November 11, 7:30 PM Cody¹s Bookstore, SF 2454 Telegraph Avenue Berkeley CA
November 12, 7:30 PM Modern Times Bookstore 888 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA
November 16, 7:30 PM Capitola Books 1475 41st St. Capitola, CA
Wal-Mart employees on television appear to be delighted with their jobs, but reality is another story. Women are routinely denied promotions, or even the opportunity for further training. Female managers have had to attend business meetings at Hooters. Sexist, archaic insults (³worthless broad²) are a part of daily life in this self-styled ³family oriented² company, where it¹s not unusual for a single mother to be paid less than a less qualified man because he has ³a family to support.² Many of Wal-Mart's female workers rely on public assistance to make ends meet. But the women of Wal-Mart are fighting back, with a class action suit representing 1.6 million current and former employees. Journalist Liza Featherstone has followed the women and their lawyers every step of their journey, and in her investigation of this historic lawsuit she brings to light not just the discriminatory practices of the world¹s largest employer, but the voices and opinions of the workers it tried to silence.
Liza Featherstone is a contributing editor at The Nation magazine. SELLING WOMEN SHORT is available from basicbooks.com.