Female Wal-Mart workers urge high court to let class action suit stand

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4784

By Mark Gruenberg
25 February 2011

WASHINGTON - The 1.2 million present and former female Wal-Mart workers represented in the world’s largest class action suit have formally urged the U.S. Supreme Court to let their class-action lawsuit stand – and their joint case against the monster retailer finally go to trial.

In their formal brief filed with the court on Feb. 22, the lawyers for the women added that if Wal-Mart were to win, forcing its workers to sue it one by one and setting extremely high standards for evidence and trials, class actions for workers nationwide – not just at Wal-Mart – would be wrecked. The court will hear the case on March 29.

If the justices approved Wal-Mart’s demands, the lawyers added, it “would subvert the goal of allowing workers to vindicate their rights as a class, precluding certification of all but the smallest employment discrimination cases, and would require this court to overrule 45 years of civil rights and class action precedent.”

The case is important to workers nationwide both for that reason and because Wal-Mart, known for its always-low wages, always-high-cost-health care and virulent – and illegal – anti-union tactics, is also the retail industry pacesetter.

FULL story at link.