Wal-Mart abruptly closed five stores Monday, laying off about 2,200 stunned employees and claiming that plumbing problems necessitated the decision.
Wal-Mart said the closures would be temporary as the stores — located in Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Florida — had ongoing plumbing problems fixed. However, many are skeptical of that explanation.
“In Midland, Texas, which, until Monday, was home to one of the 10 busiest Wal-Mart stores in the country, City Building Official Steve Thorpe told the I-Team his plumbing inspector was sent away when he visited the
closed store and offered to help secure permits,” ABC Action News reported.
Although Wal-Mart said that store had numerous plumbing issues, a longtime employee told ABC that she had never seen a plumber in the store.
“Everybody just panicked and started crying," Venanzi Luna, manager of the deli department at the now-closed Pico Rivera, California, store,
told CNN. She said the stores closed Monday at 7 p.m. and employees were only told of the closing hours beforehand.
According to CNN, full-time and part-time workers will receive paid leave for two months, and they may try to transfer to another Wal-Mart. Of the workers who can’t get another position at Wal-Mart, only the full-time employees may be eligible for severance.
"This is the first time we're hearing of their sewer problems," Pico Rivera City Manager Rene Bobadilla told CNN. The company had not requested building permits for any work to be done.
Consumerist reported that a Wal-Mart spokesman said the company had not gotten permits yet because it is unsure of the extent of the work.
“Our goal, of course, as a business is to keep our stores open and serving customers,” Consumerist quoted a company statement. “We made a tough business decision in five locations around the country to fix recurring plumbing problems in these stores. We understand this decision has been difficult on our associates and our customers and we aim to reopen these stores as soon as these issues are resolved and improvements are made.”
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