From the AFL-CIO: ‘Wal-Mart opposed better US port security’

This is how much slavemart truly cares about our
national security!!! 
Every container should be checked!!!
Who does Walmart think they are?
Evertime you shop at a slavemart think do they really care about safety of the US?  Then do they really care about the safety of their food?
With the abuse they put their associates through, do they really care about you and me?

Wal*Mart cares more about making a profit than its employees or even National Security. If there are no inspections from the country containers are coming from, who’s to say what’s inside of them is not a threat to the US in some way?

Airport Security is far more rigid than Port Security.

Maybe we should just pass a law that any company importing stuff into America is responsible for inspecting their own cargo containers.

I say...route all of those shipping containers piling up in America’s ports through Bentonville.  BURY BENTONVILLE with cargo containers.  Maybe Wal-Mart could put Susan Chambers in charge of sifting through all that crap.  That would help her work off those unwanted pounds!

Wal-Mart cares about making more and more money, and cutting more and more corners to do so - that’s it.

OK Susan Chambers....I want 25 push ups and then I want 200 shopping carts pushed around WM head office before hitting the showers!

Just in case you weren’t paying attention, Wal-Mart does not care about Americans’ safety.  Case-in-point: the incidents during Christmas of people being trampled at Wal-Marts around the country.  The spin machine said they didn’t approve of this, but behind closed doors I’m sure Wal-Mart execs were ecstatic.  Why?  The more cattle they can get inside their stores, the more they’ll buy, and to he11 with those that get hurt!

Good point Greg in Charlotte!  Hell yeah...WE were watching!

Ah yes, where’s our boy Michael D or “someone” to refute this?  That’s right, it’s not about birth control or asking Walmart to cease its incessant suckling at the teat of Joe Public to offset its welfare class employees’ health benefits, so they have no retorts which can be based on pure “well it’s not our responsibility” conjecture.  Nope, in this case Walmart has underminded even their most steadfast defenders by sticking a dagger through the heart and arguments made by their faithful who feel Walmart is a long acronym for “U.S.A.” Wow, wonder why they don’t want better security at the ports?  I suppose longer processing cuts into their oh so efficient distribution process wherein cheap garbage from China gets to the shelves ASAP.  So American, huh?  Less security so that foreign goods from a Communist stronghold gets to the stores faster.  Man, it’s no wonder why so many Americans go there!  They are supporting Walmart march toward FREEDOM (even though it’s vis a vis Chinese goods at the cost of security)!

First of all Wal-mart is not the only company that has experienced this type of behavior on “black friday” sales. Similar events happened at Circuit City and BrandsMart USA. Secondly this is an issue of personal responsibility not corporate greed. If you examine the various reports you may note that several stores did provide security and/or police presence.However customers became unruly despite these measures even to the point of assualting other customers and/or advancing on or resistin g police. So the fault my friends lies not in the retailer offering the merchandise, but rather the people who value laptops more than human life. ;-)

Hmm, people that value laptops more than human life....perfect customers for a company that values profits more than human life.

Shaky-

The “report” is a clear misrepresentation of the truth.

How is the report a misrepresentation of the truth?  What are you basing this on?

S,
Excellent retort.  Just what I expected...a canned, unsupported response along the lines of “healthcare is not a right” or “if you don’t like Walmart, then don’t shop there.” No matter, though.  The point I made is well known to people like myself who refuse to patronize you precious big box of ill, underpaid “associates” and who continue spread the word to the uninformed.  But they still have you, dear S, as a customer (employee?), so they need not worry about me. You offset me, so please be kind and be sure to buy groceries there this week, get your oil changed, and buy grass seed because I’ll be doing all of those and more at other stores...except they’ll be mom and pop shops that weren’t built by Juan Cortez De Illegal and stocked with goods assembled by 6 year old decendants of Chairman Mao.  Say hi to your pals working the tire section while your at it.  I bet they love working there...you know, what with all the perks an 8/hr job brings.

Shaky -

You posted, “its welfare class employees’”....there you go again, believing that an entry-level job should pay enough to support a family.  Why do you think that?  Don’t you realize that if Wal-Mart raised its starting rates to, say $15/hour, it would create havoc on ANY local community?  How is the local hardware store to compete for entry-level employees if WM is paying double what they are willing to pay??  It’s called a market wage.  If I pay cashiers at my store $13-$15 per hour, how are any other businesses that need cashiers going to get any help??  How will the local Mom and Pop gas station get any help if there rate is so much lower?  Wal-Mart pays a prevailing, fair wage for the jobs that are done.  If you want to excel and do a good job, the opportunities are endless as for how much money you can earn.  Again, I ask ALL of the WMW supporters, what wage do you think is fair to pay someone that runs a cash register or gathers shopping carts or stocks shelves?? 

