Wal-Mart Announces Changes to Employee Health Benefits

“They don’t address many of the fundamental problems with the company’s plan: premiums that are too high, waiting periods that are too long and coverage that’s too sparse.”

I would suggest that they scrap the whole system and go universal healthcare. This way you don’t get the pr nickle and dime presentation that Walmart loves to do.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart worker Abuse

R E M E M B E R
J A C K S O N V I L L E
T E X A S
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

I wouldn’t doubt if any increase in worker benefits at Wal*Mart were paid for out of their marketing budget..
It’s like it’s an election year and Wal*Mart is trying to get itself looking all “Presidential”. As with ALL issues facing the United States right now, Wal*Mart’s pay scale and benefits package don’t ad up to a drop in the bucket for the 300+ Million people in America who don’t work at Wal*Mart. Wal*Mart is KING! They were crowned by Goldman Sachs, The Clinton Presidency and an irrationally exuberant populace… If Wal*Mart is so great then they should have no problem bringing “Living Wage” Jobs back to the Only country that seems to be willing to put up with their BS, America!!! Sorry Wal*Mart. This is your economy. You and your political and banking industry friends created it. Now it’s yours to fix. There’s alot of houses out there sitting vacant right now. What are you going to do to put people in them?

Bobby: Maybe all those “dark"(empty) WalMart’s are part of the “toxic assets” we hear so much about....perhaps those REITs set up in Italy can unload some of the “illiquid” real estate walMart owns-maybe even Japanese losses?  LOL...I think?

). Associates will now have the tools and resources to access their own life-long PHR through a secure, personal health care account through WebMD that is powered by Dossia, a health information technology consortium~~~~~~~NOTE: Yes, this has been discussed here bfore. Electronic medical records held in a database connecting many assorted corporations, insurance companies and health providers.What I DIDn’t see is if the increased health services will be provided IN HOUSE in WalMart clinics,possibly by a doctor diagnosing from a TV screen,instead of in the exam room.

Bobby,

“There’s alot of houses out there sitting vacant right now. What are you going to do to put people in them?”

If you remember, Wal-Mart wasn’t even allowed an ILC, much less a home loan banking charter!!  Maybe, if they had been allowed to get into banking, they could work something out with those ‘vacant’ houses, but, alas, that’s not in their business arena now!!  But, old Barney Frank stopped Wal-Mart from getting there, so now he has to do the dirty work to try to fix it!!

RDS: Hey,WalMart could buy a lot of those foreclosures and create WalTowns.

Here’s Another Idea, ddrb...

WalMart could subcontract with experienced landlords like RDS, advance them the money to take over all of the vacant foreclosed houses, and become Wal-Lords for WalMart.

“Maybe, if they had been allowed to get into banking, they could work something out with those ‘vacant’ houses, but, alas, that’s not in their business arena now!!"~Bob(RDS)

I would hate to see what Walmart would work out.
Whatever they do seems to be for the benefit of themselves not the citizens.

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart worker Abuse

R E M E M B E R
J A C K S O N V I L L E
T E X A S
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse

hey morons on here walmart sorry to burst your bubble has better benefits than your favorite target and k-mart stores do.target and k-mart sell the same stuff from china too

Hi Matt!
Could You Pass the New Citizenship Test?

Here’s a link to an interesting article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/01/citizenship.test/index.html

I had a close friend who became a US Citizen a couple of years back. They studied their butt off. I decided to pick up some of the material and see what the US government want’s it’s citizens to know about America and being American. Having read most of the types of questions and information, It dawned on me that about ~ 40-50% of the American voting public probably could not pass the test to be citizens themselves. The political mechanisms in this country, The Karl Roves, Rush Limbaughs, Churches, Corporations, the “Sound Bite” News Media, etc have overwhelmed the public with so many out of context snippet’s, of policy and history that a very large part of the population probably couldn’t qualify as new citizens… I think that it would be interesting to get the test out to everyone who wants to vote and see if they pass. Nothing manditory. I just wonder how it would affect the peoples thought proccess. Everybody thinks they have all the answers, these days. I have always found it very liberating when I find out I’ve made a mistake and learn something new. I think it would do a lot of good for everyone to take the Citizenship Test.

