Union leaders, academics and community activists are meeting to plan a strategy to get Walmart to improve its employee wages and benefits. The meeting is being convened by Andrew Stern, president of the SEIU and will discuss concerns that Walmart's growing influence is pushing down wages and benefits, not just among other retailers but also across the economy. Stern has also begun a blog to encourage others to join the discussion. A Walmart spokesperson said they knew little about the meeting and "believe that we pay good and fair wages and offer a comprehensive benefit packages."
See "Some Critics of Wal-Mart Joining Forces to Change It", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, May 11, 2004