Black Friday - Walmart Strike?

[ladypage]

2. Walmart's employment is structured so that they will NOT have to pay benefits and so that their workers cannot go past part-time. In contrast, the drug dealers I've known had a much, much better pay/work structure and much better employment terms. (Still no benefits, but you CAN generally work full time.) Why on earth, given those facts, would kids from an environment where drug dealing is considered just another occupation, choose Walmart over drug dealing, especially if they can find a selling territory where the risk of being caught is low or where if they are caught they serve time in a local jail?

3. While we're on that topic, Walmart does NOT and WILL NOT schedule around college students' schedules. So how exactly, are these hardworking, upwardly mobile Walmart employees supposed to take classes?

Okay, number two is just ridiculous. Yes, there are people who would rather deal drugs then work at a minimum wage job, but how can you blame Walmart for that?

And maybe your Walmart won't schedule around college classes, but the one around here does. I know a lot of people that work there, and I would say about 30% of the staff consists of college students. Even if they weren't willing to schedule around classes, how is it Walmart's fault? It's also up to the students to figure out their own schedules. Don't put yourself in classes every day of the week, on the hours that you know your employer will need you. I know you can't always choose when your class will be, or you might not get the ideal time slot you wanted, but that's not Walmart's fault.

 

[mnrose]

I'm another non-Walmart shopper. In my area, we have Target, and Costco....both of which I will patronize instead of Walmart.

And, they simply do not have the lowest prices. I recently went into a Sam's Club .... just to see. Did it have lower prices than Costco? No. Indeed, on most things, they were MORE expensive than Costco, although it was hard to do a straight up comparison. For example, I initially thought that Sam's 3 pack of Martinelli Sparking Apple Cider (priced at 6.88) was cheaper than Costco (where I recalled the price being 7.99). But, when I went back to Costco, I saw that they were selling Martinelli's in a 4 pack, not a three pack. So, indeed, Costco was cheaper.

I also thought the Sam's Club was dirtier, and darker, than Costco. These things affect how I feel about the place. Add to that the fact that Costco pays it's employees a living wage, and benefits, I would patronize Costco even if it cost me a few pennies more per item. I will also say that my Costco has the same people working there that were working there when I first started shopping at that store in April 2006. That says something right there.

 

[eliza61]

Okay, number two is just ridiculous. Yes, there are people who would rather deal drugs then work at a minimum wage job, but how can you blame Walmart for that? And maybe your Walmart won't schedule around college classes, but the one around here does. I know a lot of people that work there, and I would say about 30% of the staff consists of college students. Even if they weren't willing to schedule around classes, how is it Walmart's fault? It's also up to the students to figure out their own schedules. Don't put yourself in classes every day of the week, on the hours that you know your employer will need you. I know you can't always choose when your class will be, or you might not get the ideal time slot you wanted, but that's not Walmart's fault.

And therein lies the walmart mentality. We will treat you like crap because we can, don't blame us if you don't allow us to make you indentured slaves

That's always the bottom line. Yes, if you don't like us treating you like slaves, don't work here and too bad if you don't have any other recourse, that's not our fault.

Walmart from the top down encourages it's upper management to treat there low paid employees like crap. It is not isolated, it is systemic and coporate wide. I have the pleasure of knowing two women who successful sued walmart due to this from my contract in He###. One women is now sort of a Erin Brockovich against the company.

I have often said I'd be a street walker before I ever worked for walmart. Now sure I probably exaggerated especially since I knew I had options but I would send my kids to live with others and starve before ever ever being an employee of that store again.

I say that in all seriousness and my kids know never to let me even think they would take a job with that coporation. call me melodramatic and that's ok.
I will not live or move any place where my only shopping alternative is a walmart.

Now generally I don't tell people to boycott them, everyone has to make their own decisions with their own money but after my year and a half of being a walmart employee. like I said before I credit them with keeping me motivated to stay in school.

 

[foreUT]

I don't know anyone who is competing for a job at Walmart. Everyone I know pretty much hates the place and would never work there. Are you comparing a person who works at Walmart to a person who is educated n the field of law? I guess I am missing your point.

From my perspective, a country with 8% UE probably has lots of people who are not as discriminatory as yourself or your circle of acquaintances.

As far as my previous point: I was referencing the $15 per hour salary wanted for WM workers. If those with advanced degrees (and more) are willing to work for pay not much greater than that in their field of expertise, I believe the $15 per hour for WM is unrealistic, considering the pool of people who have the same skill-set.

