Wal-Mart...The Fourth Reich?

[hylandrdet]

I was watching the CBS evening News on night when they reported a story on how China had given approval for Wal-Mart to make as many outlets as possible within their country. For some reason, that gave me the creeps.

Here in Tennessee, there are three towns that are going to the state's Supreme Court in hopes of blocking Wal-Mart's plan to build new outlets in their area.

This issue is going on in California, Texas and many other states.

Hmmm. Maybe we should had sent Wal-Mart to Iraq?

Tell me about your war against Wal- Mart.

 

[CSM]

I was watching the CBS evening News on night when they reported a story on how China had given approval for Wal-Mart to make as many outlets as possible within their country. For some reason, that gave me the creeps.

Here in Tennessee, there are three towns that are going to the state's Supreme Court in hopes of blocking Wal-Mart's plan to build new outlets in their area.

This issue is going on in California, Texas and many other states.

Hmmm. Maybe we should had sent Wal-Mart to Iraq?

Tell me about your war against Wal- Mart.

Why is Wal Mart a bad thing?

 

[Merlin1047]

Why is Wal Mart a bad thing?

Wal Mart is a corporate predator. I'm puzzled why the Clinton administration went after MicroSoft, but never uttered so much as a single peep about Wal Mart. Could it be that Bill Gates failed to see the wisdom of lining the pockets of politicians?

Anyway, there are tons of sites which are more than happy to detail Wal Mart's abuse of employees, communities and vendors. When I have a little more time, I will be glad to bore you with several sources.

 

[CSM]

Wal Mart is a corporate predator. I'm puzzled why the Clinton administration went after MicroSoft, but never uttered so much as a single peep about Wal Mart. Could it be that Bill Gates failed to see the wisdom of lining the pockets of politicians?

Anyway, there are tons of sites which are more than happy to detail Wal Mart's abuse of employees, communities and vendors. When I have a little more time, I will be glad to bore you with several sources.

I'll do some digging...thanks.

 

[no1tovote4]

Wal Mart is a corporate predator. I'm puzzled why the Clinton administration went after MicroSoft, but never uttered so much as a single peep about Wal Mart. Could it be that Bill Gates failed to see the wisdom of lining the pockets of politicians?

Anyway, there are tons of sites which are more than happy to detail Wal Mart's abuse of employees, communities and vendors. When I have a little more time, I will be glad to bore you with several sources.

Because Wal Mart isn't a monopoly and isn't even close to violating the Federal Standards on Anti-Trust. Microsoft was having problems with Anti-Trust violations.

 

[UsaPride]

I used to work for Wal-Mart, they were very nice to me.

We do have 3 Super Wal-Marts in my town. One, I was told, is the largest Wal-Mart in the country (Def Leppard put on a free concert for the grand opening, LOL). Another is the busiest in the country, which I don't doubt at all, they're ALWAYS packed!! LOL!!

 

[Huckleburry]

at the risk of sounding silly...Wall mart really is a bunch of shit heads

 

[Comrade]

I was watching the CBS evening News .... For some reason, that gave me the creeps.

Cause ---> Effect :teeth:

 

[no1tovote4]

at the risk of sounding silly...Wall mart really is a bunch of shit heads

The question would be: Why? In what way are they "shitheads"?

 

[NATO AIR]

The question would be: Why? In what way are they "shitheads"?

They pay their employees next to nothing, with hardly any benefits... you would notice a massive difference in the way employees are treated and valued at costcos compared to wal-mart... btw, i've worked there before also... its kind of like the military now, its not the way i'm treated that pisses me off, its the way others are treated that bugs the shit out of me, and wal-mart treats those with families like shit.

they're also kowtowing to the chinese facists... which is never a good thing in my book.

 

[no1tovote4]

They pay their employees next to nothing, with hardly any benefits... you would notice a massive difference in the way employees are treated and valued at costcos compared to wal-mart... btw, i've worked there before also... its kind of like the military now, its not the way i'm treated that pisses me off, its the way others are treated that bugs the shit out of me, and wal-mart treats those with families like shit.

they're also kowtowing to the chinese facists... which is never a good thing in my book.

The interesting thing is, most people will not be working there for life. It is a beginning job at beginning pay. I know I didn't like it when I worked retail, it helped me keep my plan on track and to get the education that got me a better job.

I understand that they are not the best of all companies to work for, but they are not the worst either. (The worst place I have worked is a tie between Managing Convenience stores and a Call Center.)

I just have a hard time thinking that they are evil or bad because they make money and trade with another country. Of course I do not have personal experience working there and the conditions may truly be horrific, but according to most that I see that work there it ain't all as bad as most people make out.

 

[ciplexian]

I must be the only person left in the entire country who has never, ever stepped into a Wal-mart.

Once, I saw a Wal-mart. I was visiting my cousin California. We were driving down the freeway, and there was a shopping center visible from the left window, there was a large store that said "Wal-mart". After several seconds it disappeared from view.

That was in 2000.

Never saw a Wal-mart before that, never seen once since (except photos). Go figure!

