Wal-Mart Watch Statement on Wal-Mart’s Health Care Proposals

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Wal-Mart Watch executive director David Nassar today released the following statement in response to Wal-Mart’s 2008 Health Benefits Package:

“The coverage changes for the more expensive health care plans show signs of improvement and demonstrate the company is listening to us and other critics. But, for the vast majority of Wal-Mart workers, who struggle to get by on an average annual salary of $18,800, these plans are still unaffordable due to low wages or inaccessible due to waiting periods.”

“Wal-Mart’s waiting periods, which are twice the national retail average, remain unchanged and are a critical problem with its health care plans. With Wal-Mart’s continuing trend toward more part-time employees, who will not be eligible for health care coverage for one year, these changes will do very little to provide coverage for Wal-Mart’s average employees to help them live better.”