 

[foreUT]

Because when you treat your employees routinely as (*& on a stick, many of them myself included will do just about any thing other than work there.

Walmart from the top down encourages it's upper management to treat there low paid employees like crap. It is not isolated, it is systemic and coporate wide.

I have often said I'd be a street walker before I ever worked for walmart. Now sure I probably exaggerated especially since I knew I had options but I would send my kids to live with others and starve before ever ever being an employee of that store again.

I say that in all seriousness and my kids know never to let me even think they would take a job with that coporation. call me melodramatic and that's ok.

Would you mind sharing when you were employed by WM?

ETA: I assumed this was not a recent employment experience. Pardon me, if I assumed incorrectly. Some places that were not employee friendly in the past have replaced hard-nosed management with some kinder, gentler employees. Hopefully, the atmosphere you encountered has improved. Not claiming it has, but, for all the current employees, I will wish it has.

 

[eliza61]

Would you mind sharing when you were employed by WM?

Had to be when I first moved to South Jersey. let's see I was in grad school and started working there as Temporary christmas help so I'm going to say 1989. I would be very happy to hear that they have replaced that management style.

 

[eliza61]

From my perspective, a country with 8% UE probably has lots of people who are not as discriminatory as yourself or your circle of acquaintances.

As far as my previous point: I was referencing the $15 per hour salary wanted for WM workers. If those with advanced degrees (and more) are willing to work for pay not much greater than that in their field of expertise, I believe the $15 per hour for WM is unrealistic, considering the pool of people who have the same skill-set.

but don't you see that as a problem. People would rather do just about any thing else than work for a company because of their reputation.

As I said, when I got hired I knew perfectly well what the pay was. that wasn't the issue but if I'm reading you right and I hope I'm misunderstanding, an empolyee can treat you like dirt and be ok simply because there is high unemployment? That because you get a low salary you cannot expect basic respect and treatment.

How sad is that mentality?

I think as a whole most folks who work retail or service work realize that the pay is low, they get that and most recognize especially during this time of year that the customer can be shall we say, very very interesting but I don't think anyone goes into a job thinking "man I hope I don't get treated like a 3 year old by my supervisor" or "I hope the supervisor doesn't decided to yell and berate me loudly in front on everyone today".

Now I didn't last long because I knew if I stayed I'd end up with assualt and battery charges for jumping across the aisle and choking the life out of some of my supervisors but I often felt bad for the single moms with little or no resources that I worked with who every day were belittled and humiliated. Now was everyone like that no, but the atmosphere was definitely set up with fear and mistrust.

And like I said, it has made me almost pyschotic with my kids and the importance of education, self worth and making good choices. I drilled into their heads from the time they were old enough to understand that they must make sure they are never ever in the position of having to "take" that type of treatment just to feed themselves. How drugs, getting arrested, babies before you are ready can all mess up a wonderful future and land you in a walmart.

IN the interest of full disclosure, I purposedly for a few days did not read this thread. My experience was so horrible and dare I say traumatic that I know I sound totally irrational. for that I apologize.

 

[ladypage]

And therein lies the walmart mentality. We will treat you like crap because we can, don't blame us if you don't allow us to make you indentured slaves

That's always the bottom line. Yes, if you don't like us treating you like slaves, don't work here and too bad if you don't have any other recourse, that's not our fault.

Walmart from the top down encourages it's upper management to treat there low paid employees like crap. It is not isolated, it is systemic and coporate wide. I have the pleasure of knowing two women who successful sued walmart due to this from my contract in He###. One women is now sort of a Erin Brockovich against the company.

I have often said I'd be a street walker before I ever worked for walmart. Now sure I probably exaggerated especially since I knew I had options but I would send my kids to live with others and starve before ever ever being an employee of that store again.

I say that in all seriousness and my kids know never to let me even think they would take a job with that coporation. call me melodramatic and that's ok.
I will not live or move any place where my only shopping alternative is a walmart.

Now generally I don't tell people to boycott them, everyone has to make their own decisions with their own money but after my year and a half of being a walmart employee. like I said before I credit them with keeping me motivated to stay in school.

I think you might have slightly misunderstood me. A person who is choosing to take one an illegal job instead of working somewhere for minimum wage should not be able to use that wage as an excuse. It's about morals. Yeah, I live in a town where being a drug dealer is a normal occupation, and I could make a ridiculous amount of money off of it very easily. But it is my choice to work for someone else and to make that minimum wage, instead of pursuing a job that's illegal. If I were to choose dealing drugs, it is my own choice, and can't be blamed on Walmart or any other company in my town.

