Environmental Group Reacts To Wal-Mart’s Safer Chemicals Announcement

The richness of Walmart is also based on the poverty of its “associates”.

OK, Alex.....go back to Jonquiere!!!  Or did you forget???

You posts are often critical with little facts.  Please provide facts for us if you are going to waste our time.  Facts.

“We welcome Wal-Mart’s efforts to phase out highly hazardous chemicals in consumer products, however urge Wal-Mart to expand the list of priority chemicals to include PVC, set concrete timeframes and benchmarks, and recognize that sustainability must include workers’ benefits and wages both domestically and throughout the supply chain.”

What in the world does worker’s benefits and wages have to do with Wal-Mart’s Safer Chemical Program?  If wages and benefits are increased, will that make the chemicals SAFER?

Michael doesn’t like to be reminded that his company has a questionable record of ethics.

Remember Jonquiere
HOME OF WALMART WORKER ABUSE

Bob wrote: “What in the world does worker’s benefits and wages have to do with Wal-Mart’s Safer Chemical Program?”

While this site may be sponsored by unions, it’s scope is broader than “worker’s benefits and wages”

Ken-

You are misreading Bob’s post. Gibbs included the wages and benefits talking points in his ungrateful statement. Bob wants to know what that has to do with the issue at hand.

“While this site may be sponsored by unions, it’s scope is broader than “worker’s benefits and wages”

This is why I think Bentonville should give all of this nonsense the finger. They can be the most environmentally sensitive, diversity-promoting, gay/lesbian friendly company in the universe. Hell, they could cure cancer and WMW would run a blog post on how WalMart destroys innocent clusters of human cells. (And still provides poverty wages and no health care)

Big waste of time. The leftists hate you, WalMart, and they will never ever compromise with you until the Brinks trucks full of union dues money start rolling in. Or until you are completely destroyed. Either way, they’re good.

Can you compromise with a mugger by giving them compliments? No! They aren’t leaving without your wallet. Stop telling the muggers you like what they’ve done with their hair, WalMart.

Mag’s

I brought this back from a previuus thred because you didn’t answer it I thought that I would give you anouther chance. You always make this a “changing the rules” argument against the unions but it seems to be just fine from your corner when it’s the company that does the “changing”. I would realy like to hear your thoughts on this.

You say

“The workers have the right to expect a days wage for a days labor at whatever rate is agreed upon by both parties. They have the right to be treated with fairness and consistancy. Why does the worker have the right to change the deal when it suits him?”

But what about the company changing the terms after the deal is accepted. Walmart has done that with their new policys....I.E. wage caps, uniforms, new sceduals ect. Why is it that you believe that it is alright for them to change the deal at their descresion, but the employees must stay with their original agreement? This is what I would call talking out of both sides of your mouth, Wouldn’t you? If wm has the right to change the deal then the employees should have that right to do so as well.

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

IRONHEAD-

When they sign on, the associates agree that Wal-Mart may restructure the terms of the agreement.

IRONHEAD,

“Why is it that you believe that it is alright for them to change the deal at their descresion, but the employees must stay with their original agreement?”

I will try to answer this one for you, but, I still don’t think you will get it!!  Wal-Mart and it’s employees are NOT equal, much as you would like it.  Wal-Mart and it’s stockholders are the OWNERS of the company and the EMPLOYER of the workers and has the largest RISK.  The employees only risk, if the company FAILS, is their job.  The company on the other hand, can lose BILLIONS of dollars and their jobs.  The second thing is, that the Business has to deal with sales fluctuations and cannot guarantee that things will be the same next week as they are today, therefore, they have to be flexible in all areas.  It has been noted here, that the employees don’t even want to be flexible in their work schedules, much less flexible in anything else, they want things to stay the SAME, (same hours, same wages, same benefits, same shift, same job duties, etc.), no matter what the business conditions are.  The only thing they want to CHANGE, is more compensation for no more work.

But what about the company changing the terms after the deal is accepted. Walmart has done that with their new policys....I.E. wage caps, uniforms, new sceduals ect”

Ironhead, I’ve hired hundreds of people over my career, and at hire they have always been informed that the conditions of their employment may change as business needs dictate. I’m sure WalMart does the same thing.  I have had to switch people from day shifts to nights, from one group to another, even transfer them to other cities. Are you saying these things constitute violations of their rights?

By changing the deal, I mean hire me as an individual, but now negotiate with me through a 3rd party as I have decided that I deserve a compensation package beyond what the market dictates for my labor.

That number might be a little inflated, Bob,”

That’s right Bob. It might be as few as 130 million a week. I mean, that’s such a small number that it can’t be representative of the general public. Why, that’s really just a special interest group. A club, even. Possibly just a lone individual continually shopping all day and all night to further the WalMart agenda to destroy America.

