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  3. A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it r

A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it r

admin2022-08-27  35
问题     A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it ruled a massive lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial.
    The Court said the world’s largest private employer will have to face charges that it pays women less than men for the same jobs and that female employees receive fewer promotions and have to wait longer for those promotions than male counterparts.
    Wal-Mart successfully convinced the court that women who allege discrimination should file individual lawsuits. Wal-Mart employs 2.1 million workers in 8,000 stores worldwide and argued that the conventional rules of class action suits should not apply because each outlet operates as an independent business. Since it doesn’t have a company-wide policy of discrimination, Wal-Mart argued that women alleging gender bias should file individual lawsuits against individual stores.
    The ruling was a "big black eye for Wal-Mart, and it’s not going to heal anytime in the near future," said retail consultant Burt P. Flickinger. Flickinger said the ruling could turn off women shoppers—the company’s critical base—at a time it faces increased pressure from a host of competitors, ranging from Kroger to J.C. Penney.
    Wal-Mart’s fourth-quarter results, announced in February, showed that total sales at its US Wal-Mart stores fell for the first time since the company went public in 1969. The company also reported its third consecutive quarter of declines in sales at stores opened at least a year. Sales at stores opened at least a year are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health.
    Wal-Mart’s top lawyer Jeff Gearhart said the company disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next step, which could include an appeal to the US Supreme Court.
    "We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates," said Gearhart, an executive vice president. "Wal-Mart is an excellent place for women to work and fosters female leadership among our associates and in the larger business world."
    Unions and other critics have long complained that Wal-Mart’s workplace practices needed improvement, especially in the areas of diversity and career advancement. The company employs 1.4 million workers in the United States and the unions claim the company’s labor practices are widely followed.
    Wal-Mart responded to the pressure last year at its annual shareholders’ meeting by announcing a plan to address the issue of promoting women, creating a "global council" comprised of 14 Wal-Mart female executives.
    "We are proud of the strides we have made to advance and support our female associates and have been recognized for our efforts to advance women through a number of awards and accolades (荣誉)," Gearhart said.
What does Jeff Gearhart look at the lawsuit against Wal-Mart?
选项 A、It helps women workers to get promotions.
B、It enhances women workers’ leadership.
C、It is not fair and does not make any sense.
D、It benefits women workers in the world.
答案B
解析 根据题干中的信息词left Gearhart，可以把答题线索定位到文章的第六段。文中提到：“杰夫.吉尔哈特称公司不服从这一判决，并且正在考虑下一步采取什么措施，其中也许包括向美国最高法院提起上诉。”说明他对于这次诉讼结果持否定态度。选项A、C、D都是从正面来描述这次诉讼的，与Jeff Gearhart的否定态度完全相反，可迅速排除。选项B“它不公平且不合理”与沃尔玛打算继续上诉的态度是一致的，所以本题选B。
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