We do market wage surveys in our area pretty regularly(as every Wal-Mart has the authority to do), and we constantly find that we are the highest paying retailer for the type of work that is done.  We have the highest paid cashiers, the highest paid maintenance workers, the highest paid cart pushers, the highest paid salesfloor associates, the highest paid hourly management, the highest paid salaried Assistant Managers, and the highest paid Store Managers. I constantly receive calls fom recruiters for othe retailers, and when salary is discussed, the conversation is over, so I usually start with that question. 

Didn’t any of you EVER start out at a job on the low end of the scale??  Or were all of you hired in at your “middle-class, support a family of four” salaries???

Mikey,
You know, actually you have a point...I don’t believe that cart pushers, cashiers or the like should be paid any more than market wage.  I totally agree on that.  I don’t believe I ever suggested that they make 15/hr.  THough I’m sure they’d appreciate it.  The concern you show for mom and pop hardware stores though is questionable since it’s your company that comes in and essentially makes it impossible for those very stores to survive.  And maybe that’s free trade...well, not maybe...it just is.  My issues really lie with the operational tactics Walmart employs...you know...the standard arguments you see here from Kohls’ disciple, Screwedby, who for some reason finds Kohls to be A-OK with him though their merchandise is rife with Chinese goods or the like.  THe issues remain healthcare for the employees..if you employ them, insure them so the public doesn’t have to foot the bill.  Hire legal citizens of any race to build your buildings/clean them/etc.  Carry more american goods than foreign...you main push is that you’re an American corporation doing right by Americans but yet you buy your stuff from every place but here.  So I must admit, the wage issue with me is going to be dropped.  Walmart shouldn’t have to pay more because they’re bigger, but they do need to address some lingering issues that have nothing to do with the local market.

Michael D.  You are wrong about Wal-Mart managers making more than other retailers. Target pays their managers more and they offer better benefits. One reason they pay more is that a person has a four-year college degree to be a Target manager. We would be glad to see you go there and make more money.

Screwed,
Where I shop and what I do for a living is none of your business.  Maybe someday if I work real hard, I’ll join you in the paper hat brigade...and then again, maybe not.  You see, I have a college degree, Summa Cum Laude grad actually, not that I have to justify it to you, but may have to explain the Latin as I’m sure since you’ve been Screwed by Walmart, you have no idea what the Summa Cum Laude part means...What exactly do you buy at Kolhs’ 80% off sale?  I’d love to know.  I betcha it was a t-shirt or a butterfly print “famous maker” sweatshirt for Mrs. Screwed to celebrate you 25 years of being Screwed By Walmart together.  I hope you bought a pair of non-descript slip on loafers and a new bedsheet since I’m sure the latter will be needed once you and the Mrs. christen the non-descript, bland, and Chinese-made comforter when your mom and dad go to bed.  Or maybe there is no Mrs. Screwed...she probably jumped ship when you failed to maintain your employment at Walmart...which is really sad.  You know something, you are screwed.

Never said you claimed to state the following, you dolt.  “I NEVER claimed to be a “disciple of Kohls.” Whatever the case, continue to buy your cheap crap at Kohls’...see if anybody cares.  Again, Kohls’ is German for “Blah.” Enjoy you white socks, Wrangler jeans, and t-shirts with chopper emblems on them...hint...you can spot that crap a mile away...it’s not cool...though your Calvin peeing on a Chevy emblem probably entertains your Ford-loving friends.

Shaky-

You’ll have to excuse Tom, aka Screwed. When he worked on “The High Cost of Low Price” the only thing he learned is that Wal-Mart is inherently evil. They didn’t have anything bad to say about Kohls.

Before I begin, we must first consider that this “report” is the product of the AFL-CIO. Their anti-Wal-Mart agenda is clear, so we must be especially careful to read the document for distortions of the truth, blatant lies, and confirmation bias.

“Nearly two-thirds of all Wal-Mart products come from China, he said.Most of the rest comes from 70 other countries including Pakistan, the Philippines and Indonesia, where we find a dangerous cocktail of workers’ rights abuses and lax enforcement, official corruption
and active terrorist organizations.”

