This holiday season, join us in sending an open letter to Walmart CEO Mike Duke calling for safe products, responsible business practices, and accountability.
As a November 2009 China Labor Watch report found, Walmart uses its size and clout to push suppliers to produce at a lower cost, forcing them to cut corners to meet Walmart's price demands and still make a profit. One of the areas that suppliers could cut corners is product safety. Walmart has repeatedly carried products that have been identified as unsafe or dangerous by reputable consumer safety organizations.
Right now, there are children's holiday gifts offered for sale at stores and online with high levels of dangerous substances including lead, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, and bromine according to HealthyStuff.org, a project of the Ecology Center and the Center for Environmental Health. These products include Mrs. Potato Head manufactured by Playskool, a Walmart brand black and yellow frog wallet, a Disney Princesses pink belt, and an iCarly pink belt manufactured by Viacom.
This holiday season, join us in sending an open letter to Walmart CEO Mike Duke calling for better business practices and safer products for a safer holiday for all.
Dear Mr. Duke:The holiday season is the time for family cheer and, should not be a time for family fear over potential hazards to our children from toys purchased at Walmart. As the largest retailer in the world, Walmart has a unique responsibility to set safety and health standards for all products it sells, particularly children's products.
Because Walmart continues to pressure suppliers to shave costs at every turn in order to inflate its profits, Walton family wealth, and executive compensation, customers are at risk of pu rchasing unsafe products.
Customers deserve greater respect. With over $13.4 billion in profits, Walton family wealth at $70.6 billion, and the last reported CEO compensation package at $30 million, Walmart is profiting from the trust and loyalty shown by customers. Our families should not have to worry about the safety of products purchased at Walmart. You can well afford to take extra precautions to fully inform customers of potential safety concerns from products on your shelves.
Right now, there are children's holiday gifts offered for sale at stores and online with high levels of dangerous substances including lead, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, and bromine according to HealthyStuff.org, a project of the Ecology Center and the Center for Environmental Health. These products include Mrs. Potato Head manufactured by Playskool, a Walmart brand black and yellow frog wallet, a Disney Princesses pink belt, and an iCarly pink belt manufactured by Viacom.
Walmart must ensure that the products on its shelves are safe. Please remove the unsafe products from your shelves. You have made the profits from consumer's purchases, now take responsibility for consumer protection.
WakeUpWalmart.com and the National Consumers League are calling on Walmart to pull these dangerous products.
Products include:
