Did you catch “Undercover Boss” after the Super Bowl? It’s a new reality show on CBS where executives go undercover at their own companies and work entry level jobs to see what it’s like. In the first episode, Waste Management’s President and Chief Operating Officer Larry O’Donnell works several different jobs over a week and discovers how tough life can be for his employees. He also discovers how his policies have affected workers.

It’s nice to see a show that uncovers these kinds of problems in the American workplace. Of course, most of us already know how tough work can be, but most of us don’t have a reality show. That’s why American Rights At Work started Fix Our Jobs which is pushing for real, systematic reform in our workplace, not just feel good TV moments. They’re asking folks to sign a petition to congress: “America’s workers need a voice on the job so they can fight for fair pay, real benefits, reasonable hours, and better working conditions. We need to fix our labor laws now!”

They’re also asking for stories about your job, good or bad. We’re sure you all have some stories to share, so go check out the site. You can also watch a video they put together just to the right.

We also want to hear from Walmart workers. Tell us your stories from work. What would Mike Duke find if he came to work as a greeter at your store for a day or two? Would he make the cut as an overnight stocker?

Would Mike Duke ever take on this kind of undercover assignment? We don’t think so, but if he did, we’re sure he’d find some pretty disturbing stories, just like Larry O’Donnell did.

Despite threats from the National Retail Federation, Target and Kelly Services are open to supporting an employer mandate on health care.

After Wal-Mart, Center for American Progress, and SEIU sent a letter to President Obama on June 30th expressing support for health care reform, many retailers were shocked by Wal-Mart’s show of solidarity with the labor movement on a contentious issue. However, some retailers began to realize that if Wal-Mart thinks it’s ok to support this, maybe we should think about it as well. When Wal-Mart leads, others will most certainly follow.

Over the years, we have implored Wal-Mart to use its power and influence for the greater good. Whether for health care reform, the Employee Free Choice Act, or wage increases, Wal-Mart can really make a difference if it wants to make the effort. Nevertheless, it’s sad that it took Wal-Mart over four years—with a hard push from organized labor—to realize it can make positive changes in this area. Wal-Mart is making the right choice by working with labor unions towards a goal of providing health care for all Americans.

But we hope Wal-Mart doesn’t think this is all it has to do to become a responsible company.  There is a lot left on the table, like its opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, tax avoidance schemes, environmental destruction, deliberate efforts to destroy small businesses, and exporting jobs overseas. Supporting health care reform is definitely a step in the right direction but Wal-Mart still has a long way to go.

Target, Kelly Services May Back Mandated Health Care [Bloomberg]

July 14 (Bloomberg)—Target Corp. and Kelly Services Inc. said they may support Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s call for mandatory medical insurance by large companies as part of a proposed overhaul of U.S. health care.

“Conceptually, we can accept an employer mandate,” said Kay Rubbelke, a spokeswoman for Minneapolis-based Target, the country’s second-biggest discount retailer after Wal-Mart.

Kelly Services, the Troy, Michigan-based provider of temporary workers, could support a mandate that has effective cost-containment provisions, said Jim McIntire, vice president of public affairs.

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For years, we’ve heard hints that Wal-Mart might support a broad-based government health care plan. Now that health care reform is on the table, Wal-Mart is coming out in force to support it. One executive even wrote an op-ed in the The Tennessean recently about how:

Everyone must have access to quality, affordable health coverage, and businesses, individuals and governments must share responsibility for financing and managing a system that ensures we meet that goal.

But as you all know, Wal-Mart could have been helping the problem all along by putting some of its multi-billion-dollar profits into its health care plan.  At Wal-Mart Watch, we’ve heard for years from Wal-Mart employees that aren’t eligible for the company plan, can’t afford it - or have been somehow shortchanged by the plan. But there’s no need to take our word for it - here’s a sampling of what we’ve heard from real employees lately.

Is Wal-Mart serious about health care reform? Let us know in the blog comments below.

Wal-Mart’s High Deductible Plans Are Only For Emergencies

I signed up for the Wal-Mart health insurance plan as soon as I was eligible, but after a few years, the price kept going UP UP UP and I had to trade down to the lower level insurance with a high deductible. Wal-Mart lies about its employees being insured under its plan. At my store, hardly anyone can afford to get the insurance. Some were on their spouse’s insurance, some did without insurance at all, and some were on Medicaid.

When I was making just over $11 an hour, my insurance went from $170 to $240 every two weeks and I had to go with the lesser insurance, which really would only cover you for a catastrophe. Let’s face it, you can’t raise a family, let alone pay for health insurance and run a used car on $9 to $15 an hour like Wal-Mart pays its employees. Since I quit, I’ve found better insurance for about the same rate as I was paying for the inferior Wal-Mart insurance.

- Anonymous in New Jersey

I have insurance through Wal-Mart. It’s not expensive - about $20.00 a month - but it has a high deductible and I can only afford to use it for emergencies. I can’t afford to buy a plan with a smaller deductible because I can’t afford to take $100.00 more out of my paycheck. Last year, they offered a plan like I have now, but with three doctors visits and a $20.00 co-pay. My 2-year-old is on state medical insurance because I can’t afford to pay the high deductible on my insurance.

- Anonymous in Louisiana

Wal-Mart Health Care is Too Expensive, Employees Forced To Find Coverage Elsewhere

While working for Wal-Mart, I had to get health care coverage through a charity program connected to the Wheaton Franciscan health care system.  They pay 100% of my bills when I got to their facilities.  Their program has literally saved my life on a couple of occasions—once through surgery on my left foot and again when I had to have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.  Thank God for these charity programs. Even though employees give their blood, sweat and tears to Wal-Mart, they won’t do the same for you.  I had to be carried out on a stretcher with chest pains two years ago. I had a stress test, which thankfully came back negative, but I was told the chest pains were stress related. I wonder where the stress came from?

- P.F. in Wisconsin

I have worked for Wal-Mart for close to a year now and I have carefully read about all the different health plan choices they offer. To a person who makes a lot more than the average Wal-Mart employee, their plans might seem affordable.

My wife--who works for another company--makes three times more than I do and she only has to pay a fraction for comparable insurance. With over two million associates, half of them in the U.S., Wal-Mart should be able to provide much better plans than what they have now. For this reason, I’ll stick with my wife’s insurance.

- Anonymous in Illinois

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