Too perfect! Even the propaganda put out by Wal-Mart Watch itself acknowledges that this claim is false:

“Wal-Mart imports an estimated $18 billion in products from China each year. Experts believe Wal-Mart is China’s eighth largest trading partner, importing more goods each year than entire countries such as England and Russia.”

http://fivestones.sitestream.com/pdf/2005-annual-report.pdf

I know Michael D. had pointed this out numerous times in the past, but, just for fun, $18 billion / $300 billion isn’t exactly two-thirds. Let’s call this Lie #1.

“Wal-Mart is not the only company undermining efforts to improve port and supply-chain security, but it’s far and away the biggest importer into the United States and America’s largest company as well.”

Relevance? The second clause is not a negation of “Wal-Mart is not the only company...”. Am I to assume that since Wal-Mart is the largest retailer they are to blame for the actions of the others? Let’s call this Distortion #1.

“When Maryland required its largest employers to pay their fair share of health care costs in 2006, Wal-Mart complained it was being singled out. RILA promptly hired Wal-Mart’s go-to law firm, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, to file suit against the state. Gibson Dunn lawyers and lobbyists do some of Wal-Mart’s heaviest legal lifting.”

This issue has been argued to death on this blog, so let’s set aside the fact that Wal-Mart WAS being singled out in this case. Similar laws clearly conflict with the interests of all retailers, so RILA is bound to act on their behalf, especially when it appears this legislation is itself illegal. What difference does it make which law firm they use? I understand that the “report” is attempting to support the absurd notion that Wal-Mart and RILA are essentially the same entity, but, unfortunately, no amount of twisting on their part can establish the that a false statement is true. Let’s call this Distortion #2.

Might I also note that the issues raised in the box titled “Wal-Mart and RILA vs. America” is in no way related to the topic. Not to mention they are untrue. Let’s be nice and simply refer to the box as Lies #2 #3 and #4. (Before anyone attempts to argue this, recall that phrasing is everything and reread the three statements on the left.)

“Here’s the most telling measure of Wal-Mart’s power in Washington and its dominance of RILA: Add
together 10 giants of American retail, all RILA
members (Best Buy, Dollar General, Gap, Lowe’s, Nike, Ooffice Depot, Home Depot, Sears/K-Mart,
Target and Walgreens), and their annual revenues still don’t top Wal-Mart’s. Total 2005 revenue for these 10 was $303 billion; Wal-Mart’s 2005 revenue was $312 billion.”

Nice AFL-CIO. Distortion #3.

Because it’s late and I have to work tomorrow, I think I will stop my point-by-point analysis here. That I found seven instances of misrepresenting the truth of the matter in less than three pages is sufficient to show that my lack of faith in this document is well founded. My real issue is less the lies (which are quite obvious) and more the manipulation of facts to promote the AFL-CIO’s real agenda. Furthermore, the statement of opinions and value judgments as definitive truths is also disturbing. I’m tired, so I’ll handle any comments tomorrow night.

Finally, for the truth about the RILA’s stance on the issue, you might want to check here:

http://www.retail-leaders.org/new/newsDetails.aspx?id=104

Hmmm...Someone!

I see over an hour went by between your two back to back posts.  What a busy “little beaver” you must have been-- frantically “researching” and gathering material for your second post.

I see it’s time stamped 3:01 AM...did you just get home from the bars when you posted that?

Someone in,

I can’t help saying this but you, no matter who you are or if you genuinely work at my Wal-Mart, are incorrect.  Based off of personal experience, I can assure you that Target is NOT paying Store Managers more than Wal-Mart is.  I am called by “headhunters” probably 10 times per year looking to see if I am interested in going to work for another retailer.  In all instances, the conversation ended after salary was discussed.  As a matter of fact, no headhunter has ever come within $20 K of what WM pays me. 

Now, I do not know how Target fully compensates their managers.  I am sure that there are performance incentives embedded in their compensation package. 

I will conduct further research n the matter and post more, as I really enjoy proving you wrong.....

Screwedby, atta boy.....don’t refute anything that S in USA says, just make personal comments about him....that’s the truw WMW way, which is “When you are proven wrong, Insult them personally....”

Michael D-

Oh...did Someone in USA post something that was worth refuting?  I must have missed it!

Maybe you and he should spend less time doing web searches for Pro Wal-Mart material and get a BIGGER VIEW OF THE WORLD. They call this reading!

