by Cynthia Murray, Otherwords
I’ll be turning 67 soon. I’d love to be able to retire on my birthday. I’d celebrate by spending the afternoon at the mall with my daughter and then start planning little trips to visit relatives.
But even after 22 years of working for Walmart, our nation’s largest employer, I can’t afford to retire any time soon.
Walmart does offer a 401(k) with matching funds. But with a high-deductible health plan and at my wage of just $16.83 an hour, I haven’t been able to save much at all for what should be my “golden years.”

Lots of my fellow Walmart associates are in the same boat. I know this from talking to my co-workers — and because companies have to report how many employees have zero balances in their 401(k) plans. At Walmart, 46 percent have not one dime in their accounts.
The situation for my top boss, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, could not be more different. Would you believe he has more than $169 million in his company retirement account?
Recent Posts
From Guernica to Gaza, Mass Killers Have Been Above It All
August 28, 2025
Take Action Now The Detached Cruelty of Air PowerBy Norman Solomon, Tom Dispatch Killing from the sky has long offered the sort of detachment that…
Sanders Will Rally With Maine Challenger To Susan Collins, Graham Platner
August 28, 2025
Take Action Now Platner condemned “endless wars” and backed universal health care in his campaign launch video.By Sharon Zhang, TruthOut Sen.…
Yesterday’s DNC Meeting Proves Democrats Still Don’t Get It
August 28, 2025
Take Action Now Democrats aren’t setting the stage for a movement. They’re letting Trump set the terms of the debate — again.By Corbin Trent,…
In D.C., An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
August 28, 2025
Take Action Now The spectacle of Trump’s Washington takeover may be fascist pageantry, but it’s also something more.By Alberto Toscano, In These…