Wal-Mart Enlists Bloggers To Combat Negative News

HEY SICKO:

Doesn’t this make you wonder if these “guest bloggers” Wal-Mart is enlisting are doing this just because “they want to be nice?” Could there possibly be any money exchanging hands here?

ScrewedbyWal-Mart,

Very well put.  Wonders… also preaches like a Wal-Mart stooge all the time.

Most likely we’ll see a bunch of denial from these types, “...I don’t work for Wal-Mart...”, but the content of their blogs should be weighed heavily.

If the only thing they contribute is anti-union smear, and pro Wal-Mart defense (like Wal-Mart needs anyone to defend them), then you must defer to the old saying, “If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.” In this case “Wal-Mart Stooge” can be substituted.

Keep up the good fight!

TTFN,

Wally’s-Foe

Marshall Manson is a cross between Fred Flintstone and Frankenstein.

Ben,

“Marshall Mason is a cross between Fred Flintstone and Frankenstein.”...only without the charm!

I bet he has a pair of Wal-Mart jammies (the kind with the feet) at home, so he can sleep well at night.

I am sure he’s probably already serviced some member of Wal-Mart’s elite, in some postion....uh, fashion.

TTFN,

Wally’s-Foe

TYPO:  Should be “POSITION” not “POSTION” in last post.

“...the company and its public relations firm, Edelman, say they do not compensate the bloggers.”

Of course they don’t. 

But...Mr. Blogger...we here at Wal-Mart are such fans of your work that we think you should write a book! We just happen to know some publishers that owe us a few favors.  Why don’t you send us a draft and we’ll discuss?

There is nothing wrong with Walmart soliciting bloggers or even providing them with information.  Certainly Walmart has a right to combat the garbage which this site puts out.

I suspect that some WMW bloggers are being paid as indicated by one person whose postings keep getting deleted.

What did I tell you!!!
Walmart blogger busting team!
At least they are getting paid. I couldn’t see a person with any kind of life spending all day writing on this site (even though it is a gem). That would make somebody a real loser..

Later
Alex

Jeez, if I can’t find something better to blog than friggin walmarts problems just have one of my readers shoot me pleez!

Ok, granted Wal-Mart is using these people to further their cause. But how is that different from what the unions are doing with this blog?

I’m finding more and more similarities between Wal-Mart and Wal-MartWatch (unions).

1. Wal-Mart compares union critics to Nazi’s in an Arizona campaign. Anti-WalMart supporters compare Wal-Mart to Nazi’s and this is deemed acceptable on Wal-MartWatch.com.

2. Wal-MartWatch is critizing corporate lobbying and special interest in Washington D.C. when they themselves are spending millions on buying public officials.

3. Unions complain about Wal-Mart employees being on government healthcare. Pennsylvania recently uncovered that unionized retailers have the same rate of employees on government healthcare as Wal-Mart.

Wal-MartWatch wanting to “reform” Wal-Mart seems a lot like the Bush adminstration wanting to bring democracy to Iraq. Maybe we need to impeach our union bosses.

I started watching this home page about 6 weeks ago.  Without a doubt, you people have made me one of the largest supporters of Walmart around.  I can honestly say that if I ever see a picket line I will support that businsess and cross the line thanks to the expression of thougt that this website shows.  I wanted to hate them more after I had seen the movie, you have shown me why to support them!

Many of these blogs have only passed on stories that piqued there interest.  I think that for the most part I have seen both suppport and condemdationtion form some of these blogs.  It is interesting, the level of fevered hatered that I was expecting on the open forum only seems to exist here…

I work for Wal-Mart and have for the last ten years.  And I am not getting paid any extra to defend them...Sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles..

As I have stated before, Wal-Mart may not be perfect, but they strive for excellence in all they do...More so now than ever…

With all the negatvie that this Web Site focusses on, why not look at some of the positive Wal-Mart does?  How about the Hurricane Relief Effort?  How about the Millions of dollars given to local charities?  How about the millions of jobs that Wal-Mart has given people?  How about the new focus on Environmental Safety?  How about doing a little more research and get a look at the Big Picture before you start casting stones?

And so what if Wal-Mart is trying to defend themselves?  It’s their right...Just as any other companies right…

It’s kind of hard to even THINK of defending a company which you’ve personally seen screw people over! When Are you SUPPORTERS going to realize that Walfart doesn’t give a rat’s a** about you - they only want to use you to try and bury the information of what they’re REALLY up to.

They want to build a supercenter in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin - I’m keeping tabs on the situation over at http://sturgeonbaywi.blogspot.com/ - I suggest you supporters start watching exactly what happens up there.

