For years As You Sow has focused on ensuring that overseas suppliers of large US companies treat their employees properly and offer a workplace free of intimidation. Ironically, Wal-Mart's poor record on freedom of association at its domestic stores shows we need to pay more attention to the rights of workers in the US.

The company has been accused of firing and spying on employees suspected of being sympathetic to unions, and making unlawful interrogation of employees to dissuade them from organizing.

The company has a double standard on workers' rights. It opposes unions in North America but allows unions at retail stores in China, where the only sanctioned union is one controlled by the Communist Party, which does not necessarily serve workers interests. Further, it has not actively fought established unions at its stores in Germany.

Harassment of workers who talk to unions, forced overtime and locking employees in stores are considered human rights violations in supplier factories. As You Sow believes they are human rights violations when they occur in a US Wal-Mart as well.

In addition, for 2006, other shareholders filed a variety of proposals on other social and governance issues including equal employment opportunity, health benefits, pay disparity, toxics, executive compensation, majority votes for director and political contribution disclosure. The increasing number of proposals reflects a broader social movement that appears to be gaining momentum to challenge the most serious abuses in Wal-Mart's business model.