Staff editorial: No happy face for Wal-Mart

Ever dream of being more than just a check-out girl? Well, at Wal-Mart that dream may never become a reality.

The nation's largest employer Wal-Mart, offering jobs to more than 1.2 million individuals throughout the country, is now subject to the largest sex-discrimination lawsuit in history for its alleged treatment of female employees.

Ironically, Wal-Mart's television commercials present the corporate image of happy employees, led comically by an androgynous "happy face" constantly rolling back prices. With such upbeat messages, the public may not realize that although 65 percent of Wal-Mart employees are female, only 33 percent of managerial positions are occupied by women.

Wal-Mart offers the public everything from guns to real estate and baby clothes, all at "always low prices, always." However, such courtesy is questionable when extended to women employees. Wal-Mart has allegedly limited women's wages and promotions. It's low, low prices may come at a high cost to its employees.

For a store that pushes the "buy American" motto, Wal-Mart provides a poor example of American ideals. By providing low-cost service to the shopping community and yet allegedly neglecting 65 percent of its own community, facts suggest that making cash is more important to Wal-Mart than its workers.

What does this teach working-class women, when they can work for nine years at Wal-Mart and still make $8.44 per hour?

Is that the American dream?