Well-loved handicapped Greeter meets Walmart to keep his job, no resolution

by MICHAEL RUBINKAM, The Associated Press

SELINSGROVE, Pennsylvania (AP) – A long-time dear friend of Walmart, who has cerebral palsy, met Friday with a Pennsylvania store manager to keep his job, but promised nothing. and his family is preparing to fight.

Adam Catlin, who uses a walker and is legally blind, fears not to be at work after the store management has told him that he should be able to lift heavy weights, read the received and perform other tasks. The retailer has replaced the "network users" with "hosts" responsible for handling returns, checking receipts to prevent shoplifting and keeping the store clean.

Catlin, 30 – who has been part of the Selinsgrove store since graduation – and her family met with Walmart officials for two hours on Friday afternoon. Her mother, Holly Catlin, said the management suggested several other vacancies, including a cashier and photo lab assistant, of which he was physically unable.

She added that she had insisted that her son could hold the position of hospitality manager if Walmart made reasonable accommodations, as required by the Federal Disability Act.

"Everyone was very nice, it was not ugly at all, but we did not really succeed," said Holly Catlin. "I do not know where we are, but I'm not going back, he must always have a job, there is no way around it."

Walmart stated that he was working with Catlin on a resolution.

"We are aware that it is a unique situation and that it will take time to explore possible solutions." As the caretaker role at the exit of this store will disappear over a 60-day period, our store management and our local human resources teams will be in regular contact with Adam and his family as we explore all the options available to him, "said Walmart spokesman , Kory Lundberg. "We will be attentive during the process in the hope of finding a way for Adam to stay with the store."

At least a dozen disabled Walmart visitors in seven states – Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin – claim to have been pushed to the door, forced to accept a pay cut or to have suffered serious harm when the retailer has replaced the job of guardian with host, according to the National Disability Rights Network, whose national affiliates are working with affected employees and in some cases sue Walmart.

The issue exploded in public view after Catlin's mother wrote a passionate Facebook article this week and thousands of people have rallied to her cause ever since.

Holly Catlin said she personally heard from 25 or 30 people with disabilities at Walmart telling her that they had lost their jobs.

"What really makes me sad is that if we do this for Adam, there will always be those 25 or 30 people who are still out of work and who do not know where to go, that makes me sick." she said. "I feel like I need to fight for them."