What do you think of the WSJ story saying WalMart is scaring their managers about a Democrat win in 2008?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12175564…
Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win
By ANN ZIMMERMAN and KRIS MAHER
August 1, 2008
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they’ll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies — including Wal-Mart.
In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.
According to about a dozen Wal-Mart employees who attended such meetings in seven states, Wal-Mart executives claim that employees at unionized stores would have to pay hefty union dues while getting nothing in return, and may have to go on strike without compensation. Also, unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise.
WalMart is a giant employer to many that couldn’t otherwise get jobs. If they unionize, the unemployment rate will skyrocket.
I’d liked to see WalMart kicked out of this country and moved to CHINA where they should be.
And to read the poster’s comment about “Walmart providing jobs” makes me want to hurl.
“At Wal-Mart, CEO H. Lee Scott received nearly $23 million in total compensation last year. Full-time Wal-Mart workers, who comprise only about two-thirds of Wal-Mart’s workforce, are paid an average $9.64 an hour—but may be scheduled for as few as 34 hours weekly. Even at an hourly wage of $9.64, working 34 hours a week, a Wal-Mart employee earns only $17,043 annually, well under the $18,850 federal poverty guideline for a family of four in 2004.”
http://wakeupwalmart.com/news/20050415-pam.html
Ah, Walmart, I haven’t shopped there in over 5 years precisely due to such policies.
Buy local people!
It doesn’t surprise me, but I would like to know what Walmart says is the downside for the workers.
Having worked for them at one point I am not at all surprised. But I think it has less to do with the fact that they are worried a Democrat will win and more to do with the fact that they know there is a change coming in the administration in general. But they don’t need an excuse to do union-busting, that is a favorite Wal-Mart Corporate past time.
While i think most Unions are useless anymore i will say that wallmart is scared because Unions do fight for workers rights…..A big No..No at Wal-Mart….home of all things made in China
what you call scaring, should be called…just telling the truth
One more attempt by walmart to threaten the employees into working for lower wages so that the walton family can remain some of the richest people in the world. another reason not to ever shop at walmart.
Wal-mart makes a lot of sense.
Why don’t you allow the employees of Wal-mart to listen to Wal-mart and make their own informed decision?
Maybe they look at the differences between unionized American car factories and non-unionized Japanese car factories in America and wonder why unions are supposed to be any good.
Sounds about right. Big unions are one reason many jobs are over sea now. The union were good for people back in the 20 & 30′s but now they are hurting the USA.
It’s wrong. Wal-Mart is protecting its own interests at the expense of their workers. Typical though of Wal-Mart practices. I don’t shop there.
Wal-Mart is a very smart progressive company. They know that turning America into a socialist country means to their bottom line. They are informing their employees what it means to them.
Walmart does this once a year & I agree with them. Unions are bad news. I have been with them for 10yrs & my husband for 15yrs. We make a fair wage, our insurance for both including dental is $80 a mo, I have profit sharing, 401k, stock option, bonuses & can talk to the CEO anytime I feel like it, all I have to do is call. Why do I need a union?
Glenda if you feel that way then lets kick out the oil companies, car manufacturers & many more for the cost of their CEOS, then where would we all work? Walmart coulde buy exclusively American made products but then you complain about the prices. A bath towel would cost $40 dollars….their food is the lowest price possible, they make nothing on the food side, that is a draw, they break even. I guess JC Penny & Sears only sell American made too what about K-mart or Target?…take a look next time you are there.
I love the thumbs down it lets me know I have struck a nerve & took the air out of any argument.
My mom’s union is scaring her about voting for a Republican.
Union’s largely want Democrats, and businesses largely want Republicans. Its BS that either of them try to force their members and employees to vote the way THEY want them to, but its what happens.
Since many of those people will lose their jobs if a democrat wins, I think it was only fair to warn them….
Let me see. The downsides would be that Wally World might be forced to pay their workers at the lowest levels a living wage? And maybe be forced to abandon Medicaid as it’s healthcare program for it’s lower paid employees and pay for REAL health insurance instead?
Sam Walton must be spinning in his grave at about 150,000 RPM by now. Wally World under Sam was noted for taking care of the entire family, to wit the number of low-level workers who retired as multi-millionaires because of the stock options that were handed out like candy on his watch. Sam knew the value of his employees and made SURE that they were well cared for. The stockholders today (mostly heirs to his fortune; he’d be the richest man in the world if he were still alive) care only about the bottom line. If they get “burned” by a Democratic administration and veto-proof Congress then they deserve what they get.
Sam wasn’t worried about unions. He didn’t have to be. His employees weren’t interested in them because they trusted Sam to be fair with them and Sam delivered in spades.
I was previously a department head supervisor at Wal-Mart, in fact just earlier this year and all i have to say is that I believe Wally World is a cult in its self! I worked there for three and a half years and the whole time it was pure hell. (ESPECIALLY THE CHANGE OF UNIFORMS) It was chaotic working there, no doubt which is why i resigned and for other unmentionable reasons.
But yes WAL*MART stresses the importance of having a non-unionized environment. We had several meetings in which we attended and sat through hours of redundant rhetoric and reasons we should snitch if we ever heard an employee even speaking about unions. LOL!
Its all about the money! They(higher up management) tried to make unions as a bad thing as if they were after our money by doing a job that we could do ourselves through OPEN DOOR COMMUNICATION?
Put it this way, Im just glad im gone!
The risks cited by Wal-Wart with joining a union are all true. Unions kill jobs in this country, by making it cheaper to send the jobs overseas. They do not help companies, and they do not help workers. Unions only help themselves. The weaker they can make companies, the stronger they become by comparison. It’s a parasitic business model.
Wal-Mart is smart to make sure it’s workers understand this, and take the steps necessary to protect itself and its worker’s jobs. Wal-Mart is unique in that it has been able to create a mutually beneficial business situation, where they make a profit, create lots of jobs, and provide lower priced products to the consumer.
Unionization would destroy that, just as it has everywhere else.
If you want to take issue with that, just name 1 unionized industry in this country that is prospering, or name one closed-shop state that isn’t taxing their people to the max and is bankrupt anyway.
Man! if that were to happen, the illegal’s would no longer have a place to shop. Wal-Mart has become the Galleria for illegal immigrants and I’m sure that unionizing would drive prices up to the point that they could no longer sustain that status.