Someone-

Thats my point, If the company has the right to “restructure” then the associates should then have the right to form a union and renegotiate for thier needs as well. I don’t see why it has to be such a take it or leave it deal with WM. WM says that they encourage associats to use the “open door"(what a joke) to negociate with the company one on one. But when they (the associates) try to get some real bargaining power by voting in a UNION, the BEAST OF BENTONVILLE unleashes their minions from hell, in the form of the union busting teams and turns them lose on their employees, and they try at all cost to stop them from suceeding in their quest for a fair and just work place.

My point is........If the company has the right to change the rules the employees then also should have that same right. They also should be able to do it with representetion that stands a fighting chance of success.

WALMART WORKERS OF AMERICA, VOTE UNION!!!!!!!!!!
HAVE A BETTER LIFE!!!!!!!

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

IRONHEAD,

Also, under your senerio, the company would be violating the original agreement every time they gave an across the board raise, or a change to a lower price insurance, or give new benefits, are you advocating that if they want the employees to follow the rules, so should the company and these things NOT be given to senior employees, only new employees?

“I don’t see why it has to be such a take it or leave it deal with WM.”

In short, because no one is forced to work there. There are other jobs, even similar jobs right down the road at other companies. WalMart offers what it offers. If an employee doesn’t want it, they don’t have to take it.

Mags,

And, IRONHEAD says he wants to start a business!!  I would be willing to come out of retirement, to work for him.  Imagine, I can do whatever I want to do, come and go when I please, work my own hours, decide when I get a raise and better benefits, and he will give in to my whims, nice job, huh?  And, if he doesn’t do it, I’ll complain and tell everyone how IRONHEAD sux.

Mags

What about the employees that hired on 12 or 15 years and are now in their 50’s. Are these “associates, that were promised one thing and have worker for WM through their prime, and are now to old to find new careers and far to young to retire. What of them? Your whole “take it or leave it philosophy” is full of SHIT.

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

There is a 3rd option. An option that Walmart does not want its employee’s to think exists. That is a collective voice. A voice that can be heard. You don’t have to listen to the “take it or leave” option that these folks want you to choose between.  You have the right to unionize if your employer doesn’t want to listen to you. You do have a 3rd option.
We have seen the power of this collective voice when the Florida workers stood up and bravely said to this employer “Were not going to stand for this any longer”
They got respect in the end. Respect that no single entry open door will ever show you.

On the other subject, there is a frustrated Walmart manager who wants to play the Walmart corporate game of delay and distraction. He has trouble accepting that he is not the focus and never will be. The important people are the Walmart workers who want fairness in their workplace. Walmarts famous trick of using the courts for delay and distraction from the real issues is trying to be used by some of the WM supporters who can’t read. They want to go over and over what has already been shown many many times already.
They choose to pretend the evidence is not there.
They are not my focus.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E

H O M E
O F
W A L M A R T
W O R K E R
A B U S E

Boob in

Boob you are a hypocrit of major proportions. You made your life better by the use of a UNION and now that you have yours, you are trying to close the door for the same opertunitys for others. It is the same with wages on your part. you made a living wage when you were working for a living, But now that you have a little, you would like it if others that want the same for themselves and their familys, do with out so that your money will be worth more. And thats exactly what you are fighting so hard for. When the wages begain to drop your dollars are woth more. Boob in, people such as yourself discust me.

People like you are are the same ones that sell water for $10.00 a gal. the same ones that sell ice for $12.00 a bag when a desaster strikes. You are nothing more than a carpet bagger an opertunist of the worst kind! it’s people like you that live on the misery of others. Kind of goulish don’t you think?

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

Mags

It doesn’t matter what the negotiated deal was, the fact that WM has broken it should automaticaly give those affected by this the right to renegotiate, and if it is collectivly, then more power to them.

What gives the company the right to change the rules and not expect the workers to call the past agreement “null and void”. If the employer has the right to change the agreement, then the employee has the right to renegotiate. The best and most effective way for the to do this is with a UNION.

The truth is Mags, you already know this, and it scares the hell out of you. Thats why you are so anti-labor. Now I know that you are going to tell us that you are somehow pro-labor, and how it is good for people to starve, and for their children to go without even a roof over their head, you would have us believe that this is a good charictor builder and that they should somehow be thankful to those of you out there that subscribe to this B.S. line of thought.

The truth is though, all people have to do is stand togather and they can accomplish so much. When they stand alone they are no match for the big companys, but if they stand togather as one, they can win this battle and bring Goliath to his knees.

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

Boob in.

You say

“The employees only risk, if the company FAILS, is their job.”

