’s ongoing fight against a proposed law that would make it easier for workers to form unions.  Faber confronts Duke with questions about continued criticism of Walmart’s health care coverage, as well as the level of wages it pays employees. 

The feature-length documentary, good or bad, is likely to be a must-see for all our readers.

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The following article was originally published on Huffington Post.

You steal, you die.

That’s the international policy apparently at Wal-Mart stores, where reports indicate another alleged shoplifter has died at the hands of a gang of overzealous Wal-Mart workers—this time in China.

According to the Associated Press report this week, Yu Xiachun, a 37-year-old woman, died 500 yards from the Wal-Mart store in Jiangxi province. Based on the local police report, Yu had exited the store and was on her way home on August 30th when she was surrounded by five Wal-Mart workers, who accused her of shoplifting.

The Wal-Mart workers asked Yu to produce a receipt, which she did. But then Yu tried to take the receipt back—questioning who the four men and one woman were, because no one was wearing a Wal-Mart uniform. The police say that the Wal-Mart workers fought with Yu, and she was knocked to the ground. She was taken to the hospital, where she died three days later. The police have arrested two of the young Wal-Mart workers who fought with Yu. It is not clear yet what they are being charged with, if anything.

Read the rest of this story ...