Walmart used computers to cheat workers

[Moses]

Wal-Mart cheats on pay, lawyer says
By John Strahinich
Thursday, December 9, 2004


Wal-Mart programmed its computers to secretly shave minutes off employees' timecards so they didn't get paid for all the hours they worked, says a lawyer for former employees in a class-action lawsuit against the giant retailer.

     The accusation comes in the wake of a key victory for the former Wal-Mart workers on Monday, when a Middlesex Superior Court judge ordered Wal-Mart - the world's biggest retailer, with 3,660 stores in the United States alone - to produce all internal documents related to its payroll within 30 days.

     ``We clocked them,'' said Robert Bonsignore, who represents former Wal-Mart employees Elaine Polion and Crystal Salvas in a suit that could ultimately benefit 50,000 current and former Bay State workers.

     ``(Wal-Mart) hid documents and finally got nailed,'' he said.
     Bonsignore said computer experts hired by his firm found evidence that Wal-Mart's payroll computers were programmed to shave time off workers' records.

     ``You got your pay stub, everything looked fine,'' Bonsignore said.

     Foley Hoag attorney Jonathan Keselenko, who represents Wal-Mart, could not be reached.

     The legal battle represents one of at least 35 lawsuits involving overtime pay issues raised against Wal-Mart.

     The company has repeatedly denied the charges.

[Moses]

Walmart Heiress Cheats, too

Missouri puts school nickname on sports arena
By Associated Press
Friday, November 26, 2004


COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri renamed its new sports arena with the school nickname Friday, just days after the original namesake, a 22-year-old Wal-Mart heiress, was accused of academic cheating at another college.

      The university's governing Board of Curators voted without dissent to rename Paige Sports Arena during a three-minute conference call. The Mizzou Arena name will be used immediately.
      ``All of us are happy with Mizzou,'' Elson Floyd, president of the four-campus university system, said after the meeting. ``How can you go wrong when you talk about Mizzou?''

      The original name was chosen by Bill and Nancy Laurie, who donated $25 million toward construction of the arena and in return received naming rights. They named the arena for their daughter, Elizabeth Paige Laurie, who did not attend the school in Columbia.

      Paige Laurie received a bachelors degree from the University of Southern California. Last week, a former roommate told a television newsmagazine that Paige Laurie paid her thousands of dollars to do academic work for her.

      The Laurie family has said Paige Laurie's college record is a private matter.

      Nancy Laurie is a daughter of the late Bud Walton, co-founder of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

( © Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )