Retail Group Challenges Wal-Mart Law

[deadparrot]

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A national retail industry trade association filed suit Tuesday challenging a Maryland law designed to pressure Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to spend more money on health care for its employees.

The law, the first of its kind in the nation, was enacted Jan. 12 when the Democratic-controlled legislature overrode Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich's veto. The law requires companies with more than 10,000 employees in Maryland to spend at least 8 percent of payroll on health care or contribute the difference to the state Medicaid fund.

State officials said Wal-Mart is the only company of that size that does not meet the 8 percent threshold.

The suit was announced in Arlington, Va., by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents companies that operate more than 100,000 stores with more than $1.4 trillion in annual sales.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060207/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart

[lindisfarne]

1. What % of this group's funding comes from Wal-Mart? n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

5. A LOT, I would wager...

[Jane Austin]

2. And as for the rest of us retailers, the small business ones,

well, they didn't ask us.

[Mithras61]

3. Their membership reads like a who's who...

in abusive employerss...

http://www.retail-leaders.org/new/rlMembership.aspx

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. I can tell you that Masterfoods...

Formerly M&M/Mars, is one terrible company to work for. Treats their employees like shit.

[Cobalt Violet]

7. They got Regis. No suprise there.

Which includes Supercuts, CostCutters, Trade Secrets and lots of other salon/sweatshops.

Did I mention I actually collected food stamps and medicaid while employed by Regis. Low, low pay. There is a reason haircuts are so cheap at these places, workers are paid shit. One way or another you are paying more than 13.95 for a haircut.

[bluestateguy]

4. Sounds like they want activist judges to legislate from the bench

They lost in the political arena, so now they want unelected, imperial judges in black robes to make law from the bench.