Wal-Mart Workers Plan Huge Protest on Black Friday

by talesin 31 Replies latest social current

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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  As far as employees, it's not as simple as just getting a job elsewhere, it's a tight economy and there aren't a lot of jobs out there for lesser qualified workers

  This is exactly the point. If Walmart is the only employer (not likely) in your town, then a low-paying job is better than no job. If a person has no education and no skills, then making $7 an hour sounds about right. "Lesser qualified" = less pay.

  I guess some people think they should be making $40 an hour for bagging groceries or stocking shelves.
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  SadElder

  LisaRose: Thank you for not supporting Wal-Mart.

  As a small business persons, we believe that our staff is the most important part of our business model - before product, before customer. All businesses are only as good as their worst employee. Have a great staff and treat them well and you build a succesful and profitable business.

  Wal-Mart likes to trumpet the benefits they provide to staff - yes - but to full time staff. How many empoyees do they have at full time - few. I know a few folks who worked for them for a short time and left in disgust.

  As we did with the dubs - voting with our feet and leaving, we vote with our pocketbook with Wal-Mart - we just say NO to Walmart. Not a penney.
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  GoUnion

  Should adults working full time receive a living wage for their efforts? absolutely. Let the nations largest employers pay the wages, not the taxpayers supporting food stamps and subsidized housing.
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  sparky1

  

  "Corporations like Walmart are stealing from the taxpayers through indirect subsidies." - Simon

  And heres the proof. This book is VERY good reading. It shines a direct light on 'corporate welfare' in America today.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  The oil and gas industry received just under $38 billion in U.S. government subsidies -taxpayer's money- in 2014. ExxonMobil, as other energy corporations, are some of the richest corporations on the planet.

  How many here "just say no to big oil" by refusing to drive a car, take a bus, fly in an airplane or heat your home with propane or natural gas?

  I'm in agreement with the sentiments expressed here about Walmart, but, really, they are not the only one doing what they do. How far are you willing to take your angst against big corporations? If you boycott Walmart on principle then you should be willing to do it with all big corps you think are shafting you. Walmart pays such a low wage that many employees do have to get subsidies, i.e food stamps/welfare, but what's the difference when Exxon gets your tax dollars as a subsidy? Either way, it's taxpayer (read: yours/my) money.
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  LisaRose

  This is exactly the point. If Walmart is the only employer (not likely) in your town, then a low-paying job is better than no job. If a person has no education and no skills, then making $7 an hour sounds about right. "Lesser qualified" = less play

  Sure, those jobs will never be highly desirable, and will never pay big bucks, but when you have people who are working as many hours as Wal Mart gives them, and still make so little they qualify for food stamps, the tax payers are subsidizing those low prices. It's unfair to workers, who need to make a wage they can live on, and its unfair to other employers who can't compete because they pay a decent wage. Wal-Mart is so big it's setting prices and wages, thus it's manipulating the market. They also are tough on their suppliers, causing a ripple effect, the suppliers have to cut wages to meet Wal Marts price demands. They are the bully of the playground.

  Sure, those workers are not the smartest and most highly educated,but they are human beings who are willing to work, they should not have to rely on government subsistence. I don't think many Wal Mart employees expect forty dollars an hour, most are well aware of their limitations, but they deserve to put food on the table for their kids and to have some dignity. And how would they educate themselves out of poverty if they can't afford groceries? Education is expensive.

  I don't think it should be illegal, I just don't support these types of business practices with my business, I am willing to pay a bit more and support businesses that pay their employees better, like Costco. There are other reasons I don't shop there as well, the quality of their goods is not that great, and its not an enjoyable shopping experience.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  And how would they educate themselves out of poverty if they can't afford groceries? Education is expensive.

  Ironically enough, through government subsidies for education. Nice how that works, right?

  I'm not in disagreement with you on this. I personally boycott businesses I don't like who have not-so-great business practices.

  Bottom line is, though: people are not forced to work for Walmart. If they apply for and get hired for a job that pays $7 an hour for 30 hours a week, how can this same person claim they got bamboozled?? They knew exactly what they were getting into. If $7/hour for 30 hours a week is not enough for them to live on, then don't apply for a job at Walmart.

