Customer Reviews

Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart

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Betty Dukes is the lead plaintiff in a recent class action lawsuit charging Wal-Mart, the nation's biggest employer, with sex discrimination in pay and promotions.The giant retailer recognized the energy and dedication of the 52-year-old African American clerk - until she applied for promotion to management and crashed into a glass ceiling. When she complained, she was demoted. More than 100 women working at Wal-Mart joined Ms. Dukes in the suit, which charged that advancement at Wal-Mart is controlled by an "old boys" network. They came forward to talk about how they gave their all for Wal-Mart only to see men who were their juniors and had contributed less racing up the management hierarchy.

The case is the largest class-action suit in history, covering 1.6 million past and present women employees.Liza Featherstone tells their story in "Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers Rights at Wal-Mart." Wal-Mart projects an image of a family-friendly company whose workers are valued "associates." But Wal-Mart managers often justify paying men more because they must provide for a family and women less because their family responsibilities might interfere with managerial duties. Women make up more than two-thirds of Wal-Mart's workers, but only 1/3 of its managers. The firm's deep-rooted sexist culture includes meetings at Hooters restaurants, exclusively male social gatherings and persistent segregation of entire departments.

Featherstone points out that even if all the discrimination ended, most Wal-Mart workers would still live in poverty with many needing food stamps and Medicaid to survive. Wal-Mart is a poster boy for labor law violations such as abusing undocumented workers, locking employees in at night, denying overtime pay and buying goods from overseas sweatshops. Because Wal-Mart is such a giant, it depresses pay and benefits for most retail workers in the U.S.

Unions have yet to succeed in organizing Wal-Mart workers, whose blind loyalty may result from intimidation. Because of Wal-Mart's huge size and effect on other workers, some unions have recently proposed that the entire labor movement pool resources for an all-out organizing drive. So Liza Featherstone's new book is not just a necessary primer on one company's excesses, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of the labor movement.

- Ken Nash

(As for the punctuation, just click on the book cover! It's Amazon's error, not Ms. Featherstone's or the publisher's.)

If you have any doubts about who's right in the big Wal-Mart class-action lawsuit, look no further than this book by Liza Featherstone, a longtime labor reporter. Her interviews with women who work for the retail giant will tell you all you need to know about who's working harder -- the mothers and wives and daughters struggling to get by on shockingly low wages, or the management of the company trying as hard as it can to keep them from getting promoted or even paid equally. Betty Dukes, the African American lead plaintiff in the case, deserves a place in the American hero pantheon.

Read "Selling Women Short" and see America as it is, not as politicians want you to imagine it. Ms. Featherstone's poignant, hard-hitting, and often hilarious narrative will be an essential companion as this historic case continues to change the face of labor as we know it.

Best non-fiction read of the year, Selling Women Short is neither boring nor pedantic. It is packed with hard hitting realism dealing with the lives and stories of real hardworking women in their quest to survive and rise within Wal-Mart's anti-woman, anti-union corporate behemoth. This fascinating true story reveals how the Wal-Mart culture destructively works against poor working women while "serving" their poor workingclass communities. Against daunting and seemingly hopeless odds, most of the women Featherstone has written about have not given up. Their perseverance is inspiring. Lisa Featherstone's must-read book is inspiring.

Builder Levy, NYC

"Selling Women Short" by Liza Featherstone is an engaging book about the historic 'Betty Dukes vs Wal-Mart Stores Inc' class action lawsuit that alleges Wal-Mart's institutionalized discrimination of its female employees. Skillfully weaving anecdotes and profiles of key plaintiffs and their claims of sexism with research about Wal-Mart and its Orwellian corporate culture, the book provides an excellent critique of the company's numerous illegal behaviors and a humane narrative of its female employees' struggle for justice.