 

[cornflake]

Mayor Bloomberg has said he wouldn't disagree with having Walmarts in NYC. You do realize that there aren't many things that a city can do to keep a retailer out, if they really wanted to be there? All of this came up when Mumbles Menino (whose heart was in the right place -- he just spoke as a knee-jerk) told Chik-Fil-A that they couldn't come to Boston. Corporations that purchase land legally and follow zoning regulations cannot be be restrained from operating their business just because a group of people doesn't agree with their business model.

I'm curious, if you had been around when Ford was first making cars, would you have boycotted them? They were putting everyone with a horse-and-buggy out of business! And everyone who has a laser printer on their desk has practically killed the corner print shop. Kindles and e-readers are literally closing traditional book binders as I write this.

I will shop a locally-owned shop if they have something that I need, something that interests me, or something I can't get somewhere else. But it isn't my responsibility to keep their business open and if they can't compete, maybe they need to either change or try something else.

And since Walmart is the most successful retailer in the US (and six of the Walton heirs are in the Top 12 US billionaires list), apparently others agree with me.

We've managed for years. This didn't just come up over the Chick-fil-a thing, Walmart has been trying to open here for ages and we won't have it. There are plenty of things a municipality can do if it's creative, ask the towns without McDonalds, etc.

People proteststing Ford were worried about obscelescence, not specific business practices designed to kill smaller car retailers and human rights abuses.

Same as the e-reader argument - this is not about obscelescence.

Businesses that have been taken down by Walmart have been taken out in a systematic way designed to put them out of business and take over their business. I think that's just wrong - it's not competition, imo, if a company, say, hires a small business to produce a product for them on a large scale, then demands ever-greater price and quality cuts once most of production is dedicated to filling their orders, then, once the small business is nearly entirely committed to producing for the large one, killing the deal and producing the same thing offshore.

It's not competition to me if a large retailer comes in, cuts prices for a time on things local small retailers sell in order to drive small retailers out of business, then raises them. That's not competing, that's a systematic plan leveraging size in order to drive small businesses out of business in order that there be no actual competition.

That's all in addition to the horrible way they treat their employees, which I also find reprehensible. I don't care if it's cheaper or if they managed to get into this market. A friend of mine has a Walmart right by them - it's convenient and open later than most other things. Still doesn't go in it. I've been there and asked 'oh, why don't we just go get....' and heard 'only place open is The Evil,' so we don't go. You or anyone else is perfectly free to shop wherever and support Walmart if you wish. Some of us won't and will fight to keep it out of our town(s) because of its practices.

 

[Planogirl]

I've been going to a particular local Wal-Mart for many years. In that time I've seen many of the same employees which I always marvel at. Some people just simply don't leave and we're in a booming area where a ton of new retail has opened over that time period.

I guess that I just don't see what some have experienced. I don't doubt anyone but I just don't see it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Had to be when I first moved to South Jersey. let's see I was in grad school and started working there as Temporary christmas help so I'm going to say 1989. I would be very happy to hear that they have replaced that management style.

I know many people who worked there on that timeframe and loved it. I see some people who worked with them are still there. Maybe it was just your local store that was so bad?

 

[mhsjax]

From my perspective, a country with 8% UE probably has lots of people who are not as discriminatory as yourself or your circle of acquaintances.

As far as my previous point: I was referencing the $15 per hour salary wanted for WM workers. If those with advanced degrees (and more) are willing to work for pay not much greater than that in their field of expertise, I believe the $15 per hour for WM is unrealistic, considering the pool of people who have the same skill-set.

Ok, I thought that was what you were stating but wanted to be sure. Your first paragraph, yes we are lucky in this area, most people seem to be ok, for now.

2nd paragraph, I also agree, $15.00 for a worker at WM is very unrealistic.

 

[mhsjax]

Okay, number two is just ridiculous. Yes, there are people who would rather deal drugs then work at a minimum wage job, but how can you blame Walmart for that?

And maybe your Walmart won't schedule around college classes, but the one around here does. I know a lot of people that work there, and I would say about 30% of the staff consists of college students. Even if they weren't willing to schedule around classes, how is it Walmart's fault? It's also up to the students to figure out their own schedules. Don't put yourself in classes every day of the week, on the hours that you know your employer will need you. I know you can't always choose when your class will be, or you might not get the ideal time slot you wanted, but that's not Walmart's fault.

