Ask Wal-Mart to commit to these seven principles:
WHAT DEFINES A GREAT AMERICAN INSTITUTION? And what are its obligations to the common good?
The "Handshake Agreement" below is an agreement of shared principles offered in good faith to the executives and board members of Wal-Mart.
Sign on to hold today's company leaders accountable to Sam Walton's principles.
- Download and share the entire agreement, as printed in the New York Times.
- A printable flyer describing the agreement in detail.
- Research documents: Seven Pledges Detailed Overview | Rhetoric and Reality
Protect Human Dignity
“If you want people in the stores to take care of the customers, you have to make sure you are taking care of the people in the stores.” - Sam Walton
WAL-MART WILL AGGRESSIVELY WORK to ensure that employees are never mistreated through practices such as illegal firings, "off-the-clock" wage violations, intimidation, sexual harassment, violations of child labor laws, or discrimination of any sort. And Wal-Mart will justly compensate each associate with a family-sustaining wage that will enable the associate to raise a family without having to rely on public assistance.
Ensure Quality and Affordable Health Care Coverage
“You can’t create a team spirit when the situation is so one-sided, when management gets so much and workers get so little of the pie.” - Sam Walton
WAL-MART WILL SET A NATIONAL EXAMPLE by ensuring that all employees — salaried, hourly, full-time, and part-time — have quality affordable health insurance that fully covers the employee and their children. To make this commitment to a sound financial investment for the company, Wal-Mart will actively promote full-time employment for its employees and discourage part-time hiring.
Use Market Power to Improve Supplier Conditions and Wages
“We still want to drive a hard bargain, but now we need to guard against abusing our power.” - Sam Walton
TO ENSURE THAT MERCHANDISE in its stores is produced under safe and humane conditions, Wal-Mart will require and ensure that foreign and domestic suppliers adhere to all internationally recognized labor standards and national laws. Furthermore, Wal-Mart will require that suppliers justly compensate their own employees to the same standard set forth in this agreement for Wal-Mart employees.
Enable & Embrace Self Sufficiency
“Maybe the most important way in which we at Wal-Mart believe in giving something back is through our commitment to using the power of this enormous enterprise as a force for change.” - Sam Walton
BY PAYING A FAMILY-SUSTAINING WAGE, Wal-Mart will ensure that federal, state, and local taxpayers are not forced to spend billions of dollars on public assistance for Wal-Mart employees. Wal-Mart itself will not seek taxpayer-funded subsidies that locally-owned businesses do not receive. And Wal-Mart will not pit local communities against each other when selecting sites for Wal-Mart stores or other facilities.
Buy Local First
“For Wal-Mart to maintain its position in the hearts of our customers, we have to study more ways we can give something back to our communities.” - Sam Walton
TO DEMONSTRATE ITS COMMITMENT to the communities and countries it serves, Wal-Mart will always "Buy Local First." Purchasing local agriculture and manufactured goods strengthens local economies and secures the long-term survival of small family-owned farms and other enterprises. And by expanding the focus of "Buy Local First" to each country in which it operates, Wal-Mart will show a firm commitment to supporting the suppliers in those countries that host its stores.
Keep It Clean
“I’d like to believe that as Wal-Mart continues to thrive and grow, it can come to live up to what someone once called us: the Lighthouse of the Ozarks.” - Sam Walton
EVERY STEP IN WAL-MART’S SUPPLY CHAIN will demonstrate sound environmental stewardship. Wal-Mart will partner with local community and environmental leaders to avoid environmental damage and other disruptions caused by the site selection, construction, and operation of any Wal-Mart store or facility. This includes conserving wetlands, animal habitats, and green space, as well as minimizing traffic delays and air pollution. Wal-Mart will also strictly enforce this "Keep it Clean" policy with all of its suppliers, both foreign and domestic.
Prove Worthy of the Public Trust
“As long as we're managing our company well, as long as we take care of our people and our customers, keep our eyes on those fundamentals, we are going to be successful. Of course, it takes an observing, discerning person to judge those fundamentals for himself.” - Sam Walton
AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST COMPANY and as a global institution in a position of great responsibility and trust, Wal-Mart will be open and transparent in its dealings with the public, news media, and its own employees. Wal-Mart will actively work to demonstrate its dedication to the moral obligations described herein, and is committed to documenting and publicizing consistent progress and follow-through on all of its public proclamations and initiatives.
