Wal-Mart is asking the appeals court in San Francisco to remove class-action status from a bias suit filed on behalf of 1.5 million women. The women are claiming that Wal-Mart pays female employees less than men for the same jobs and passes them over for promotions. Wal-Mart contends that the large-scale class-action trial would be unfair and take away their fundamental right to defend themselves. The company is also arguing that a study showing no disparity in pay or promotions between men and women in 90% of Wal-Mart?s stores was improperly ignored by the judge.
See "Wal-Mart Seeks to Get Class Status Overturned", Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times, November 29, 2004