John Beale, Post-Gazette Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards, right, talks with Marvin Prentice, chief operating officer of the Hill House, after a town hall meeting, part of the Wake Up Wal-Mart tour. Click photo for larger image.

Former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards gave a stump speech in the Hill District yesterday, saying Wal-Mart, the retail giant, underpays its workers.

In an appearance reminiscent of his quest two years ago for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mr. Edwards, a former U.S. senator now working with an anti-poverty program in North Carolina, called for national health care, and later predicted gains in the House and Senate for his party.

The speech was part of a nationwide tour by a group called Wake Up Wal-Mart, which is demanding that the company provide better pay and more health care for its more than 1 million employees.

"We want every single consumer in America, every person in America, to know that if they walk into a Wal-Mart, that first of all their tax dollars are subsidizing Wal-Mart employees. Their tax dollars are helping provide health care for Wal-Mart employees, because Wal-Mart's not doing it. Their tax dollars are going to provide housing and food stamps for Wal-Mart employees," Mr. Edwards told a crowd of 400 at Hill House. "What is wrong with this picture?"

Still regarded as a potential candidate for president in 2008, Mr. Edwards was himself once an owner of Wal-Mart stock. He sold it during his presidential bid two years ago.

The campaign against Wal-Mart at points took on the air of a proxy battle between the Democrats and Republicans, with local and state Democratic candidates turning out to cheer Mr. Edwards, while an operative from the company-backed group "Working Families for Wal-Mart" circulated a news release headlined "Political Candidates in Pittsburgh Sign On To Failed Union Leader Campaign."

The group, which is largely underwritten by Wal-Mart and headed by former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, has characterized the campaign as part of an attempt by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers to unionize the company's work force.

"They are a big target for the union leaders who want union dues. Frankly, they're losing membership in every other area," said Kevin Sheridan, a spokesman for the company's public relations agency assigned to the family group.

Campaign leaders insist Wal-Mart's average wage for full-time employees falls below the federal poverty level for a family of four, and say that even after the company introduced wider health care coverage for its employees, the percentage of uninsured Wal-Mart employees rose.

A Wal-Mart spokesman, Dan Fogleman, said the company provides generous health care benefits to full-time employees and that medical coverage has been extended to cover part-time Wal-Mart workers who have been with the company for one year.

As Mr. Edwards began his leg of the tour, Hank Mullany, senior vice president for the chain's Northeast division, issued a letter asking the former senator to meet with Wal-Mart officials and employees "without the fanfare of media or staff or supporters."

Mr. Edwards yesterday said he was willing to meet with Wal-Mart employees.

"I'm happy to meet with anybody," he said, adding that "it's obvious to me what's going on ... Wal-Mart makes plenty of money. They need to pay their people well."

The extent to which yesterday's event resembled a wider, populist campaign on a range of economic issues was not lost on organizers.

"It's the second most powerful company in America," said Chris Kofinis, communications director for the campaign. "Because of that economic force what it does is ripples down. That's the reason why so many other employers follow the Wal-Mart model, and the Wal-Mart model is low wages, no benefits.

"If we can change this company, we believe we can change America."