A worker's got a right to lunch. And get paid for overtime. That wasn't always the case at some Walmart stores.
In 2005, a California jury awarded $172 million to thousands of workers who claimed they were illegally denied lunch breaks. The case was one of at least 40 similar suits filed nationwide at the time, alleging workplace violations.
The outcomes of the cases varied, but those that stood in court brought bad news for the company. In 2002, a federal jury in Oregon found Walmart employees were forced to work off the clock and awarded back pay to 83 workers.
And in a similar case in 2000, Walmart settled a class-action lawsuit against former and then current employees in Colorado and paid $50 million.
Quashing unions
Walmart has gone toe-to-toe with workers that tried to organize themselves. The retail giant is infamous for staunchly opposing labor groups. In 2000, it switched to prepackaged meats after a handful of butchers at a Walmart Supercenter in Jacksonville, Texas voted to join a union. The retail giant at the time said the move was planned ahead of the union vote, but it nevertheless sent workers a clear message. And, in 2005, Walmart shut down a store in Quebec where workers were close to reaching a union contract.
It's not as if Walmart is against all unions -- only those in the U.S. As the Washington Post pointed out last year, unions are prevalent in the United Kingdom. And for decades, the retailer has negotiated contracts with powerful labor groups in Brazil and Argentina.