I can't speak for myself

Wal-Mart is famous for doing everything in its power to prevent unions from setting up in their stores. They went as far as close a store in Canada that voted to allow a union. Ironically, they may be forced by China to allow unions, something they have avoided so far in North America. Remember, the right for workers to organize is an integral part of the Universal declaration on Human Rights. It is not a secondary right - the Solidarnosc trade union was at the forefront of resistance against the Communist dictatorship in Poland throughout the 80s.

Wal-Mart claims unions are unnecessary because "workers can speak for themselves". I suppose it shows they needed some justification, no matter how ludicrous the argument, as if a single worker, usually economically insecure and at risk of severe financial hardship should she be fired, had any kind of leverage against a huge multinational corporation like Wal-Mart. The fact workers are made to wear ominously orwellian "I can speak for myself" badges only adds insult to injury.

What is true of workers is also true of customers - the US consumer rights' movement is anemic, and there is nothing to match the powerful consumer unions in Europe or even the Ralph Nader movement in the 60s. When combined with the US' fondness for self-regulation (no doubt liberally eased by generous campaign bribes contributions, this means consumers often get the short end of the stick, when it is not something that the media can pounce on. The last resort is the legal system, America's answer to socialism, but it is a costly and inefficient mechanism.