Wal-Mart, a frequent target of unions and protesters who decry the retail giant’s wage system, has now agreed to give some of its lowest-paid employees a substantial raise.
Roughly 500,000 full- and part-time employees, or about a third of its U.S. work force, will get raises in April to $9 an hour, and then by next February to $10 a hour, CNN reported. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
The pay raise is figured to cost the company about $1 billion this fiscal year alone, CNN reported.
Company executives said employees would be given more freedom with their work schedules, as well as more training and advancement opportunities, but didn’t give further details.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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