In many respects, Diane DeVoy was a typical Wal-Mart hourly employee.
She is a single mother, struggling to take care of her two children and
she really believed in the company when she first started working
there. As she says, “I was a hard worker and I gave them all my time
and energy.”
Like many Wal-Mart employees, even though she worked full-time for
the company, she was forced to seek public assistance for herself and
for her children because she couldn’t afford the company’s health
benefits or make ends meet on her meager salary. Then she learned that
male co-workers with less experience were being paid more than she was.
She was hassled by management when she took a leave of absence to care
for her dying parents. She was forced by managers to perform dangerous
work when she was seven months pregnant.
To address the unfair treatment she was receiving, Diane
joined a few co-workers who wanted to unionize the store. Management
retaliated by intimidating and threatening Diane and her co-workers.
After a violent hurricane almost destroyed her house, Diane was fired
from Wal-Mart. Since then, she has been speaking out about her
experiences with the company, in the hopes of making it a better place
for future generations of employees.
