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  3. A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it r

A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it r

admin2022-07-26  32
问题     A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it ruled a massive lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial.
    The Court said the world’s largest private employer will have to face charges that it pays women less than men for the same jobs and that female employees receive fewer promotions and have to wait longer for those promotions than male counterparts.
    Wal-Mart successfully convinced the court that women who allege discrimination should file individual lawsuits. Wal-Mart employs 2.1 million workers in 8,000 stores worldwide and argued that the conventional rules of class action suits should not apply because each outlet operates as an independent business. Since it doesn’t have a company-wide policy of discrimination, Wal-Mart argued that women alleging gender bias should file individual lawsuits against individual stores.
    The ruling was a "big black eye for Wal-Mart, and it’s not going to heal anytime in the near future," said retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger. Flickinger said the ruling could turn off women shoppers—the company’s critical base—at a time it faces increased pressure from a host of competitors, ranging from Kroger to J.C. Penney.
    Wal-Mart’s fourth-quarter results, announced in February, showed that total sales at its US Wal-Mart stores fell for the first time since the company went public in 1969. The company also reported its third consecutive quarter of declines in sales at stores opened at least a year. Sales at stores opened at least a year are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health.
    Wal-Mart’s top lawyer Jeff Gearhart said the company disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next step, which could include an appeal to the US Supreme Court.
    "We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates," said Gearhart, an executive vice president. "Wal-Mart is an excellent place for women to work and fosters female leadership among our associates and in the larger business world."
    Unions and other critics have long complained that Wal-Mart’s workplace practices needed improvement, especially in the areas of diversity and career advancement. The company employs 1.4 million workers in the United States and the unions claim the company’s labor practices are widely followed.
    Wal-Mart responded to the pressure last year at its annual shareholders’ meeting by announcing a plan to address the issue of promoting women, creating a "global council" comprised of 14 Wal-Mart female executives.
    "We are proud of the strides we have made to advance and support our female associates and have been recognized for our efforts to advance women through a number of awards and accolades (荣誉) ," Gearhart said.
How do unions and other critics view Wal-Mart’s workplace practices?
选项 A、There are many women receiving awards and praise.
B、There has been improving as for career advancement.
C、There is much to be desired in its workplace practices.
D、There will be a great economic loss in Wal-Mart stores.
答案C
解析 根据题干中的信息词unions and other critics，可以把答题线索定位到第八段。选项A的内容文中并未提及。第八段讲到工会和批评家一直在抱怨“沃尔玛的工作规范需要改进，尤其是在多样化和职业提升领域更是如此”，但是并没有提及它在“职业提升”方面有所改进，所以选项B错误。选项C“其工作规范还有很多可以改进的地方”与工会和批评家对沃尔玛的指责相吻合，所以本题选C。选项D的内容是关于业绩的，与沃尔玛的工作规范无关。
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