One book in particular I’d recommend is: “The Arrogance of Power,” written by a former U.S. Senator, William Fulbright.  Fulbright’s insights are particularly relevant in light of what is happening in this country with the debate over Wal-Mart and what is happening in Iraq and other hot spots around the world.  Start “connecting the dots” between Wal-Mart’s global ambitions and the conservative Republican agenda Wal-Mart supports.

I think one of the more salient quotes from the book has to do with this “arrogance of power"-- “Power tends to confuse itself with virtue and a great nation is particularly susceptible to the idea that its power is a sign of God’s favor, conferring upon it a special responsibility for other nations--to make them richer and happier and wiser, to remake them, that is, in its own shining image.”

Screwed.  Poor baby.  That mean old Paul said some bad things about you.

No intelligent comments in opposition to my post...Why am I not surprised?

S (I assume you call yourself this now to distinguish yourself from the other Someone), I guess that I will have to do it.

1.  How is this different from Wal-Mart or pro-Wal-Mart distortions of the truth, blatant lies, and confirmation bias?  How is it different or worse than any other bias, including ones on this site?  If this is your argument, than anything or anyone arguing in defense of Wal-Mart is misrepresenting the truth.

2. Since we’re going to be so precise and technical, it does not say “exactly two thirds” it says “nearly two-thirds”.  However, as wrong as that is, it doesn’t take away from the fact that you totally avoided the actual point that was being made, i.e., poor worker’s rights, terrorism, etc.  Your focus on a false or distorted statistic does not negate the point that was being made, so I fail to see how you can call it a lie.

3. Relevance, indeed.  The points being made were that Wal-Mart is bringing in more stuff, thus putting us at greater risk, and that America’s largest company should not being doing this.  Also, other companies will try to play “follow the leader” as Wal-Mart will be the standard, as happens with paying suppliers, etc.  You might disagree with this, but that doesn’t make it a “distortion.”

4. The idea that Wal-Mart is being singled out is your opinion, as other companies would be involved as well.  Of course, Wal-Mart was the inspiration for the legislation, but it doesn’t just affect Wal-Mart.  In fact, if some other company took Wal-Mart’s place, and Wal-Mart dropped down in status to a considerable degree, the situation would now be different.  Your point about RILA is valid in that it affects other retailers.  The point of mentioning the law firm was that the law firm has a lot of power and influence.  Besides, how do you know that Wal-Mart and RILA aren’t linked in some “unholy alliance”, similar to the military-industrial complex?  You assume that this is the case.  The report never actually comes out and says it, it’s a case of “connect the dots”.  You might believe it or not believe it, but the point was valid, whether you except it or not.  This does not mean that it’s a bunch of lies.

You gotta love “Furthermore, the statement of opinions and value judgments as definitive truths is also disturbing.” I got a good kick out of that.

Generic-

I was merely calling into question the integrity of the “report.” Let’s say you bought a diamond ring for your girlfriend and come to find out that it is really a cubic zirconia, despite the owners’ claims to the contrary. Are you the going to go back and let him sell you a 24-carat gold bracelet? It could be real, right? The same concept of trust applies to this.

Regarding the ports, I’m not as well informed on the issue as I would like to be. From my reading, I gather that the AFL-CIO has taken a few facts and put its own spin on them to vilify Wal-Mart and the RILA (or are they the same thing?).
While they loosely disguise their motives (we know it’s all about money), I don’t think that RILA is indifferent to the possibility of a terrorist attack. Such an event would certainly conflict with their interests. They acknowledge the threat and advocate efforts to counter it. As they have a financial stake in the matter, they wish to find an economically favorable solution.

“Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.”

--Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

“Since we’re going to be so precise and technical, it does not say “exactly two thirds” it says “nearly two-thirds”

6% is nowhere near 66%

WalMart was not involved in the RILA talks concerning port security.  In fact letters were sent to congress without the knowledge of the RILA announcing support for increased security.

S(omeone) in USA-
You are right this, AFL-CIO report is BS, and only an anti WM zealot would use the report to make a point.

Fellas this is an AFL-CIO report. Do you have any doubts that a union sponsored report will have bias and or deceptions ;-)

It’s 4:30pm here. Documenting my first comment. Anyone know of an unbiased source for “just the facts” information about Walmart? Since all I read in this thread is “what can you expect from that source,” I’m wondering if there is such a thing. Pots and kettles should take a look at each other and then put together a scenario that would be win/win. This zero-sum-game is very tedious and pretty unproductive.