The High Cost of Low Prices

I like this campaign. And while Washington doesn't yet have a Wal-Mart within city limits, other big boxes are here. But I particularly dislike Wal-Mart because of its heavy-handed union-busting, unaffordable employee health insurance, low promotion ceilings for women, illegal use of illegal aliens, unsafe working conditions, forced unpaid overtime and the exploitation of workers overseas. I am not willing to accept low prices at these costs.

Last month I posted about the campaign by the Organic Consumers Association, Breaking the Chains: Buy Local, Organic, and Fair Made, which started on Sunday, Nov. 13. This week, the film "WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Prices" premiers. It's a feature-length documentary that uncovers the retail giant's assault on families and American values.

Starting Tuesday, Nov. 15, the film will be screened at more than 7,000 locations – this is 7,000 people who have bought the DVD and are hosting a house party, opening a conference room, or renting a back room somewhere and inviting others to join them for a screening. The filmmakers couldn't get a distribution deal, so props to them for this achievement. This is guerilla organizing at its best.

Of the nearly 50 screenings in the DC area, two stand out:

Who: Virginia Grassroots Coalition
When: Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Where: Capitol City Brewing (2700 S. Quincy St., Arlington, 703/578-3888

Who: DC Jobs with Justice and the Institute for Policy Studies
When: Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (40 min. version)
Where: Busboys & Poets (14th and V Streets NW, Cardozo/U Street Metro).

You can find a screening near you by clicking here, and if you haven't yet seen JibJab's Big Box Mart, here it is.