I think the people who support Wal-mart will realize that Wal-mart doesn’t care about them somewhere thereabout the same time that union members realize that the only reason the union “cares” about it’s members is because the members pay the union ;-) Additionally Wal-mart stooge I may be but neither associate nor employee does that make me ;-) At least I offer sound arguments rather than countless insults ;-) By the way I just wanted to let you know that tonight I shopped at that store that “henchforth shall be unnameable” ;-) I saved even more because it was a clearance item. Dang I guess I put another “poor” person out of work. Now he/she will never be able to afford that direct TV :-(

Alex in Ontario, Canada-

I don’t think you should have called screwed a loser just because he posts on two different sites almost all day and at least every day.

ColSamatoshi in Sturgeon Bay, WI-

So maybe you can tell us what they are REALLY up to.  Bill Sampson tried to tell us that they are actually training al qaeda terrorists.  I would like to hear what you think.

What company hasn’t “screwed people over”?  It’s called running a business...apparently “screwing people over” hasn’t been beneficial for Wal-Mart, so they are changing…

And I will tell you what Wal-Mart will do for WI...it will offer quality products at an affordable price, also it will give jobs to people that other companies have turned down, it will give back thousands of dollars in charity to the local community, it will bring competition to “Mom and Pop” stores that are overcharging people for profit, it will give people the opportunity to speak for themselves instead of having to pay someone else to speak for them, it promotes moral and teamwork...Shall I go on?  It gives as much as it takes…

Why don’t you all quit being “haters” and focus on more important things?  If you are looking for something negative, you will find it in any business, community, union, school, etc...That’s what is wrong with people today....they are so focussed on using all their energy into pointing out the wrong and not focussing on things that are more important. .

It’s called business people and business is making money.  If you have a 401K, IRA, or any sort of savings, besides a coffee can of course, some of your money is invested into the stock market.  How many of you would want your investments to go down because they didn’t want to lay anyone off because it would hurt those people.  How many of you all want to hear that a company your invested in is spending tons of money on that won’t grow the company.  It’s all the fine line of knowing the companies R.O.I. 

Have I been in situations where I’ve had to take care of budget cuts that I didn’t want to due?  Yes, but I also know that it’s for the better of the company and the future of the operation.

For those of you asking, NO, I’m not getting paid for stating anything positive about Wal-Mart on this or any web site.

Here’s an interesting little arcticle I found about the agressiveness of union tactics. According to this arcticle a union violated plant workers rights to privacy by recording their license plate #’s and later cross checking those with names and adresses and ultimately visiting these workers unannounced. The workers filed suit on a basis of right to privacy.

http://www.employmentblawg.com/2006/lawsuit-takes-on-aggressive-union-organizing-tactics/

More agressive union tactics involving the coersion of signatures on union cards.

http://www.johnlocke.org/news_columns/display_story.html?id=1701

Even more agressive union tactics exposed.

SEIU demonstrated at a Catholic hospital:

“One of SEIU’s most notorious corporate campaigns targeted Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), the largest non-profit private hospital system in California, founded in 1986 by the Sisters of Mercy. Launched in 1997, the campaign culminated in a contract placing 9,000 employees at 20 hospitals across California under SEIU representation. Yes, SEIU prevailed against a bunch of nuns! “

For pete’s sake the SEIU bullied a non profit and nones no less ;-) What’s next picketing day cares and yelling at small children? ;-)

Arcticle about “salting” Term is used to refer to an employee who obtains employment with a non union company with the express purpose of coercively unionizing workers and industrial sabotage.

http://www.nrtwc.org/newsroom/400.htm

Here is an acrticle in which the union deliberately participated in a campaign of “fearmongering” with the intent of forcing a new hotel/condiminium building to unionize.

The union “warnings” of the potential “hazzards” of being built on Atlantic Avenue around a 287-foot vent shaft from the underground Central Artery, is the latest campaign attributed to the hotel workers union.

In an attempt to capitalize on post 9/11 reservations, the quote

“Since the building is above the underground highway, the union suggests it would be at risk for a terrorist attack on the roadway below or a tunnel fire. The ventilation shaft, which the building wraps around, vents auto exhaust from below and poses a potential health risk, the union suggests. The shaft rises 50 feet above the roof of the hotel and condominium building.”

However tests had shown the unions claims to be without merit.

Walmart Bloggers
How do they pay you?
Seasonal clearance items?

This isn’t surprising, and I’m glad this practice got some publicity. I think it’s important though that local small businesses and merchants are given the same tools to compete with folks, like WalMart, who are using these disingenuous tactics.

I work at a company called MerchantCircle, which focuses on helping smaller businesses compete with the big guys. We give folks free tools like blogs, newsletters and listings at our site on http://www.merchantcircle.com.

If WalMart is going to use these tools in a negative way, well, at least we can give the same tools to small local merchants to help level the playing field, albeit openly and fairly.

