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The lawsuit was filed in 2001 but the ruling was given only this week. The jury will decide what kind of penalty should be assigned to each violation, and it could range as high $1,000 per violation. The second phase of the trial is expected to begin October 20.

Nancy Braun, 53, one of four named plaintiffs on the suit, told the court how poorly she was treated during her 14 months of work at Wal-Mart. She was the sole cook and waitress at the store’s grill. They didn’t give her any replacement when she had to take lunch or bathroom breaks. They made her work through out the day non-stop repeatedly.

She told Star Tribune that many times there was no replacement for her to go to the bathroom: "I would end up soiling myself…Sometimes I'd have other clothes with me in my locker, or they would say to me, 'We have clothes in the store you can buy.'"

Braun said she complained several times to the management but no help came.

The District Judge Robert King in a ruling Monday in Hastings cited Braun’s treatment and another episode with a menstruating employee and called it “dehumanizing and reprehensible” acts.

Wal-Mart is planning to appeal, according to company spokeswoman Daphne Moore. They are pleased with the court’s ruling on many points but on others they don’t agree with it.

For more about Wal-Mart labor practices, watch this mini documentary in this article and for the full movie click this Google video.