Wal-Mart: A Heart Of Stone

Sickofspin:

That is absurd.  are you seriously suggesting that we let free market principles decide whether or not an entity is allowed to ravage the environment, dump toxic waste, and commit various other completely immoral acts?

what a sellout.

You know sickofspin these union freaks don’t give a damn about wal-mart associates healthcare or their wages.  All they care about is 480 million dollars a year that the union would take in from these already so-called in proverty associates.  My prediction is Wal-mart will still be non-union when hell freezes over..............NO UNION!!!!!!!!!

This particular advertisement isn’t about unionization, employee pay, benefits, etc.  It’s about where the gold for jewelry is coming from and what effects these mines are having.

Wal-Mart is taking a very noticeable turn towards being eco-friendly.  They’re building enviro-sustaining stores left and right, they’ve introduced a new plastics recycling program within their stores, and they’ve implemented a “No Idling” program for all their delivery vehicles.  It only makes sense for Wal-Mart to work towards their suppliers making similar eco-friendly steps.

Sidenote to k,

I can’t speak for the others, but I don’t care one way or the other about unions.  I have been an associate, and I’ve seen what the “Wal-Mart culture” is all about.

I have been forced to choose between gas, food and health insurance.  I have been forced to borrow from friends and family to make ends meet.  I have been forced to live with others because I couldn’t afford to pay rent and utilities at the same time.  And yes I did all this while working full time.

Since Lee Scott, Jr. took over, Wal-Mart has taken at least one benefit from their associates every year (or made it harder to earn them).  I’m arguing to get back the Wal-Mart that Sam W. created.

chord
I have worked for wal-mart 10 yrs. and I have no one else helping me with expenses, but I have always had healthcare at wal-mart and I have never had to do without food, gas, a place to call home or anything else that I wanted.  I just know how to live within my means.  I have never had a wal-mart benefit taken away either.

K,

The reason you don’t know about the removed benefits is because you were grandfathered in (ask your personel manager or training coordinator).  Many benefits and working agreements that were provided to associates before new policies were enacted could not be taken away, but new associates cannot get these benefits. 

You are still getting time and half for working Sundays, and you can work only 28 hours/week and not be afraid of being knocked down to part time and lose some full-time benefits, but those hired since 2002 cannot get these.  I’m sure you got plenty of merit raises before they were restricted in ‘03.  By the way, are you getting a bonus this year?  The new policies made it more difficult to get this benefit.

What I’m debating for is to get the company back to the situation you were hired in.  Those are conditions new hires can only dream of.  (by the way, I’ve seen the Wal-Mart labor relations video that you are quoting from, and you’d love the one management has to watch.)

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Sickofspin, unfortunately you don’t know my entire situation, and, yes, I did look for (and found) better employment conditions. 

Quite frankly though, I don’t care if you believe me or not.  I know my situation at the time and why I’m debating.  Just because I’m not a union activist doesn’t mean I don’t have a reason to want a better working environment for those that were hired after me.

Since you so willing to judge me and my situation, why are you debating so agressively against reform?  Let us decide what you should be doing the way you tried to decide for us.

chord

You only get time and half for working on sunday if you were hired before sept 1990.  I was after that time so I would get one dollar an hour more.  I wasn’t quoting from any video.  I worked for two places that was driven out of business by a stupid union.  YES we are getting a bonus at our store this year.  wal-mart has been better to me than any place I have ever worked.

Sickofspin, I dare you to do the research.

I’ve been tracking walmart’s movements since the late 90’s. In short, they are out to do one thing - drive out ALL other businesses so that they are the only place to go. To do this they use all manner of tactics, from dropping their prices to the point where they’re losing money just to drive everyone else out, to dealing exclusively with overseas suppliers providing inferior junk just to have the lowest price.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, and with walmart you get crap. Just look at the bicycle incident! And no - that’s no lie! Their suppliers cut corners all over the place, from using poor quality metals to not adding bearing to the wheels & crank(which is what was wrong with a bike I bought back in 97).

Unless something is done to stop them, they will take over banking, real estate, retail, automotive, and everything else. THEN they’ll dictate to us just as they do to other companies.

DO YOU WANT TO BE OWNED BY WALMRT?

i agree with k wal-mart has been one of the best jobs i have had. and yes i would like to see them go into the auto markets and realestate markets.

as far as them dictating to other companies. thoses companys have the same choice as the customers they dont have sell to wal-mart any more than anyone has to buy from wal-mart.

there are alot of companys that get there stuff from the same place wal-mart dose and still charge you more to buy it they do not provide any better wage or compensation than wal-mart and if you want a career there forgetit kmart dosent keep there employees very long that way they do not have to keep up with there wages they are alot worse than wal-mart about benifits and compensation but since they are supposedly hurting its alright that they do this.

look at the executive wage of any company and you will find even in places like kmart or safeway there executives are still getting more and more and the employees less and less

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I always think when people say ‘Wal Mart wants to take over the retail industry so they’re the only place to go.’ Isn’t that the goal of any store? To make money, be profitable, and have a noticable name? Bad mouth Wal Mart all you want, but I doubt if you were an owner of a company doing as well as Wal Mart that you’d be complaining much.