Interestingly, Ms. Featherstone's analysis suggests that the company's paradigmatic success is attributable to its parasitical relationship with the declining fortunes of the working class. Wal-Mart cynically promotes itself as a pro-family, pro-American company even as it offers poverty-level wages and imports most of its wares from foreign, low-wage countries. In this manner, Ms. Featherstone explains that Wal-Mart both contributes to and profits from the exploitation of marginalized female laborers.

Ms. Featherstone is careful to discuss the limitations of the lawsuit as a tool to effect systemic change at Wal-Mart. She contends that it is probably equally important for the public to become educated about the inequities at Wal-Mart in order to create a media firestorm that might pressure the company to change its ways. However, Ms. Featherstone describes the difficulties that unions and interest groups have had trying to organize labor and shoppers in the struggle with Wal-Mart, contending that our consumer culture tends to set aside worker's rights issues in favor of shopping expediency. Nevertheless, as the lawsuit moves forward the author is hopeful that Wal-Mart may soon feel the need to make significant changes in order to avert a court-imposed solution and/or a public relations catastrophe.

I highly recommend this outstanding book to everyone.

It is amazing that this book hasnt gotten more attention that it has. In one of the well-organized, focused book on corporate behavior, Liza presents the basis of the class action lawsuit against the retailing giant - Walmart. It is really shocking to see that the self-styled conservative retailer seems to be more of a sexist (and some some plaintiffs allege, racist) corporate giant. Even if there is a modicum of truth in the arguments made in this book (which seems to be the case, looking at its well-documented arguments and statement of facts), Walmart may be in trouble.

The allegations reported in the book, mostly part of the class action lawsuit, could have far reaching implications than just changing Walmarts style of functioning. Due to its clout in the retailing industry, its ability to prevent unionization of workers, and a host of other unique business practices, Walmart has been a successful company - financially, at least. This lawsuit may have some unpleasant implications for Walmarts investors as well. Any one remotely connected to Walmart - shoppers, employees, employees of its major suppliers, investors, industry watchers....all will gain a new perspective from this book.

Liza does try to provide a balanced picture by incorporating Walmarts positions or rebuttals, wherever available. Moreover, theg allegations are presented in a logical manner without any histrionics.

The first chapter of the book is perhaps the best written. Though the rest of the book is interesting and well-organized, the stories of the different employees come back to the same point over and over again. For some parts of chapters 3 and 4, it gets a little bit monotonous. Other than that, the book is an excellent read.

Featherstone takes an insightful look at the women involved in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart class-action discrimination suit. She does not delve into melodrama or hyperbole, however. She provides a real sense of what the experience is like for women to work for the "beast." She covers topics such as corporate welfare (companies making huge profits who don't supply health insurance so their workers rely on public health insurance and food stamps to supplement their meager incomes), sexual harassment, and the number of Wal-Mart employees on welfare rolls. I was surprised to learn that although these employees were drawing a salary, they were relying on public funds via services to exist. The appalling information, plus the compelling stories of women workers at Wal-Mart, is enough to soften the hearts of some of the most hardened business person. Unfortunately, it hasn't done so for the owners of Wal-Mart yet!
There are many, many other offenses that Wal-Mart commits, such as their dismantling of the economic base of communities and disregard for environmental studies in towns that do not receive attention in this book, but that is a minor issue and can be found in other books. However, I highly recommend reading this book, if it is the only book you read this year.

If you were brought up to believe that sexism is a thing of the past, and that these days all a woman has to do to be as successful as her male counterpart is to competently work as hard for as long as a man, this book is a shocking read. Sexist attitudes of the women-belong-in-the-kitchen variety are alive and well, at least at America's largest employer. I think what shocked me the most reading this book is that the company doesn't even seem to be aware that there are such things as anti-discrimination laws in this country. Or even have a sense of basic fairness. The main plaintiff's cases read like some kind of what-not-to-do from a sensitivity training workshop. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the book wasn't really a story so much as a series of legal briefs. Since the case isn't settled yet that's understandable. But the book is still really informative and a page-turner-- after the first chapter I decided I could never shop at Wal-Mart again or at least I won't until the suit is settled.

