The War Against Wal-Mart: Washington State Front Line Report
Here's an interesting repudiation of Wal-Mart's labor practices via the Washington State Education Association (reported in the Seattle P-I; info first procured via dKos diarist Lahdee):

When it's time to pick up supplies for her third-grade classroom, Jennifer Strand would prefer to steer clear of Wal-Mart.

The teacher is convinced the retail giant isn't paying workers a fair wage, but in the northeastern Washington town of Colville -- population 5,000 -- the only other option is a small stationery section in the local grocery store.

So Strand became a reluctant Wal-Mart shopper -- venturing in from time to time to pick up supplies and emergency items for disadvantaged students, such as coats and shoes. She'd get reimbursed through the Washington Education Association's Children's Fund, a decade-old charity that provides up to $100 per student each year.

Not anymore.

Taking a bold political stand, the state teachers' union last week declared the fund off-limits to Wal-Mart purchases.

Here's some of the statement from the WEA web site:

The WEA Children's Fund will mark its 10th anniversary in January, and, by almost every measure, it has been an unqualified success. From a small start, the fund has grown to provide $50,000 a year for such things as warm coats, new shoes and basic school supplies to thousands of students who otherwise would go without. By making one phone call, any WEA member can access the fund to meet modest and immediate needs of students they work with.

So what's not to like about a program that makes it quick and easy for educators to make an important difference in the lives of children? Alas, a great many of the receipts members submit for reimbursement are for purchases from Wal-Mart, whose exploitative labor practices have added to public assistance burdens in our state and across the nation.