Bully Report
Shameless: How Wal-Mart Bullies Its Way Into Communities Across America
As the world’s largest
corporation, Wal-Mart behaves shamelessly in the way it forces
itself on American communities. Its aggressive bullying of
American communities occurs because Wal-Mart’s growth is central to its
business model; it has to grow to sustain its profits, $10 billion in
2004 alone. Analysts have noted that Wal-Mart’s growth
efforts are nothing short of a "massive undertaking."
This special report reviews Wal-Mart’s bullying tactics through a series of local case studies. Using highly publicized examples like Inglewood, California and Chicago, Illinois alongside less well-known stories from cities like Stoughton, Wisconsin and Lewiston, Maine, the findings reveal patterns: Wal-Mart’s use of local front groups, their reliance on a SWAT team of corporate mouthpieces, aggressive litigation tactics, outright bait-and-switches, and a trail of broken promises. Today, as more American communities rise to fight back against the retail giant, this report offers a strategic map of the company’s tactics.
Download your copy here in PDF format (2.7 MB). Need help viewing the report? Click here to install free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
The report is also available online in HTML format. Click here to read the report.
This report is a tool for those who share our belief that the power of this wealthy corporation can be put to better use, and that American communities must be allowed to decide for themselves how best to sustain their vibrant economies.
CONTENTS
- Introduction: Does America Need A Wal-Mart On Every Street Corner? Wal-Mart Thinks So.
- Broken Promises - Lewiston, ME: After receiving generous subsidies, Wal-Mart cuts jobs and pay at new distribution center.
- Bait and Switch - Cleveland, OH: To avoid a “big-box” ordinance, Wal-Mart circumvents City Council to build Supercenter.
- All or Nothing - Stoughton, WI: Wal-Mart forces a small town to approve a new Supercenter or risk losing it all.
- Divide and Conquer - Chicago, IL: Dirty tricks gain Wal-Mart entry into America’s third largest city.
- Strong Arm Politics - Flagstaff, AZ: Wal-Mart overwhelms opponents with money and vicious campaign tactics.
- Side-Bar: The Wal-Mart Players
- Campaign Cash - California: Wal-Mart funnels $4.3 million to front groups set up to ensure Supercenter expansion in most populous state.
Click here to download the PDF of the report.
Click here to view the report on our website.
