18 March 2005 – Bentonville (AK): Wal-Mart has agreed to pay $11 million to settle federal allegations that it used illegal immigrants to clean its stores, according to report by Associated Press (AP).
Since 1997, federal authorities have uncovered the cases of at least 250 illegal immigrants who were employed by janitor contracting services and hired by Wal-Mart, the report said.
And many of these worked seven days or nights a week without overtime pay or injury compensation, AP quoted lawyer James Linsey as saying. Linsey added that those who worked nights were often locked in the store until the morning.
The $11 million settlement allegedly clears Wal-Mart of all federal charges for hiring the illegal immigrants.