It's so unfortunate that a book like this has to be written. It's even more upseting that every word is true. The book, strictly speaking, is awesome! Why isn't every newspaper and TV show talking about it? The situations in the book are true I'm sure. The reason I'm sure is because I'm an Assistant Manager and I've lived every one of those situations during my short term in management, and more. Oh the horror stories I could tell! I can't even count how many times my husband has had to be restrained from leaving the house to go have a "chat" with my Store Manager out back of the store. The treatment of women, actually associates in general and especially female managers, by this company is wrong. It's downright criminal. It's also why I'm resigning and giving up. Is Liza writing another book or an update? Is there a way to join the lawsuit? Is there a way to contact Liza? I would really like to know these things because I also have a story to tell. My email is walmartassistantmgr@yahoo.com.

It matters not whether you are a liberal like author Liza Featherstone or a dyed in the wool conservative concerned with holding down government spending. "Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart" presents an abundance of evidence that should persuade an awful lot of Americans to spend their hard earned dollars anywhere but at Wal-Mart. Citing testimony from dozens of present and former Wal-mart employees, Featherstone describes how the company has systematically underpaid its female employees while at the same time denying promotions to many qualified women who wish to advance in the company. And to be sure these practices have dire consequences for many women trying to eke out a living on the meager wages Wal-Mart pays them. And as I indicated, conservatives will not be too happy either when they learn that Wal-Mart routinely encourages its underpaid employees to take advantage of government programs! Featherstone cites Wal-mart documents that actually instruct employees on how to apply for Food Stamps, state health insurance for the poor and other welfare programs. How do you like that Mr.& Mrs. Taxpayer? You are being forced to subsidize the worlds largest retailer. Add to that the huge tax breaks many towns and municipalities give to Wal-Mart and the true story of how this hideous company does business begins to emerge.

"Selling Women Short" only reinforces what I have long believed about Wal-Mart. It would be a cold day in hell before I would ever shop at one of their stores. But I am lucky because I can afford to make that choice. Many individuals struggling just to get by don't have that luxury and that is the crux of the problem. When Wal-Mart comes to town it forces a great many smaller businesses to close leaving Wal-Mart practically the only game in town. And those businesses that do remain often cut wages and benefits for their employees just to compete with Wal-Mart. It is a lose-lose situation for just about everyone but Wal-Mart. Throughout her book, Liza Featherstone references the landmark class action suit Dukes vs. Wal-Mart. It is a fascinating case and there is an awful lot at stake. Reading "Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart" is a great way to get up to speed on this extremely important issue. Highly recommended.

Anyone living in the 21st century will be amazed at the content of Selling Women Short; the anecdotes shared by current and former Wal-Mart employees are like something out of Gloria Steinem's worst nightmare circa 1975. Even in the current litigious climate of corporate America, Wal-Mart manages to succeed at completely indoctrinating its "associates" to believe in the "values" of the company, which are as "good ole boy" as they can get. Liza Featherstone's account of the Dukes vs. Wal-Mart class action lawsuit (now certified, still unresolved), the largest in U.S. legal history, makes up for in content what it may lack in an elegant writing style (it's a bit bare bones and stilted at times). The women involved in the lawsuit aren't the typical bleeding-heart liberals that would be easy for Wal-Mart to discredit; they are by and large very religious, relatively conservative women who are trying to get by on very low wages and zero respect. The consistency with which women have been kept to the lowest paying, lowest power positions within the company is nothing less than appalling; using both ample statistics as well as countless personal interviews, Featherstone assaults the reader with a barrage of terrible realities. Many of the employees at Wal-Mart cannot afford to spend 50% of their income on the company health plan, so they end up on state or federal assistance. Women are discouraged from applying to management positions. If this reading this book does not convince you to boycott Wal-Mart, it would be surprising.