2,000 Women File Wal-Mart Gender Discrimination Charges with EEOC

Nearly 2,000 female Wal-Mart employees have filed charges of pay and promotion discrimination against the retailer with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The charges follow the June 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision dismissing the national class action lawsuit Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., which sought billions of dollars in back pay and punitive damages from Wal-Mart for allegedly paying women less and giving them fewer promotions.

The Supreme Court dismantled the case, ruling the women did not have enough in common to proceed as a nationwide class. Instead of backing down, the women decided to take a new state-by-state strategy to try and win class certification, filing several regional class action lawsuits beginning in October 2011.

The EEOC charges were filed in 48 states, encompassing every Wal-Mart retail region of the United States.

“The fact that EEOC charges were filed in every single Wal-Mart region in the nation demonstrates the widespread and pervasive nature of Wal-Mart’s pay and promotion discrimination against its women employees,” the co-lead counsel for the women said.

By filing charges with the EEOC, which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, women with complaints against Wal-Mart and its subsidiary Sam’s Club dating back to December 26, 1998, protect their right to sue over pay and promotion discrimination even though the Supreme Court reversed the class certification.

“That nearly 2,000 women across the country have filed charges over the past year making similar claims of sex discrimination against Wal-Mart is a striking testament that the problems that gave rise to the original case are ongoing and that the evidence of discrimination remains widespread,” said another attorney representing the women.

Regional class action lawsuits on behalf of female Wal-Mart employees have already been filed for women who worked in California and Texas region Wal-Mart stores. Numerous other Wal-Mart gender discrimination class action lawsuits are expected to be filed in other states throughout the year.

For more information about the case or EEOC discrimination filings against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., visit www.walmartclass.com.