Mark-

What in the hell are you talking about? Explain how Wal-Mart is being any more disingenuous than WMW and how it uses “these tools in a negative way”. Do you think Wal-Mart should just stand by and watch while its critics go around spreading lies about it?

Lanuage language.
Watch your language.

Alex- When you are working for a company that’s main focuses are

1. The customer
2. Respect for Individuals
3. Striving for Excellence

You don’t have to be paid anything “extra” to defend it, it’s paying your bills and your family is taken care of.  If people are not happy with their jobs, it’s time they find a new one...and if one job is not cutting it, then it’s that person’s responsibility to either adjust to a lower lifestyle or find another job to support a healthier lifestyle…

Mark--

It’s business and everyone is out to make a dollar whether it’s the largest retailer in the country or the smallest...It’s a free country and as you said these tools are available to everyone...so if there are websites out there to help the “little people” why not have some positive for the “big people” too...they didn’t start off big or rich they saw a dream and persued it and look where it got them :) Now people hate them because they aren’t getting a piece of that huge money pie…

Why is it that Abusive Managers that enjoy making and seeing women cry are allowed to keep their job?  I notice these same Managers will fire some one at the drop of a hat but who fires them? How many write ups does it take or do they just transfer promote and transfer them to another store.  What kind of family values does this instill?

UsGTBaurjLj MFMJS0qtpl1CA YagBTg4Q6c

A person a few posts said that Walmarts Companies main focus is:
1. The customer
2. Respect for Individuals
3. Striving for Excellence

Well sounds good if nothing else.

I subscribe to the mailing list for Walmart Watch.  I received the messages in my inbox for many months, but a few weeks ago, the started being delivered to my Bulk folder.  I designated them as “not spam” but they are still delivered to my bulk folder.  Why is this?  Why does Yahoo not want me to receive the messages?  Is this part of Walmart’s campaign to improve it’s image?  I wouldn’t know where to begin to try to find out.

Jose-

Yes. You are correct. Wal-Mart has coerced Yahoo to join in on its game. The 20 WMW supporters receiving emails from WMW are such a great threat that Wal-Mart will do anything to stop them. We can’t have them receiving their lies by email.

I’m not a fan of Wal-Mart due to its invasive, aggressive expansion policy.  I worry about it becoming not just a retail force but a political one which can effect government decisions both at the Federal and local level.  I worry about it becoming so large that it effects social policy.  There comes a point when a retailer of that size must become socially responsible.  What gives Wal Mart the right to sensor music which it does by not permitting certain albums to be sold in its stores.  You won’tfind “The High Cost of Low Price” an any of its stores.
At the same time I also believe that there are good, moral and hard working people working at Wal Mart that believe in its low price business model and that the company is expanding because it is doing the right thing efficiently.  Unions, while fulfilling the needs of their members, can also effect social well-being - including shutting down legitimate companies that are struggling to get by.

I am not out to have a union, create a union, or join a union.  I’d rather have no part of a union, HOWEVER, if Walmart treated it’s employees decently, there wouldn’t be a question about a union.  I am a full-time employee - I am scheduled for less than 30 hours per week.  I was always under the impression that full-time was about 40 hours a week.  Health care?  Laughing my butt off.  Decent hours - that’s almost as present as health care, and let’s not even discuss decent or fair pay.  I must give Walmart some credit though - if it wasn’t for them I would not have learned how to multi-task, or how to budget a lack of money.

Jane Doe in-

You are working an unskilled position. People who can take your place are a “dime a dozen.” If you don’t like where you are in life, better yourself. Whatever you do, stop complaining. You chose this for yourself.

The only way to take on Walmart is for local consumer tastes to change and force Walmart to better neighbors

I hate Wal-Mart and shop elsewhere whenever I can.

I hate the way they treat their employees, their nearly exclusively Chinese-made products, and their relentless persecution of unions. 

The asshole Wal-Mart execs seem to feel that American workers have no right to unify and demand a livable wage! 

Oh yeah, I also hate the way Wal-Mart caters to illegal immigrants in this country, with loud Spanish broadcasting from all those goddamn TV monitors in the stores…

American workers unite!  Fuck Wal-Mart!  Unionize now and take this country back from the greedy corporate lobbyist fucks who have taken over our government!

Ray Parker,

In my opinion unions are the reason that so many companies are moving overseas.  A “liveable wage”?  Exactly how much is a “liveable wage”?  Enough to pay the bills, feed the family, provide some extras?  Or should that also include enough to purchase the $50,000 vehicle, buy the $250,000 house and pay for the 2 week trip to the Carribean twice a year?  If that’s the kind of “liveable wage” that you are looking for then you need to either obtain a very high management position or become a union boss and let all the “little people” who pay the union dues every month do all the work for you.

