Family of Wal-Mart Employee Sues over Black Friday Death

Sorted under business on December 4, 2008

Walmart The shopping conditions of “Black Friday” can most definitely be described as nothing less than chaotic and this past Black Friday can be described just the same; however, there was an altercation on that morning that does differ from previous years and that is the fact that a 34 year old seasonal Wal-Mart worker in New York was trampled to death by a stampede of discount-seeking shoppers.

Most recently, the family of the Wal-Mart worker, Jdimytai Damour, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Wal-Mart, claiming that Wal-Mart “created an atmosphere of competition and anxiety” that led to “crowd craze.” In the lawsuit the family argues that Wal-Mart “engaged in specific marketing and advertising techniques to specifically attract a large crowd and create an environment of frenzy and mayhem and was otherwise careless, reckless and negligent.”

Do you think that the family has the right to sue Wal-Mart over their loved one’s death? The family certainly feels that they have the right and frankly, I do as well. As a person who had their first Black Friday shopping experience this year, I personally visited a mall as well as two additional stores that morning and not one store I shopped at had appropriate security or law enforcement on the scene. When it comes to retailers and Black Friday, every single one of them are indeed using marketing and advertising techniques to attract a great deal of people and in doing so, they are fairly certain to have a line outside of their store for at least a half hour before opening their doors to the crowd they have attracted with whatever discounts or sales they have. These stores have no idea how many or what types of people will be lined up outside their doors and in any social situation where a large group of people are present, there is always a risk of either a fight breaking out or in tragic cases such as this, someone can lose their life over something as small as saving money. Think of it this way–Any concert I have ever attended in my life has had either security guards, law enforcement or both present, so why not take the initiative to do the same on Black Friday?

Since this man was the first person to ever die during the post-Thanksgiving bargain-hunting ritual, I would expect that all stores, no matter how big or small, to ensure safety and have security on hand for following Black Friday openings.



Women in the Work Place: Ask a Working Woman

Sorted under business on May 19, 2008

There are a tremendous amount of concerns when it comes to working women and how women are treated unfairly as opposed to men in the work place. Such concerns include equal pay, paid maternity leave, health care coverage and balancing work and family. Even with many women speaking up about how they are treated with bias when it comes to their jobs, most companies simply do not care and look out for their own interests, rather than the interests of their female employees.

A few examples of such bias are seen in professional careers. Male physicians are paid 38% more than women physicians while male registered nurses are paid 10% more than women RN’s and female attorneys are paid 30% less than male attorneys.

The AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees and Working America have launched their 2008 online Ask a Working Woman survey [PDF]. This web space will allow women in the work force to voice their concerns on what matters the most to them, being working women.

The survey will run until June 20, click here to participate!