  I might not like the fact that I don't make as much money as Tom Cruise, it's "unfair" he makes more money than I do, I "deserve" to be a millionaire too, but it doesn't change the fact that he makes movies that earn hundreds of millions of dollars and I don't.

  I've read more than one rags-to-riches story where some person was a waitress, ditch digger, whatever, and when the pain of not earning enough to live on became too great, they rolled up their sleeves and changed their lives. People working at Walmart have the very same opportunities. If they put as much effort into bettering their lives as they do protesting and pissing & moaning, they wouldn't still be working at Walmart. End of story.
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  GrreatTeacher

  The problem with your theory, ADCMS is that unemployment is high and part time jobs are some of the only jobs available. New job growth has produced a lot of part time jobs. Another problem is that the economy is built on these jobs; someone will always have to work them.

  The third problem is the irrational belief in the "bootstrap" myth. It works for a few, but there are many many people who work their butts off their entire life and never make decent money. The US economy is built on it. It's perfectly legal to pay people $7.50 an hour. And that is just unacceptable.

  And by the way, I do my best not to support big oil as much as possible. I drive a fuel efficient car and heat my house with electric. As soon as solar power is affordable, I'll install solar panels on my house, as well.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  The problem with your theory, ADCMS is that unemployment is high and part time jobs are some of the only jobs available. New job growth has produced a lot of part time jobs. Another problem is that the economy is built on these jobs; someone will always have to work them.

  I was stating a personal view, not a theory.

  If the economy is built on low-paying part-time jobs, and unemployemnt in general is high, then it isn't a Walmart problem, is it?

  When I hear these arguments it reminds me of what happened a few years ago when activists shut down Nike factories in somewhere like Malaysia. The activists successfully shut the factory down permanently due to exploiting their workers, low wages being the primary complaint of the activists. Guess what? The workers were furious because Nike was the only job in the area that paid anything worth working for. Low wages are better than no wages.

  I'm not supporting corporate exploitation of workers, I find the business-model of many corporations to be despicable, but an oft repeated theme here is, 'sure the workers don't have an education or any saleable skills, but they deserve a high wage'. Why? Higher wages are a natural outcome of more education and more skills. There's a reason why a shelf stocker at Walmart doesn't make the same money as the store manager or a university professor. Besides, if the economy is in the tank, there are few jobs available, and a Walmart in a depressed area is hiring, then a person has a few hard choices to make: work for Walmart, work for another local company, move to an area with a better economy, get an education, develop some marketable skills, or start their own business.
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  adjusted knowledge

  "Wal-Mart, which pays a top wage of $12.00+ to its full-time employees,"

  That is incorrect and your article you quoted doesn't provide any information except for the union staging its annual protest. This is nothing new as the UFCW has been trying to unionize Walmart since the 80's. Walmart has a paygrade system for their hourly employees. It ranges from a paygrade 1 to paygrade 7. The higher the paygrade the more money the employee makes and the higher their pay cap is. For example a paygrade 1 would typically have a pay cap or "top wage" of $15 an hour plus differential. A paygrade 7 would be around $17.85 plus differential. A differential is an additional pay per hour, for example $1.50 an hour for working overnights. Each store has its own starting pay and this affects the paycap. Walmart will claim an average pay of around $12.92 an hour. This is not an important number. What should be looked at is the Median pay which I would suspect to be much lower, perhaps under $10.00 an hour. High paid long term associates will skew the over all average. Walmart mangement team pay of course is much higher and I will be willing to post that if anyone is interested.

  "It is mostly a part-time employer, so ZERO benefits."

  If you are going to argue or debate it is important to have your facts correct.

  Walmart also has a goal of 60% full-time and 40% part-time employee in their stores. Part-time associates also get benefits and even medical if they average 30 hours a week. Following benefits part-time employees receive.

  Dental Insurance(for self only), Life Insurance, Medical (if work 30+ hours), 401k with 100% match for first 6%, 10% discount, quarterly bonus after six months of service, vacation pay, ect..

  Also depending on hire date they may be grandfather in for other benefits like premium pay for working Sunday.

  Walmart should pay more and can afford to pay more but it is important to state the truth when making an arguement.