This Labor Day, the National Organization for Women (NOW), along with Progressive Maryland, demonstrated outside of Wal-Mart to draw attention to Wal-Mart's unfair practice of underpaying its women employees and dodging income tax payments. Women across Maryland gathered outside of the Columbia, MD Wal-Mart store to express their dissent and organize future efforts.

Kim Gandy, president of NOW said that "over 2/3 of Wal-Mart's employees are women, but more than 90% of Wal-Mart's CEO's are men." Currently, over 1 million women have processed a class action lawsuit to correct this situation and win fair treatment in the workplace. Kim Gandy added that "for just 5% of Wal-Mart's coroporate profits, they can pay women fairly."

In addition to its unfair treatment of women, Tom Hucker of Progressive Maryland added that Wal-Mart has used corporate tax loopholes such as the Deleware Holding Companies to avoid paying state taxes. These corporate tax loopholes cost the state of Marlyand over $400 million.

Speakers at the rally, such as Tom Perez and Duchy Trachtenberg, also called everyone to take action so Maryland can override Governor Ehrlich's veto of the Living Wage Bill which would pay state contract workers $10.50/hr instead of the current $5.15/hr. The override of this veto would help bring working families just above the poverty line. If passed, Maryland's Living Wage Bill would be the first of its kind in the entire United States.

When asked to comment, Wal-Mart employees and management refused to talk and urged us off the property. Even though the demonstration was peaceful, the police were called onsite. Management also refused to comment as to why the police were called. In addition, signs posted by NOW were taken down and thrown away by Wal-Mart Manager Pat.

(Jaki Levy is an employee of Progressive Maryland and works as a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker. Jaki Levy is, unfortunately, biased)