Here’s Another Idea, ddrb…

WalMart could subcontract with experienced landlords like RDS, advance them the money to take over all of the vacant foreclosed houses, and become Wal-Lords for WalMart.

ScrewedbyWallStreetandWalMart~~~~~~~~~NOTE: Don’t you mean War-Lords? I can just see RDS “lording” over the “irresponsible"(LOL) and “indentured tenants”!

ddrb,
I’m inclined to not put the blame on the mortgage crisis on people who have lost their homes any more than I am willing to put the blame of the Nation’s current financial melt down on “fat cat bankers”. From what I can tell everybody was playing by the rules set forth in our Nation’s legislation. There are still people on the Right who blame things on too much regulation (which is absurd at this point in history) and people on the left who feel that we need more regulation. In the middle we have the rightfully pissed off tax payer’s bailing out our banking system again…

One thing is certain. There is going to be a lot less money for people trying to start a small business for the next few years and this will have a major effect on growth in living wages, and the tax base. This means, less police, firemen, clean cities, quality education and a host of other things that Wal*Mart America has taken for granted as the Federal Government has buried the country in debt.

I for one wouldn’t mind seeing the banks fail, if it meant more money for small business development, and other national security issues. Right now it looks like the bailout will go staight to Wal*Mart and more of the same fiscal policies that have led the US to the brink of disaster.

A friend of mine who is an old timer in an investment firm in St Louis and I were talking and he mentioned that at a meeting with-in his company this past monday while the stock market was tanking, some of the newbies asked him what he was telling his long time clients to invest in. His reply was “Shot Gun Shells and Canned Goods”. Well we both had a laugh over that. But, low and behold the only stock that actually went up on Monday was Campbel’s Soup! (lol).

Wal*Mart

Metalica is still #1 on the Charts! GNR should make their first single on Chinese Democracy(maybe they should have done the exclusive W/Wal*Mart) Welcome to the recession…

Right now it looks like the bailout will go staight to Wal*Mart...

I don’t think so, Bobbo—if you’ll do some back-reading, you’ll find that Wal-Mart and Home Depot were both denied any toehold in the financial services business.

Therefore, WM and HD continued to be retailers while Target’s financial services business was grandfathered-in(fancy-speak for a “free pass").

As for the banks, all I can say is it’s finally time for them to reap what’s been sowed…

...Wal-Mart and Home Depot were both denied any toehold in the financial services business.

I want to thank all the people who fiercely-opposed Wal-Mart’s desire to get in the financial services business—in doing so, you very well have saved WM from becoming another Wachovia, or worse yet, Washington Mutual…

Kudos!

“fancy-speak for a “free pass” ~bbrd

I suppose you’re trying to tell us that WalMart never gets any “free passes,” huh?

Bobby,

“From what I can tell everybody was playing by the rules set forth in our Nation’s legislation. There are still people on the Right who blame things on too much regulation (which is absurd at this point in history) and people on the left who feel that we need more regulation. In the middle we have the rightfully pissed off tax payer’s bailing out our banking system again…”

If you play a game and play by the rules, does that mean you will always WIN?  As you can clearly see (well, maybe not you and others here), not EVERYBODY is having their mortgages foreclosed, if the players were all playing at the same level, the game would end in a tie, but, some players tried to skirt the rules and push them to the limits, therefore, they got caught on the short end of the stick!!  As for regulations, it is not a matter of MORE or LESS, but, rather the ‘correct’ regulations!!  And, the government is not ‘bailing out’ the banking system, but, rather they are ‘coming to the rescue of the nation’s financial crisis’, much the same as they come to the rescue of flood, hurricane and earthquake victims!!  The ‘big’ difference here, is they could actually end up MAKING money on this deal!!  Warren Buffett said today, that he wishes he could get in on this ‘bailout’ action, because he sees the potential for the government to make some ‘bucks’ off of it!!  And, if it does make money, how does that HARM the taxpayers?

