Another victory! Wal-Mart dumps ALEC

Another one bites the dust. The nation’s most notorious anti-worker legislative syndicate just suffered a huge breakup with the nation’s most notorious anti-worker retailer.

Yesterday, Wal-Mart announced it was leaving ALEC, making it the 18th corporation to cut ties with the corporate lobbying group. The anti-union retail giant joins 21 other private sector members to ditch ALEC. According to Wal-Mart PR official Maggie Sans,

Previously, we expressed our concerns about ALEC's decision to weigh in on issues that stray from its core mission 'to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets… We feel that the divide between [ALEC’s] activities and our purpose as a business has become too wide. To that end, we are suspending our membership in ALEC

Corporations like Wal-Mart never want to admit that activist campaigning succeeded in shaming them to take action. But we know it was public pressure that forced Wal-Mart to end its shady relationship with ALEC. As The Nation’s John Nichols tweeted earlier today:

Almost a year after @ALECexposed project shed light ALEC/Wal-Mart connections, WAL-MART EXITS ALEC

The news was also well-timed for organizers planning at least one action against Wal-Mart this week. Wednesday’s announcement put wind in the sails of community members and activists in D.C. who today are marching in a protest parade against the construction of Wal-Mart stores in the capital city.

There's still plenty more work that needs to be done to stop ALEC’s anti-worker agenda. The campaign against the lobby group is pushing to get companies like AT&T, Johnson &Johnson, and State Farm to quit ALEC.

The fight continues!