Ok I agree that the pp you were quoting is kind of crazy, but your post isn't far off. When you work part time, you usually get a schedule from week to week, or even month to month. You can schedule your college classes anyway you want, you are never going to know exactly what you are woking when it comes to retail. And yes, most retail stores will work with students, I know mine did as did all of my friends.

 

[foreUT]

Had to be when I first moved to South Jersey. let's see I was in grad school and started working there as Temporary christmas help so I'm going to say 1989. I would be very happy to hear that they have replaced that management style.

Thanks for sharing. Didn't want to be too nosy!

 

[ladypage]

Ok I agree that the pp you were quoting is kind of crazy, but your post isn't far off. When you work part time, you usually get a schedule from week to week, or even month to month. You can schedule your college classes anyway you want, you are never going to know exactly what you are woking when it comes to retail. And yes, most retail stores will work with students, I know mine did as did all of my friends.

You can schedule classes for when you KNOW you won't be working. I work in retail, "part time" at 39.5 hours a week. My store is open from 8 am - 10 pm, so I can schedule classes before or after. Yes, not everyone can do that, and the classes may be limited, but you can have something. Online classes are incredibly popular right now, and it's not just diploma mill online schools that do it. There are plenty or legitimate online and brick and mortar schools that do online classes.

The point is still that it is not an employer's responsibility to work around YOUR (general you) schedule. When you apply for a place like walmart you tell them your availability up front. At that point, it is up to them to hire you with that availability.

 

[Albort]

The point is still that it is not an employer's responsibility to work around YOUR (general you) schedule. When you apply for a place like walmart you tell them your availability up front. At that point, it is up to them to hire you with that availability.

They tell you pretty much up front too. Ive had to decline so many jobs because they tell you at the beginning that you must be available x hour --x hour.
A few i have encountered.
BOA - 7am-7pm
Verizon - 24 hour availability
ATT- 7am-12pm

Disney has worked with my schedule pretty well but a lot of times, the schedules are done by seniority but they do try. So yes, if you want a holiday off, ask for it. u may have a chance!

 

[foreUT]

but don't you see that as a problem. People would rather do just about any thing else than work for a company because of their reputation.

As I said, when I got hired I knew perfectly well what the pay was. that wasn't the issue but if I'm reading you right and I hope I'm misunderstanding, an empolyee can treat you like dirt and be ok simply because there is high unemployment? That because you get a low salary you cannot expect basic respect and treatment.

I am very sorry that your experience was so horrendous; thank you for providing insight from your own work history. Sometimes it takes a mass exodus of unhappy employees for the company to get a clue. I hope that the expense of training new employees, UE benefits that the company would have to protest, and, based on your experience, brutal labor complaints would have forced WM to rethink their management practices.

 

[xipotec]

I guess from reading all these posts;

1. Anyone who works for Walmart and thinks conditions are bad are just whiney and too lazy/uneducated to get a better job?

2. Walmart is a good and kind company that looks out for its employees and the community it serves??

3. There are no need for unions because they are corrupt and greedy and do nothing for anyone??

Have i got that right???

People need to revisit history and see what happens when business gets so large it influences politics and society. It is not all lollipops and sunshine....

 

[Rememberingthe70s]

I guess from reading all these posts;

1. Anyone who works for Walmart and thinks conditions are bad are just whiney and too lazy/uneducated to get a better job?

2. Walmart is a good and kind company that looks out for its employees and the community it serves??

3. There are no need for unions because they are corrupt and greedy and do nothing for anyone??

Have i got that right???

People need to revisit history and see what happens when business gets so large it influences politics and society. It is not all lollipops and sunshine....

Bravo!

 

[tvguy]

Just curious, how is it not an option? Do you not have any other stores? Or is it because of the prices. I know in my area, they aren't cheaper on everything, somethings yes, but certainly not everything. Especially after you factor in the time it takes to get there plus the time it takes to shop there. They are the slowest place on earth, at least mine is.

2 kids in college, so price. We almost save enough on a gallon of milk and a package of Oreos alone to make it worthwhile. But they just opened (a week and a day ago) one of those neighborhood Walmarts, so now there is no distance difference, and we get in and out in the same time as the grocery store. As I posted elsewhere, Walmart has more employees than the regular grocery store, always seems to be at least one worker on every aisle who can help you if you need it.
We do most of our meat and produce shopping still at the regular grocery store. While I have found a few items that were the same price at Walmart as at the grocery store, I have yet to find anything cheaper at the grocery store.