Boob, You couldn,t be farther from the truth. What about thoes people that have 12 to 15 years and are now in there 50’s. They have put their trust and their future in the promis of the company line. Now that they have invested all this time with the company and are “out of their prime” the company changes the rules. They say “take it or leave it” now they are are to old to start over and to young for retirement. But to you its a case of to bad so sad, and screw em, after all they are a disposible comodity. I mean after all they are poor after all, so they don’t realy count anyway, do they Boob.

So as even someone that is such a self proclaimed genius as you, can see that they have their whole futurs at risk, not just a job. Even a moron like you should be able to see that.

DAVE SMITH
PROUD UNION IRONWORKER

Mags - “No one is forced to work there?” With our Republican controlled president, House, and Senate supporting “unfair” free trade with China, the working class has no where else to turn, but places like Wal-Mart! Seeing that all of the jobs offering a living wage have been shot down in flames by the oh so magnificant Bush administration! You guys don’t want people to make union wages ($15+ an hour), you guys don’t want people to make a living wage ($12+ an hour), you guys don’t want people to make minimum wage ($5.65 an hour), and you guys don’t want people to be on wel-fare!!! Apparantly, it’s all about “you guys”, and screw everybody else!!! That’s not the party I want to see running America!!!

Mags - Apparently, you guys think every one should make $2 an hour like China! I’ll agree with that, just as long as you agree to do the same!!!

Nowhere in free economic theory, in the Libertarian sense of free markets, will you find any indication that labor should somehow be deprived of free association.

Only in the perverted forms of economics such as Communism do you find those who deny the right of common workers to associate outside party affiliations.

IRONHEAD,

“You made your life better by the use of a UNION and now that you have yours, you are trying to close the door for the same opertunitys for others.”

I was only in the UNION, for 12 years back in the 60’s and early 70’s, so the union was not what made my life what it is.  And, I’m not trying to close the door on anything, if the employees want a union, then they should go for it, vote one in.  If the employees in Florida, could take a stand, why can’t the others if they truly want a union?

“When the wages begain to drop your dollars are woth more.”

And, I suppose that if my dollars are worth more, it is ONLY mine that are, wouldn’t everyones dollars be worth more?  That is what I have been trying to get into your head, higher wages make dollars worth LESS and lower wages, make dollars worth MORE.  You ‘get it’, but don’t know it!!

“What gives the company the right to change the rules and not expect the workers to call the past agreement “null and void”.”

And, what happens when something becomes “null and void”?  This makes the employee, like a new employee and if the employee wants to renegotiate, wages and benefits, the company also has the right to not accept the person as an employee.

“What about thoes people that have 12 to 15 years and are now in there 50’s. They have put their trust and their future in the promis of the company line.”

And, what would happen to these people if the company were to go out of business?  What happens to a 50 year old who works for a union company, when they get let go or the company goes out of business? And, lets look at those 12 to 15 year employees, shall we?  When they hired on, what was their starting pay, was it $7.00 an hour?  Were any benefits added to their package since they started, that weren’t there when they hired on?  Of course, you don’t want to hear those things, right?

“I mean after all they are poor after all, so they don’t realy count anyway,”

So, you are saying that everyone who works at Wal-Mart and is in their 50’s, is POOR, right? 

“and how it is good for people to starve, and for their children to go without even a roof over their head”

And all of the people who work for Wal-Mart are, ‘starving and they and their children don’t have a roof over their heads’, right?  Is that what you are saying?  Get real for once, will you!!

some posts of mine are missing????  hmmmm??

Probably missing because you say so little of importance.

Hey Mags......why don’t you prove to yourself again what a superstar you are by moving to China and showing us how you will make something of yourself on $2 a day, or don’t you think you could do it there?
Should make interesting reading.

“That’s right Bob. It might be as few as 130 million a week.”

I’m surprised at you, Mags, what difference does it make if the number is 138 million or 130 million?  This number (supplied by Wal-Mart) is meaningless if all 138 million shoppers are spending less.

Why don’t you brag about stock prices or same store sales increases?  I’ll tell you why, because those numbers stink. 138 million people walk through the door every week and Wal-Mart can’t keep up with the inflation rate (4.3%). At this point foot traffic is ALL Wal-Mart has to boast about. 

Pathetic!

Walmart has lots to be ashamed of.

Alex, once again you have proven yourself to be a non-factual part of this blog.  You want to play the “smoke and mirrors” game by never providing facts and redirecting any challenge that presents itself to you.  Carry on.  Perhaps your pro-union message has not made it to everyone on the planet. 

You speak of this third option called unionization.  Is this a guaranteed deal?  What does joining a union or becoming unionized GUARANTEE other than some more money will be taken out of your paycheck? 

Have a nice day.