bbrd,
I think that you will find that #1 everything is not posted on google. and #2 losening credit will only play into Wal*Mart’s business model. In fact Goldman Sachs has already said so… Warren Buffit reciprecated with a $5 Billion investment in the squeeky clean Banking institution that helped bring America the Wal*Mart economy. The history is there. The future is easily predictable. Some of the things in you and RDS’s post are pretty on. The question is, when you draw a line in the sand are you pro-America or not. I realize that “Pro-America” can have some pretty broad definitions. If you are Larry, it means putting our Women in Burkas, etc. What I am talking about is a non-service economy. That concept has failed. The dollar is low. Off shore labor is still cheap but comes at a cost, usually proping up unsavory political regimes. Wal*Mart has an excellent oportunity to put it’s size and power where it’s marketing budget is. Let’s bring clean, efficient, and non toxic manufacturing back to the home of the Henry Fords (A Nazi but visionary none the less). The country has been through the wringer for some time now. Our workers are not lazy. I say it’s time to put ourselves first. America has earned it and Wal*Mart needs to recognize it. I don’t care if your last name is Clinton or Buffit, Bush or Paulson. Enough is Enough!

RDS,
I am aware of the nuances between bailing out and rescue. The reality is that a very large portion of the people loosing their homes are in that situation because of the spiraling downward investments made by the investment banking industry, that have led to lay-offs etc. If the bail-out goes through great! If it does not then it will be because all of the 200+ million voting Americans have had enough. Can you blame them? No job security. Do you realize the incredible strain most Americans are currently under? More than half the US is Medicated, Huge increases in Obesedy, and the list goes on… This is a country in denial and like it or not you are a member of the American Community. There is NO bright side to Wal*Mart’s economy. It’s just greed in it’s purest form. Taking advantage of the people less able. Bad, Bad, Bad. Shame, Shame, Shame!
On a happy note, A company I founded several years ago has closed up shop in szengen and moved its manufacturing to the US, and I had very little to do with it! It was just the right thing to do, business wise. I hope to see more of the same in the next four years. Then I’m gonna celebrate and buy me an American Made Electric or Hydrogen powered sports car. Even if I have to start the company myself.

Bobby,

“The reality is that a very large portion of the people loosing their homes are in that situation because of the spiraling downward investments made by the investment banking industry, that have led to lay-offs etc.”

Sorry, but I think that the reason a large portion of the people are losing their homes, is because, first, they bought homes that they couldn’t afford, if there were problems down the road and second, as home values rose, people took out ‘home equity’ loans on that increased value of the homes, to spend on other things, like cars and boats, etc. and third, many put ‘nothing down’, so they have nothing to lose, by walking away from the home!!  And, lastly, people have too much ‘credit card’ debt, which puts a strain on their budgets, having to make credit card payments and mortgage payments too!!

“Our workers are not lazy.”

This is based on what?  The fact that people are asking for ‘living wages’, shows to me, that rather that fix their own financial problems, they want the company they work for, to fix the problems for them!!  Used to be, if you were not bringing in enough money from your job, you got a better paying job or a second job, now, it’s just “Pay me more, because I need more”, but, that doesn’t mean they will work any harder or provide any better labor value to the company!!

“A company I founded several years ago has closed up shop in szengen and moved its manufacturing to the US,”

Lastly, in the past, a company was started, for two reasons: 1. To build a better mousetrap and 2. To fill a need that was being absent, but nowadays, people are asking for one business to be destroyed by the government or other means, “So I don’t have to ‘compete’ my way to the top”!!  A business becomes successful, by drawing ‘customers’ to YOUR business, not by killing the competition, so customers HAVE to come to your business, because they have no other choice!!  The best way to defeat Wal-Mart, is to come up with a better business model that makes people choose your business over theirs!!

Just think what could happen, if tomorrow, everybody started to live ‘responsible’ lives and stopped depending on the government and employers to solve their problems, how great this country could become again!!

