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Women Versus Walmart

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Walmart women take their sex discrimination case to the Supreme Court. We’ll look at its potential impact.

A woman makes her way out of a Walmart store in Oakland, Calif., Feb. 22. (AP)
A woman makes her way out of a Walmart store in Oakland, Calif., Feb. 22. (AP)

The women of Walmart had their day before the Supreme Court yesterday. Whether their case goes forward is now the question.

It’s a class action suit on behalf of 1.6 million Walmart employees –- women. It's the biggest employment discrimination class action in history.

If the high court waves it forward, every big company in the country could face tough class action challenges on pay and promotion policies, on equity. If it doesn’t, it could be every woman for herself against giant employers.

This hour On Point: Women. Walmart. And the stakes before the court.
- Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

David Savage, reporter for the Los Angeles Times who covers the Supreme Court.

Wade Goodwyn, correspondent for NPR. He has reported on Walmart.

Kate Bronfenbrenner, labor economist and director of Labor Education Research at Cornell University.

Gerald Maatman, attorney and senior partner at  Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He filed a brief with the Supreme Court in support of Walmart on behalf of Costco and the Society for Human Resource Management.

This program aired on March 30, 2011.

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