In February 2009, Wal-Mart paid $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by truck drivers who accused the company of racial discrimination. And the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also sued the company last year, because Hispanic employees at a Sam's Club subsidiary in California claimed they were on the receiving end of racist insults from other "associates." All this comes as Wal-Mart has been mounting a charm offensive to break into the retail market in Chicago and NYC.