RDS: RDS is spouting the Repube talking points again. Go to the “WalMart Moms” story,downthread, and read the eleven racist lies and the complete debunking of their falsity. BTW, all this talk about repossessing homes and theoretical Wal-lords, I guess one could say, that would just be coming full circle for the Walton family. Thomas Walton,Sam Walton’s dad was a repo man during the Great Depression. He would take young Sam along when repossessing the farms of hundreds of families unable to repay their loans,"families ,in some cases had owned and lived on those farms for generations."*....So,RDS,I guess those farm folks during the depression were livin’ high off the hog with fancy boats and bloated credit cards,too? I seem to recall YOU living on a farm,also,but couldn’t afford it any longer and left. Living beyond YOUR means? Why do you have one yardstick for yourself,yet another yardstick for others,and its always a few inches shorter?----*"In Sam We Trust”,Bob Ortega,pp18-19.

Does that mean you could live without social security. KISS IT GOOD BYE .  OR ALSO ALL THE OTHER SCAMS LANDLORDS USE TO GET THE GOV TO PAY >

ddrb,

I wish you would get things straight, before you open your keyboard and make yourself look foolish!!

“I seem to recall YOU living on a farm,also,but couldn’t afford it any longer and left. Living beyond YOUR means?”

You are right about my living on a farm, but are wrong about not being able to afford it, we were getting along just fine, after all, I had a good job at the foundry!!  We left, because we were getting older and the winters were getting harder to bear, so we moved south to Arkansas for the warmer weather and a lower cost of living, which allowed us to get ahead even faster!!  And, the fact that I am ‘debt free’, and have over half a million in investments, would be an example of living within my means, not living beyond my means!!  Fact is, I only spend about half of what I take in each month, the rest goes into savings!!

“Why do you have one yardstick for yourself,yet another yardstick for others,and its always a few inches shorter?”

What are you talking about?  My yardstick is the same for everyone and that yardstick IS: set a budget, (based on average earnings), that includes a ‘savings’ plan and live within that budget, what’s wrong with that yardstick?

Also, everyone should learn about “Compounding” of both savings and debt!!  It can either take you UP or DOWN financially!!

Hey ddrb… NEVER Take RDS at His Word!

A few posts back ddrb, RDS told you why he left the farming business.  It wasn’t because “big business” drove him out.  It was because he didn’t like the cold and the snow.

I think that’s why they call it “a snow job.”

RDS says so many things he forgets to cover his “snowtracks”.  As far back as September 27, 2006 he gave this as the reason for leaving farming:

“It was getting harder (with a small family farm) to compete, given the price when the big corporate farms that milked cows 24/7 and kept the surplus high.” ~RDS

ScrewedbyWalMart in Anytown, America
Tuesday, September 02 at 09:53 AM~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOTE:RDS, This is my point of reference about your reason for quitting the farm.But I distinctly recall another discussion where there was the issue as to why you didn’t have sympathy for small business owners competing with large corporations,and it was odd ,considering you had gone through the same thing with your dairy farm.

rds a while back you said you couldn’t afford to be a day trader although it is something you wanted to try .

Hey with a half mil AS YOU CLAIM , it only takes 25-50k to start depending on who you start with .

ANOTHER LIE rds????????

ddrb,

“This is my point of reference about your reason for quitting the farm.”

That was not the reason I quit farming, it was just getting ‘harder’!!  Take a few minutes to see how farmers are paid for their work, the government FIXES the prices for milk, but the market fixes the prices for commodities (like corn, wheat and oats), so, a farmer cannot set his price, based on his costs to operate, like a normal business can!!

JOE,

“rds a while back you said you couldn’t afford to be a day trader although it is something you wanted to try .

Hey with a half mil AS YOU CLAIM , it only takes 25-50k to start depending on who you start with .

ANOTHER LIE rds????????”

Are you on drugs?  Just because someone says thaey THOUGHT about trying something, doesn’t mean it’s a ‘GOOD’ idea!!

As for stock trading, I do trade stocks, I have 28 different stocks and watch them everyday!!  But, I’m not a day trader, that gets too risky, a 777 point drop like last week could wipe you out!!  Are you a day trader?  If not, why not, after all, all it takes is 25 to 50k, right?

