Wal-Mart Begins Voter Education Program to Its 18,000 Iowa Associates

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. today released the attached letter to its roughly 18,000 Iowa associates regarding the decision of a few elected leaders and candidates for office to attack the company at union-funded publicity events this month in Iowa. This is the first step in an ongoing effort to educate the company's associates about candidates' remarks and the factual errors they may make in talking about Wal-Mart. In another attached letter, the company also invites candidates to tour stores and meet associates to learn the truth about Wal- Mart.

"The paid critics and the politicians who join them at these publicity stops are attacking the wrong company and should stop telling working families where to shop and work," said Wal-Mart vice president of corporate communications, Bob McAdam. "We're disappointed that these politicians are speaking out without paying attention to the facts and will be sure to inform our associates across Iowa and in other key states that these candidates are not telling the truth about Wal-Mart. We certainly hope these political leaders will accept our invitation to tour our stores, to talk with our associates, and to learn first-hand the truth about our company."

Wal-Mart creates tens of thousands of jobs every year, many in neighborhoods that desperately need jobs. In the last three years alone, Wal- Mart has created 240,000 jobs nationwide, with an average full-time, hourly wage of $10.11 -- and it's even higher in urban areas. Wal-Mart offers health coverage to both full and part-time associates, something uncommon among many retail employers. Wal-Mart's health plans start at just $11 per month in some areas and just 30 cents more per day for children. Today, more than 1 million people are covered under Wal-Mart plans.

"We plan to make all of our roughly 18,000 associates in Iowa aware of the misguided attacks aimed at scoring special-interest political points by playing politics with our company," McAdam continued. "We think elected officials should spend their time on real solutions to real challenges. That's why we hope they are open to learning the facts about our company and what we are doing to make the lives of working families even better."

More than 127 million customers visit Wal-Mart stores across America every week, more than the total number of votes cast in the 2004 presidential election. As a result of findings from a recent survey for Working Families for Wal-Mart, Democratic pollster Thomas Riehle explained how "Democrats Make Wal-Mart an Issue at Their Peril." According to Riehle's omnibus poll taken for the respected Cook Political Report, 62% of respondents disapproved, and only 21% approved of "Democratic candidates making Wal-Mart an issue in November's elections." Even a majority of union households opposed this strategy. Overall, 40% of registered voters would vote against an anti- Wal- Mart Democratic candidate, while just 18% would vote for such a candidate.

"It's surprising to see candidates take part in attacks that are rejected even by the base voters they need to win," McAdam said. "We believe that playing to a small, increasingly special-interest audience at the expense of working families will prove to be a failed strategy."

Wal-Mart said it will soon begin sending "fact check" letters to its associates in other key states, including more than 8,000 associates in New Hampshire, nearly 27,000 in South Carolina, and more than 12,000 associates in Nevada.

Wal-Mart also made the following materials available to the candidates: Fact Sheets on the company's economic benefits, sustainability efforts, health care benefits, and diversity. A copy of pollster Thomas Riehle's memo also was provided.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and NYSE Arca stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com/ .

August 15, 2006 The Honorable Evan Bayh 463 Russell Senate Office Bldg Washington DC 20510 Delivered to fax: 202-228-1377 Dear Senator Bayh,

It is our understanding that you will be taking part in a bus tour being organized by the union-funded groups attacking our company. As a leader who advocates on behalf of working families, we hope that you will be open to learning more about Wal-Mart. We believe strongly that our company is a positive force for the working men and women of this country.

Every year, Wal-Mart creates tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. And those are good jobs. We pay competitive wages and offer opportunities to advance. In fact, more than three-quarters of our store managers started as hourly associates.

We also offer affordable and accessible health benefits to our associates. This isn't the norm in retail, but every Wal-Mart associate -- both full-time and part-time -- can become eligible for our health plans. They are available for as little as $11 in some areas and $23 anywhere in America. They also come with $3 co-pays on some prescription drugs that treat common illnesses.

At the same time, we are committed throughout the Wal-Mart family to being good stewards of the environment. We are taking environmentally-friendly actions to reduce waste and conserve energy. For example, by wrapping fresh food in corn-based packaging, we will save 800,000 gallons of gasoline and prevent more than 11 million pounds of greenhouse gases from polluting our environment. We are also offering working families organic products -- like fruits and vegetables -- at prices they can afford.

The stop on the bus tour that you will be joining is in Iowa. Let me share with you some facts about what Wal-Mart means to the working families of this state. This year, Wal-Mart will spend nearly $956 million on merchandise and services with 1,041 suppliers in Iowa. As a result of these relationships, we support 56,784 supplier jobs in the state. Our company also paid more than $26.1 million in state and local taxes. Clearly, Wal-Mart has a positive impact on Iowa.

On behalf of the 17,464 Wal-Mart associates in Iowa, I would like to extend to you a personal invitation to come meet us and tour one of our stores. We don't want this to be about politics -- the union-funded groups are already doing enough of that for the both of us.

We'd like to meet with you personally -- without the fanfare of media or staff or supporters.

You have dedicated your professional life to helping Americans, fighting for social and economic justice for all. You have made a difference, and that's commendable. We know we make a difference too -- whether it is by saving the average American household more than $2,300 per year or having donated more than $245 million to charities last year alone.

We hope that you will keep an open mind about our company and learn about the positive impact we have on the working families of America. If you would like to accept our offer, please contact me at (479) 273-4222 or through email at tjunder@wal-mart.com .

Sincerely, Tom Underwood August 15, 2006 Dear Associate,

This month, union-funded groups who do not know Wal-Mart are funding a bus tour around the country attacking your company. Along the way, political candidates for a variety of elected offices are joining the protests and joining in the attacks. According to published schedules for the next few days, U.S. Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana and Joseph Biden of Delaware, and Governors Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Tom Vilsack of Iowa will be taking part in events throughout Iowa.

We believe it's wrong for these political candidates to attack Wal-Mart and the transformation underway at our company. We would never suggest to you how to vote, but we have an obligation to tell you when politicians are saying something about your company that isn't true. After all, you are Wal-Mart. We know you take pride in your company and the work you do every day to generate the economic opportunities that so many working families in this country need right now.

We want you to know that your voice matters when these political candidates attack your company. We urge you to talk with you friends, your family and your neighbors about the good Wal-Mart does. And we hope to be able to give you the same opportunity with some of these political candidates. We're inviting them to tour our stores and learn more about who we are, and what we stand for.

We will continue to keep you informed about who accepts our invitation to learn about your Wal-Mart. And we will also keep you informed about what these political candidates are saying about your company while on the campaign trail.

As you know, working families are who we are, who we serve, and who make us a success. Every year, we create tens of thousands of jobs, often in neighborhoods that desperately need them. Our stores save the average America household more than $2,300 per year. And our affordable health plans have helped move more than 150,000 uninsured Americans into company-sponsored insurance plans.

The fact is, the challenges facing America's working families won't be solved by publicity stunts or false attacks from political candidates. Those challenges will be solved by civil and honest conversation and working together toward common goals and aspirations.

Sincerely, Tom Underwood RGM, Region 7