November 18-24, 2004

artpicks

Wal of Shame

books The shocking part of Liza Featherstone's Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart (Basic) isn't the discount chain's abysmal record of sexual and racial discrimination; after all, who would expect a multibillion-dollar corporation that restricts "associates" to part-time hours to avoid paying health benefits to show decency in other areas? What's startling is how many workers are taken in by Wal-Mart's superficially family-oriented "Christian" corporate culture, believing that the company has their best interests at heart despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Workers cast the late Sam Walton as a down-home saint, believing he tithed his massive income (he didn't), and profess their faith in the company's "open door" policy for staff complaints, which more savvy employees refer to as "1-800-YOU'RE FIRED." In fact, Featherstone says, Wal-Mart's good-old-boy culture is so pervasive that you could give the company a three-decade head start and the percentage of women in management still wouldn't match its competitors. Selling Women Short is only the prelude to the real story—the sex-discrimination action certified as a class-action suit in June. Featherstone still covers the story for The Nation, and will update the crowd Tuesday.

Liza Featherstone reads Tue., Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m., free, Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St., 215-241-7024.

—Sam Adams