The United Church of Christ wants holiday shoppers to pause for a moment, and in the spirit of the season, send a Christmas card to Lee Scott, the CEO of Wal-Mart. Here’s how the UCC describes their campaign: “As the Christmas shopping season moves into high gear, we need to remember that too many items in our stores are produced or sold under conditions that are unfair, demeaning, or possibly harmful to workers.Let us begin to transform the Christmas season from a time to buy into a time to advocate for justice and the fair treatment of all workers. Send a Christmas card to the CEO of Wal-Mart asking him to change the company’s policies and practices that are unfair and inconsistent with the principles of good corporate social responsibility. Please add a hand-written note on the card to strengthen its message.” The text of the letter is as follows: H. Lee Scott, Jr., President & CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 702 SW 8th Street, Bentonville, AK 72716-8611. Dear Mr. Scott, As CEO of the world’s largest corporation – one with an exceptionally broad global reach — we call on you to act as a responsible global citizen. Wal-Mart could have tremendous positive influence on people in towns and cities all across the U.S. and around the world through the company’s interactions with its employees, customers, and supplier firms.But we know that Wal-Mart’s record on a range of issues is of extreme concern to many. During this holiday season,we urge you to reflect on Wal-Mart’s current practices and policies, and to change those that are unjust and inconsistent with the principles of corporate social responsibility. Sincerely, ________________________
You can also send an email to [email protected] and tell Wal-Mart you refuse to live in their Material World, and will no longer shop in their stores. Remember: Friends Don’t Let Friends Shop At Wal-Mart. The United Church of Christ explains that in their Pronouncement, “A Faithful Response: Calling for a More Just, Humane Direction for Economic Globalization,” the UCC General Synod 24 called for “greater accountability of multinational corporations to work towards the economic benefit of workers, host communities and countries, and the physical environment in which they are located.” This Christmas card requesting Wal-Mart to improve its practices provides an opportunity to respond to this call from General Synod. The UCC provides its members with a lengthy background statement about Wal-Mart’s treatment of its own workers, its sweatshop labor, and anti union practices. For more background, go to www.ucc.org/justice, or email [email protected].
