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Supreme Court Blocks Lawsuit Over Alleged Wal-Mart Discrimination

INGLEWOOD (CBS) — The Supreme Court on Monday blocked a historic sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of female employees that sidelined what may have likely been a multi-billion-dollar payout at the world's largest retail outlet.

But despite the ruling, reaction from local shoppers at one Wal-Mart store was largely muted.

KNX 1070's Vytas Safronikas reports most customers at the Crenshaw location weren't following the developments of the sex discrimination case.

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"I think it's wrong," said one shopper. "The women here work really hard...I see them, they work very hard."

An estimated 1.6 million women are employed by Wal-Mart, which the participants in the class action accused of paying women less and granting fewer promotions.

Portia Wu of the National Partnership for Women and Families told KNX 1070 that the highest court in the land has demonstrated a failure to grasp real and pressing issues facing workers not just at Wal-Mart, but across all industries.

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"In this decision, the sharply-divided court raised the bar for all women and all workers who want to be able to enforce their rights to equal treatment in the workplace," said Wu.

The retail giant said the court made it clear that the plaintiffs in the case were far from showing that there was a company-wide pay and promotion policy that discriminated against women.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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