American Hustle: Walmart and the Impact of Corporate Crime Practices

• In Event: White-Collar Crime at 75: Industries and Case Studies II

Abstract

There has been much written about Walmart and its corporate practices. Walmart has come under scrutiny by labor movements and government officials for its policies against employee rights, environmental standards, and practices exploiting foreign workers and subpar manufacturing conditions. Contemporary worker movements have mobilized strikes against Walmart and assisted in blocking expansion of the corporation’s presence in New York City, Chicago, and several large cities. This paper examines the impact of Walmart’s operating practices upon workers and communities. The issues of low salaries and insufficient worker benefits, along with violations of environmental conditions and utilization of inexpensive foreign labor will serve as a framework to analyze the ultimate cost of low prices. The various referenced political, economic, and social abuses comprise an important pattern of corporate criminal practices within American society and the larger global sector.

Author

• Lloyd Klein, Hostos Community College