Economics in One Lesson
by Henry Hazlitt
The Lesson Applied
Government Price-Fixing

In discussing this subject, there is no point in assuming a price control that would fix prices exactly where a FREE market would place them in any case. That would be the same as having NO price control at all. We must assume that the purchasing power in the hands of the public is greater than the supply of goods available, and that prices are being held down by the government BELOW the levels to which a free market would put them.

Now we cannot hold the price of any commodity below its market level without in time bringing about two consequences. The first is to INCREASE the demand for that commodity. Because the commodity is cheaper, people are both tempted to buy, and can afford to buy, more of it. The second consequence is to REDUCE the supply of that commodity. Because people buy more, the accumulated supply is more quickly taken from the shelves of merchants. But in addition to this, production of that commodity is discouraged. Profit margins are reduced or wiped out. THE MARGINAL PRODUCERS ARE WIPED OUT OF BUSINESS. Even the most efficient producers may be called upon to turn out their product at a loss. (This happened in World War II when slaughter houses were required by the Office of Price Administration to slaughter and process meat for less than the cost to them of cattle on the hoof and the labor of slaughter and processing.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOTE: Okay,RDS, you were a marginal producer. You allegedly cut your losses and ran to Springdale ,Arkansas- just coincidentally , in the Chicken capital of USA-headquarters of a poultry processing conglomerate that no doubt put smaller chicken plants out of business, (as you state corporate dairy farms threatened you.) Did you by any chance sell your farm to Tyson’s?

BTW; And, coincidentally enough,again, a corporation for whom your daughter has worked for some time in corporate HEADQUARTERS.Dare is ask, what came first, the chicken or the egg?

rds since you always boost about your self , and you keep such good track of your stock , how much did you lose .

ddrb,

“Okay,RDS, you were a marginal producer. You allegedly cut your losses and ran to Springdale ,Arkansas- just coincidentally , in the Chicken capital of USA-headquarters of a poultry processing conglomerate that no doubt put smaller chicken plants out of business, (as you state corporate dairy farms threatened you.) Did you by any chance sell your farm to Tyson’s?

You should stop while you’re behind, the more you post the ‘dumber’ you sound!!

First, YES, I was a ‘marginal producer’, a small family farm (80 acres)!!  Some people refer to it as a ‘Hobby farm’, that’s why I worked at the foundry too!!  Second, no, it didn’t cut my losses and RAN to Arkansas, try to wrap your brain around this concept: People get old, they can’t stand the cold winters, so they MOVE to a warmer climate, can you understand that simple concept?  Third, Springdale could have been the Yo-yo capital of the world, that didn’t matter!!  Once again, focus, Farming was not our life, so we didn’t move to Springdale to raise chickens, we moved into the city!!  And, why would Tyson’s want to buy our farm in Northern Wiaconsin?  Besides, we sold our farm before I moved here!!

“And, coincidentally enough,again, a corporation for whom your daughter has worked for some time in corporate HEADQUARTERS”

My daughter went to work a Tysons, after she went to business school here and the school placed people in available jobs!!  She worked for Wendy’s before that!! OH, OH, Wendy’s ‘sells’ chicken sandwiches, so I guess that is where she got the idea to go to that school, so she could go to work for Tysons, right?  Just thought I’d save you the trouble of linking Wendy’s with Tyson!!  BUT WAIT, Wal-Mart sells ‘chicken’ too, maybe she should have worked there first, ya think?  It’s all so confusing!!

BTW:  Why do you care so much about my life, I told you I’m already married!!

JOE,

“rds since you always boost about your self , and you keep such good track of your stock , how much did you lose .”

I didn’t LOSE anything, except on paper, because I didn’t ‘sell” any stock!!  But, the stock value is now lower than you will probably make this year!!  Good time to ‘buy’ more stock, Buy low, Sell high!!

BTW: I’m not boasting, I’m just trying to teach others, that they can do ‘better’, if they just put forth the effort to do so!!  I sure don’t need to boast to people I don’t even know!!  What would I gain out of doing that?  Here’s your lesson, BUY SOME STOCK (JPM or BOA), next week, before it goes up again!!

