Evil Walmart Loses Again

[RodISHI]

Only if the Dems pass a new Wagner Act. Then we can live through a Depression too. I'm getting jazzed for it. Tired of all the old people being able to drag out the "I lived through the depression" crap.

Just a link so people know what is the Wagner Act.

Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998

 

[tonyarn]

The only reason they have grown into the largest corporation in the world is that we, the consumers, choose to spend our money there.

I have only read this far in this thread, but I would like to say that the only reason Wal-Mart is as big as they are is that they have brainwashed America into thinking they are cheaper than anywhere else. They definately are not. I can get better deals at Target or my local grocery stores.

 

[tonyarn]

but on things like cat food/dog food/pharamarcy products i can save a lot of money...their 4 dollar drugs are life savers to many people....

Cat food/dog food/pharmacy products...I can definately get much cheaper if not free elsewhere.

Lots of places have a $4 drug program.

 

[sky dancer]

I know a lot of Walmart employees, and I've never heard of such a thing. How about you substantiate that claim?

And, again, they pay at least minimum wage, usually more. That's the same as any other retailer is going to pay. I can't believe how ignorant some people are.

Google it. There have been a ton of stories about it.

Wal-Mart was encouraging its workers to apply for public assistance and food stams; taxpayers would be subsidizing Wal-Mart's low wages, bringing new meaning to the term "corporate welfare." Wal-Mart's welfare dependence made it nearly impossible for responsible employers to compete with the retail giant. It was as if taxpayers were unknowingly funding a massive plunge to the bottom in wages and benefits.
http://www.democraticwings.com/democraticwings/archives/womens_rights/001318.php

 

[Jon]

here's what i just found on it jsanders....

Digg - Wal-Mart Exposed: Videos You Were Never Meant To See

Was there a point to that? Am I supposed to be shocked that Walmart is anti-union? Of course they are. So am I.

Am I supposed to be shocked that Walmart has fewer women in management roles than men? Almost every corporation in the world does, especially in the US. I actually just did a research paper on corporate social responsibility reporting, and overwhelmingly every country in the world had a problem with too few women in leadership roles. Are they all being sued? No. Why sue Walmart? Because people know they have the money to pay up. It's sick, really.

As for the video of their meetings, I've been to one of their shareholder meetings. They're entertaining. People have a blast at them. By people, I mean the workers. You know, those underpaid cashiers who hate their jobs but love free concerts and show up with huge smiles on their faces?

 

[sky dancer]

Walmart keeps labor costs down by making corporate crime an integral part of its business strategy. Wal-Mart routinely violates laws protecting workers' organizing rights (workers have even been fired for union activity).

It is a repeat offender on overtime laws; in more than 30 states, workers have brought wage-and-hour class-action suits against the retailer. In some cases, workers say, managers encouraged them to clock out and keep working; in others, managers locked the doors and would not let employees go home at the end of their shifts. And it's often women who suffer most from Wal-Mart's labor practices. Dukes v. Wal-Mart, the largest civil rights class-action suit in history, charges the company with systematically discriminating against women in pay and promotions.

California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, who represents the 22nd Assembly District and is a former mayor of Mountain View, was outraged when she learned about the sex-discrimination charges in Dukes v. Wal-Mart, and she smelled blood when, tipped off by dissatisfied workers, her office discovered that Wal-Mart was encouraging its workers to apply for public assistance, "in the middle of the worst state budget crisis in history!" California had a $38 billion deficit at the time, and Lieber was enraged that taxpayers would be subsidizing Wal-Mart's low wages, bringing new meaning to the term corporate welfare.

Lieber was angry, too, that Wal-Mart's welfare dependence made it nearly impossible for responsible employers to compete with the retail giant. It was as if taxpayers were unknowingly funding a massive plunge to the bottom in wages and benefits -- quite possibly their own. She held a news conference in July 2003, to expose Wal-Mart's welfare scam. The Wal-Mart documents -- instructions on how to apply for food stamps, Medi-Cal (the state's health care assistance program) and other forms of welfare -- were blown up on poster board and displayed. The morning of the news conference, a Wal-Mart worker who wouldn't give her name for fear of being fired snuck into Lieber's office. "I just wanted to say, right on!" she told the assemblywoman.

Wal-Mart's women -- employees and customers -- in unhealthy relationship

 

[Jon]

Google it. There have been a ton of stories about it.

Wal-Mart was encouraging its workers to apply for public assistance and food stams; taxpayers would be subsidizing Wal-Mart's low wages, bringing new meaning to the term "corporate welfare." Wal-Mart's welfare dependence made it nearly impossible for responsible employers to compete with the retail giant. It was as if taxpayers were unknowingly funding a massive plunge to the bottom in wages and benefits.
Democratic Wings: Wal-Mart's benefit plan - welfare and food stamps

A link to site called "Democratic Wings" and an article by some whiny women's right chick isn't going to convince me of anything. Sorry.

 

[sky dancer]

A link to site called "Democratic Wings" and an article by some whiny women's right chick isn't going to convince me of anything. Sorry.