 

[no1tovote4]

I must be the only person left in the entire country who has never, ever stepped into a Wal-mart.

Once, I saw a Wal-mart. I was visiting my cousin California. We were driving down the freeway, and there was a shopping center visible from the left window, there was a large store that said "Wal-mart". After several seconds it disappeared from view.

That was in 2000.

Never saw a Wal-mart before that, never seen once since (except photos). Go figure!

Where the hell do you live?

You shouldn't be afraid of them when they come to your area, they are much like Target.

 

[NATO AIR]

The interesting thing is, most people will not be working there for life. It is a beginning job at beginning pay. I know I didn't like it when I worked retail, it helped me keep my plan on track and to get the education that got me a better job.

I understand that they are not the best of all companies to work for, but they are not the worst either. (The worst place I have worked is a tie between Managing Convenience stores and a Call Center.)

I just have a hard time thinking that they are evil or bad because they make money and trade with another country. Of course I do not have personal experience working there and the conditions may truly be horrific, but according to most that I see that work there it ain't all as bad as most people make out.

from the age of a lot of the people that work there, it is obviously not a beginning job

- compare their number of women in managment roles to the rest of the companies they compete against (target, k-mart, costcos, others) and see the horrendous gap....

- Wal-Mart regularly says it does not tolerate child labor or forced or prison labor, but when it comes to walking the walk the company refuses to reveal its Chinese contractors and will not allow independent, unannounced inspections of its contractors’ facilities.

- Wal-Mart won't tell you what it pays. Based on employee contacts across the country and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pay averages between $7.50 and $8.50 an hour for non-supervisory employees.

An average Wal-Mart associate makes about $8.00 an hour with about 32 hours a week--a monthly gross of barely $1,000.

A Wal-Mart spokesperson told USA Today on 1/29/03 that their pay is close to or equal to union wages.

 

[ciplexian]

Where the hell do you live?

You shouldn't be afraid of them when they come to your area, they are much like Target.

Suburban Maryland. The two biggest retailers seem to be Target and Home Depot. I wouldn't mind if they came, but there seem to be plenty of shopping centers around already. Somebody would certainly be upset.

 

[JOKER96BRAVO]

Suburban Maryland. The two biggest retailers seem to be Target and Home Depot. I wouldn't mind if they came, but there seem to be plenty of shopping centers around already. Somebody would certainly be upset.

Wal Mart tends to do that!!!

 

[no1tovote4]

from the age of a lot of the people that work there, it is obviously not a beginning job

You cannot base it solely on age, and not everybody has the same goals. My wife considers working there part time after my children get in school on a full time basis. While it wouldn't be a starting job, it certainly isn't a career for her either, just one step along a long path.

- compare their number of women in managment roles to the rest of the companies they compete against (target, k-mart, costcos, others) and see the horrendous gap....

This one I cannot compare, and if that gap is truly there they have something to work on in order to improve.

- Wal-Mart regularly says it does not tolerate child labor or forced or prison labor, but when it comes to walking the walk the company refuses to reveal its Chinese contractors and will not allow independent, unannounced inspections of its contractors’ facilities.

Do they inspect the sites themselves? This doesn't necessarily tell me that they whip their child slaves with razor wire. I would need more evidence than "WalMart doesn't allow inspections", considering those companies are in other countries with different laws, and that it is likely that those companies may have set some sort of contractual obligation against such intrusion this isn't necessarily damning evidence.

It most certainly doesn't clear them but at most it is circumstantial.

- Wal-Mart won't tell you what it pays. Based on employee contacts across the country and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pay averages between $7.50 and $8.50 an hour for non-supervisory employees.

And when I worked at the Convenience store I mentioned above I first started out at 6.50. It isn't the worst pay in the land.

An average Wal-Mart associate makes about $8.00 an hour with about 32 hours a week--a monthly gross of barely $1,000.

A Wal-Mart spokesperson told USA Today on 1/29/03 that their pay is close to or equal to union wages.

I don't necessarily think that union wages should set the standard, they (the union stores) are losing market share to Walmart because they cannot pay competitive wages.

 

[no1tovote4]

Suburban Maryland. The two biggest retailers seem to be Target and Home Depot. I wouldn't mind if they came, but there seem to be plenty of shopping centers around already. Somebody would certainly be upset.

They almost always are.

 

[NATO AIR]

.
I don't necessarily think that union wages should set the standard, they (the union stores) are losing market share to Walmart because they cannot pay competitive wages.

Costcos is kicking ass in market share and on Wall Street and they're paying damn near higher than unions could dream of.

 

[no1tovote4]

Costcos is kicking ass in market share and on Wall Street and they're paying damn near higher than unions could dream of.

And if they keep it up Walmart will lose market share and on wallstreet unless they make themselves competitive. Of course you don't pay a membership to get into Walmart either.

I still don't see how they are evil because they pay less than another place. People accept the job, jobs don't go find you tackle you and make you take them. And as I said, the vast majority of people that work there are only in for a short stop on their way to much bigger and better things.