Wal-Mart Watch: Wal-Mart works to spin the class action lawsuit against it: After a judge's ruling, announced last week, gave class-action status to a federal sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores, the company's management broadcast a two-part message to its one million employees over the television monitors that hang from store ceilings. First, employees were told that the ruling means "that there was no finding of guilt and it was all about the class, but that we even disagree with that and are going to appeal it,'' said Jay Allen, a company spokesman. Then there was a second part: "When this is all over with, this company is going to be a better company for it." Indeed, lawsuits like this will make Wal-Mart a better employer for workers in spite of itself. But the only way to secure those gains will come from coupling legal and political pressure with grassroots organizing and collective bargaining.