Bobby:"I for one wouldn’t mind seeing the banks fail, if it meant more money for small business development, and other national security issues. Right now it looks like the bailout will go staight to Wal*Mart and more of the same fiscal policies that have led the US to the brink of disaster"~Bobby~~~~~~NEW REPORT: McCain Would Give America’s 200 Largest Corporations $45 Billion In Tax Breaks-(June,08)-----------------
If you’re a CEO of one of America’s largest corporations and have enjoyed the Presidency of George W. Bush, a contribution to the McCain campaign is looking like a pretty good investment.

A new report from the Center For American Progress Action Fund finds that a key piece of John McCain’s tax plan — cutting the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25% — would cut taxes by almost $45 billion every year for America’s 200 largest corporations as identified by Fortune Magazine.

Eight companies — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., Bank ƒƒof America Corp., AT&T;, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Microsoft Corp. — would each receive over $1 billion a year.

These giveaways are just one part of McCain’s doubling of the Bush tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy which would create the largest deficits in 25 years and drive the United States into the deepest deficits since World War II.

A recent analysis by the Public Campaign Action Fund found that John McCain’s campaign has received $5.6 million from the PACs and executives of the Fortune 200.

Over the past eight years, under George W. Bush, American workers have seen their wages stagnate as corporate profits have skyrocketed. John McCain’s misguided priorities show he’s more of the same: the same $45 billion in tax cuts for America’s 200 largest companies could be used to lift over 9 million Americans out of poverty.(Think Progress)~~~~NOTE:Who will be saving more and living better,under John McCain? I doubt it will be the WalMart workers,although more tax cut money would give WalMart LESS excuse for not upping the associates hourly wages! Interesting that Buffett funneled multi billions to shore up the players that aided and abetted the “banker’s bailout."But if Berkshire Hathaway gats a billion$$ writeoff, that lessens his $$layout.

Did Buffett just invest billions into GE?

Did he invest plenty into Wells Fargo some years back?

Surely those investments, help those companies.

Iraq signs billion-dollar power deals with GE, Siemens
Sun Sep 28, 2008 By Simon Webb

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraq has signed preliminary deals worth billions of dollars with General Electric Co and Siemens for equipment to almost double electricity generation capacity, an energy official said on Saturday.

The deals with GE, Siemens and a third company would be worth a total of $7 billion to $8 billion, Iraq’s Electricity Minister Karim Waheed told Reuters.

Years of war, sanctions and neglect have battered Iraq’s power grid and the country suffers chronic power shortages. The capital Baghdad receives only a few hours of electricity a day. The deals would mark a big step in the country’s reconstruction, Waheed said.

“These deals will help us to end the electricity supply problem by 2012,” Waheed said on a private visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) earlier this month for U.S. giant General Electric to supply turbines to generate 6,800 megawatts of power, Waheed said.

He declined to say how much Iraq would pay GE for the equipment, but said each megawatt would cost between $700,000 and $800,000. That would give a value of between $4.8 billion and $5.4 billion.

Iraq plans to approach engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms to build the plants once the deals are signed, he added.

While big international companies were still reluctant to send people to work in Iraq, improvements in security had improved Baghdad’s chances of attracting companies to undertake the work, he said.

The WORLD BANK will fund the deal, he added.

The deal was one of several frozen after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.Iraq signed a deal with GE for three power plants worth $480 million in June.

(Editing by Janet Lawrence)~~~~~~~~~~Note: This article’s dateline is a week ago,right when we were being told that the lights would be going out on OUR economy if WE didn’t agree to bailout out WallSreet-including billions of $$$ of the toxic assetts owned foreign investors-at the expense of American taxpayers.

As for stock trading, I do trade stocks, I have 28 different stocks and watch them everyday!!

“Whatever money you may need for the next five years, please take it out of the stock market. Right now. This week. I do not believe that you should risk those assets in the stock market.” ~ Jim Cramer