Working Families for Walmart is an advocacy group formed by Walmart and the Edelman public relations firm on December 20, 2005.[1][2] It has been used to praise Walmart in a show of opposition to union-funded groups such as Wake Up Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Watch.[3] The group is financially supported by Walmart and is headquartered in Edelman's Washington, D.C. office.[4] It is not organized as a non-profit, and is not required to disclose its sources of funding.[5]
Critics have accused Walmart of leaving the impression that Working Families for Walmart is a spontaneous grass-roots organization, without fully disclosing its financial reliance upon Walmart.[6] The group's web site does not reveal its connection to Walmart or Edelman. Its home page features a blog with a link stating that the bloggers are employees of Edelman; however, no other mention is made of Edelman on the site. This has led to accusations of Walmart being engaged in deceit and astroturfing. For example, Wal-Mart Watch has stated, "Working Families for Wal-Mart is not a lobbying group or a 501(c)3 (non-profit), but is a sock puppet for Edelman, Walmart's public relations firm."[7]
Working Families for Wal-Mart, a company-sponsored group organized by the Edelman public relations firm.
Working Families for Wal-Mart was founded in December 2005 by Wal-Mart's public relations firm.
Working Families for Wal-Mart, a company-sponsored group organized by the Edelman public relations firm.
It was formed to criticize Wal-Mart in a show of solidarity with union-funded groups such as Wal-Mart Watch and Wake Up Wal-Mart.
Unlike Wal-Mart Watch, it would not be organized as a nonprofit group that publicly discloses funding sources.[permanent dead link]