Nothing would convince you.

 

[KittenKoder]

P&T did a great episode on them, but right now Youtube is down for service. Oh well, maybe I'll remember to find the link later.

Wal-Mart hatred is just stupid.

 

[Jon]

Nothing would convince you.

Nor you. See, you seem to think that Walmart is unique in their practices. They are not. Every corporation is guilty of something, but Walmart, being the largest corporation in the world, is a prime target for scrutiny. If you hold something under a magnifying glass long enough, eventually it will set on fire. That's the reason people focus on Walmart. First, Walmart has the money to pay. Second, Walmart is so huge and operates out of so many locations, somebody somewhere has to be doing something wrong. And third, picking on any other corporation would just be un-American.

 

[KittenKoder]

Here's the thing, shutting down Wal-Mart would screw over the thousands of employees which NEED their jobs. Wal-Mart still has some of the most flexible work schedules allowing people who cannot work normal hours a place to work. Also they practice many pay rates common in major corporations, like wages based on how long you work there (in my opinion if you can't do the job then you don't get the raise no matter HOW long you work someplace but meh). They even allow pregnancy and holiday leaves, paid in many stores. While a few will break corporate regulations and those stores should be reorganized and corrected, the corporation itself is one of the biggest sources of employment in most communities.

 

[sky dancer]

Nor you. See, you seem to think that Walmart is unique in their practices. They are not. Every corporation is guilty of something, but Walmart, being the largest corporation in the world, is a prime target for scrutiny. If you hold something under a magnifying glass long enough, eventually it will set on fire. That's the reason people focus on Walmart. First, Walmart has the money to pay. Second, Walmart is so huge and operates out of so many locations, somebody somewhere has to be doing something wrong. And third, picking on any other corporation would just be un-American.

You must have stock in the company.

 

[KittenKoder]

I'd also like to point out that NO company has had something wrong with it in their practices.

 

[Jon]

You must have stock in the company.

Used, long time ago. But, if you read the whole thread, you'd know that the company I work for does research for Walmart and the school I go to is funded mostly by Walmart (they gave us a $300 million grant a few years back). I mean, I live in Walmart country (Northwest Arkansas). I eat, breathe, and sleep Walmart. Literally...I buy all my groceries, allergy medicine, and bedding supplies there.

 

[Care4all]

Used, long time ago. But, if you read the whole thread, you'd know that the company I work for does research for Walmart and the school I go to is funded mostly by Walmart (they gave us a $300 million grant a few years back). I mean, I live in Walmart country (Northwest Arkansas). I eat, breathe, and sleep Walmart. Literally...I buy all my groceries, allergy medicine, and bedding supplies there.

that's Dillard's country as well! i worked for them for several years as a woman's shoe buyer....

 

[Againsheila]

I feel for those people that lost jobs. But we don't live in a welfare state. Your comment that I like the fact that I "have to pay a higher price for insurance" is ludicrous. No one wants to pay more than they have to.

As to the people that are that hard up. They can go on welfare if they need to. Once you are on welfare, medicaid will take care of your health care. Fortunately, I have never been in that kind of situation. A lot of the jobs that people lost were thought to be life-long jobs. We can't blame Walmart for the problems that America has created.

One of the things that I would love to see is accounting and personal finance being taught in high schools. We can't always live for today and that is how American society has been brought up to do. Teach the stories like the Grasshopper and the Ant to your kidlets. No one could have foreseen this recession coming, but the people who were raised in a generation that had seen the hard times is probably better to handle this economic crisis than anyone else.

I've been saying since the 80's that we were facing another great depression. You cannot ship our jobs overseas, bring in foreigners to do the jobs still here and expect companies to still have someone to purchase their goods. Sooner or later the sh*t has to hit the fan, the only reason it didn't sooner is because of people living on credit.

 

[Jon]

I've been saying since the 80's that we were facing another great depression. You cannot ship our jobs overseas, bring in foreigners to do the jobs still here and expect companies to still have someone to purchase their goods. Sooner or later the sh*t has to hit the fan, the only reason it didn't sooner is because of people living on credit.

And those that couldn't get credit lived off taxpayers' money. What a country we live in, eh?

 

[KittenKoder]

Oooh, I remembered!

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

[Luissa]

I know a lot of Walmart employees, and I've never heard of such a thing. How about you substantiate that claim?

And, again, they pay at least minimum wage, usually more. That's the same as any other retailer is going to pay. I can't believe how ignorant some people are.

I have actually heard the same thing they posted from a few people who work at Walmart. I think if you work full time who should recieve health care, if you work part time then you are on your own or hopefully we get unverisal health care.

 

[Jon]

I think if you work full time who should recieve health care.

Most other retailers and grocery stores don't offer full health care, why should Walmart? Just because they can afford it? They do pay for 2/3 of the premiums.

Just face it. Walmart hires unskilled workers to do easy jobs. If someone wants to make a lifelong career out of working customer service at Walmart, they know what they are getting themselves into. If they want more money or better benefits, there are other jobs out there.