WAKEUPWALMART.COM Launches Nation's First Halloween Candy Giveaway and Fundraising Drive to Help Uninsured Wal-Mart Workers Pay for Their Health Care

As part of the National "Nothing's Scarier Than Not Having Health Care" Campaign, Community and Labor Leaders Hold Candy Giveaway and Fundraiser

Chicago: On Friday, a new campaign was launched to highlight Wal-Mart's grim record of providing inadequate health care coverage for their employees. The "Nothing's Scarier Than Not Having Health Care" campaign is part of a nationwide effort being led by WakeUpWalMart.com.

Labor and community leaders came together to highlight how Wal-Mart has repeatedly failed working families and America because the company increasingly shifts its costs on to taxpayers. This trend is having a growing negative impact on American taxpayers by forcing Wal-Mart employees to enroll in state funded programs such as Medicaid and KidCare. Public assistance programs like Medicaid and KidCare, were designed to help poor children and families, not help multi-billion dollar corporations like Wal-Mart.

"The scary fact is that Wal-Mart fails to offer affordable company health care to more than 600,000 of their workers nationwide," stated Ronald E. Powell, President, Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President. "Here in the Chicagoland area, we are holding Wal-Mart to a higher standard and not giving in to their corporate misbehavior. With over $10 billion annually in profits, Wal-Mart needs to wake up and provide affordable health care to its workers today."

At today's actions throughout the Chicagoland area, supporters of America's campaign to change Wal-Mart (some in Halloween costumes) handed out candy to the public and took donations. Similar Halloween candy giveaway and fundraisers are also taking place across the nation. The money that is collected by this effort will be placed into an account with the American Association of Wal-Mart Workers for Wal-Mart workers to purchase health care.

"As a community leader, I understand the importance of providing adequate health care for all working families. Yet Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, is now trying to re-package their already devastating health care plan and claim that they are making improvements; that's if you think a $1,000 annual deductible is an advantage," said Beatrice Jackson, President, Illinois ACORN. "Wal-Mart is not making any improvements that truly benefit working families, Wal-Mart only cares about making a profit at the expense of their workers health care."

The Halloween candy giveaway and fundraising drive is the latest grassroots effort by WakeUpWalMart.com to change Wal-Mart into a more responsible employer. Following the release of WakeUpWalMart.com's 'Six demands for Change' the organization surpassed 112,000 supporters in all 50 states-therefore, making this the nation's largest grassroots effort to change Wal-Mart.

The Halloween candy giveaway and fundraiser was held at the following locations:
James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL;
Wal-Mart at 10260 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview, IL;
Wal-Mart at 1300 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL;
SAMS Club at 2601 S. Cicero Ave., Cicero, IL

Wal-Mart Facts:
* Wal-Mart pays their average employee $2,236 under the federal poverty level for a family of four, or $17,114 annually. (FPL for family of four is currently $19,350.)
* Wal-Mart costs American taxpayers up to $2.5 billion per year in taxpayer-funded public health care and public assistance programs.
* Fewer than half of Wal-Mart's workers are covered by the company's health plan because of long waiting periods for eligibility and high deductible costs. Wal-Mart's new health care plan, to roll out in 2006, will come at the high price of $1,000 annual deductible, plus premiums could be as much as 25% of an employee's take-home pay for individual coverage and up to 40% for family coverage.

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Contacts:
Tim Drea, Local 881 UFCW, 630-253-0337
Moises Zavala, Local 881 UFCW, 630-254-3100