It seems that so many in this country have developed the attitude of doing as little as possible for as much money as possible.  I’ve worked in an automotive plant that did not have the union when it first opened.  Most employees there were convinced that once the union was voted in their wages would more than double and benefits would greatly increase, even though the company was already providing excellent benefits.  The union was eventually voted in and surprise.. wages did not increase but the benefits were greatly downsized and now the employees have the added expense of union dues each month.  Just who is really benefiting?  On top of that, I and 20 other employees who were hired not long before the union was voted in were let go 1 day before our 180 day probation was up.  The union could do nothing for us because we were not considered “permanent” until the end of our probation.  How convenient.  No, I do not have a good opinion of unions.

Are you a Walmart employee?  If not then how can you claim to know how the company treats it’s employees?  By reading a few news articles?  I am a Walmart employee and I am treated very well.  I would not remain with the company if I weren’t.

As for the Spanish broadcasting, it all has to do with a change in this country’s divirse cultural population.  It has nothing to do with “catering to illegal immigrants”.  It is not just a “Walmart thing” either.  Just look at the packaging on most products now days, or instruction booklets.  Even children’s shows on tv (e.g. Dora the Explorer) are reflecting the acceptance of this country to the growing Spainsh speaking population.

Unions are not the end-all answer to this country’s problems and Walmart is not the source of all evil.  They contribute a lot of good to what ever community they settle in.

This “label and disregard” strategy is really bothersome to me. If you are pro-Walmart you must be a stooge and you must be on the take because who in their right mind could possibly be pro-Walmart?

The same strategy is used regarding homosexuality. If you disagree with a certain lifestyle, you must be a bigot.

This type of strategy is pathetic. It requires no thoughtful analysis, no mature consideration of the arguments, no analysis - just classify and disregard.

walmart and its managment sucks it just sucks i still work there for now but by the time this all gets out to the public
i am sure i will be fired i was at work when a worker told me that two other workers pulled a knife on hime i took him to the office sat with the co-manager and he again told him what he told me the co told me to get the other two and bring them to the office i did one of them was working so only met with him he told to co the same thing that it happened the co told him ok boys will be boys i thought to myself what happened to zero-tolerance ????
but latter in months i will get a d-day for throwing a football and hitting someone a guess i should have pulled a knife ...
we also had agirl working with us and do to personal problems with kids at home she had to leave and quit months latter she tryed to come back to work she spoke to the dist manager and short side of story was if she went away to conn for a weekend with him he would see what he could do..
well when i told management about this i was told i did not know what i was talking about and oh yea the move and rise to the new department i told you, you where going to get forget it you should be glad i dont fire you right now..
this is how they treet there pepole there most are just afraid to loose ther jobs because things are tight most cant loose any more walmart knows this and hooks them if they suck up to managment they may get to 40cent rise this year but dont bet on it....
9757

Stupid hippies and your antiwalmart bullshit.

Walmart Commissar in Michigan -
If unions didn’t exist, corporate lackeys would have to create them to alibi their predatory and unpatriotic practices. Fact is unions have been long on the wane in this country and it is because of free trade treaties that businesses are going overseas at the nod from corporate America’s bought and paid for politicians in DC. And we get low priced kitsch made in the People’s Republic of China in return. Wow. Goes to show how much Capitalists and Bolsheviks have in common. China gots rope, WallyWorld buys and sells.
Wallmart does pander to illegal immigrants and they are not alone. Hey, people are happy with minimum wage and they don’t have to fret workers comp claims from them(as if Wallmart would pay it anyway) and the like. If they don’t like it, they can’t complain or they’d risk deportation ,right? And spare us the BS that Wallmart is concerned about multiculturalism and all of that noise. If the KKK was profitable they’d have the White Sheets on display at bargain basement prices.

So you don’t think a stocker or clerk should not have a living wage for affordable housing, health care, etc. That’s what a living wage is. Your bosses in Bentonville will still be taking those Carribean crusises despite their whinings to the contrary and laughing at *associates* like you all the way.

I bet people make money off of you in Michigan winters selling you snow. Oops, I forgot you probably don’t have the $$ to buy snow since you are proud employ at Wallmart;-)

Yeah Wallmart Lover in SG, Ill..anyone who criticizes the Church of Sam Walton must be a hippy. That’s like saying that all Walmart partisans are fat inbred white trash rednecks with IQ’s of five.

Yes stepp in KC.. I actually believe all the “BS” that I stated above, and I also believe that you are a very bitter and unhappy person.  And since I’m such an “idiot” who is happily slaving away at Wal-Mart I’ll just go back to counting my pennies and hoping that someday I’ll be able to afford that snow.