You may have heard that Black Friday was a particularly dark day for Wal-Mart. A contract worker at a Wal-Mart store on Long Island was trampled to death in a stampede for low priced merchandise.
Consequently, The Orgegonian Editorial Board has some harsh criticism for the Bentonville-based retailer.
There’s no excuse for the unfathomable heartlessness of the mob itself. The people in the crowd, drunk on greed and perceived anonymity, are primarily to blame for Damour’s death. However, Wal-Mart also must face the music. It failed to address a foreseeable risk, and by doing so, it failed a basic test of corporate responsibility.
This is hardly the first time Wal-Mart put workers last to save a few bucks. The company has faced numerous sanctions for worker-related violations, including prohibiting workers from taking breaks and compelling them to work off the clock.
“It was crazy,” said a worker in the electronics department who was in the store during the stampede. “The deals weren’t even that good.”
