Black Friday - Walmart Strike?

[tvguy]

OT, but, due to my mom's stroke this year, I have been exposed to a whole new world, that of the Board and Care home for the Elderly.
I do not know exactly what caregivers make, but I suspect it is a lot less than minimum wage. Most of the workers are recent immigrants, and job is 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. They earn a salary, no overtime, no holiday pay,. Of course, compensation also includes room and board. Now, Social security allows just $1,000 a month for board and care, actually $900 once the $100 a month is subtracted that the residents get for incidential expenses. There are no more than 6 residents per facility, so that works out to about $1.25 an hour per resident, or $7.50 per facility an hour that social security to cover all costs, food, electric and water bills and labor. No way the workers can be making minimum wage. Now, private pay facilites charge about $4,000 a month, but I doubt their workers are making mimimum wage.

So, while we worry about Walmart workers make, remember, there are others working in very important jobs, working 24 hours a day, for less.

 

[joviroxx]

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....

Posts like this are so silly. Hyperbole is useless. This thread has plenty of both sides of the argument.

 

[joviroxx]

And for the record, I really hate shopping at Walmart. Not for the employees but for the customers. I find the large majority of their employees to be very helpful. I hate dealing with the messy, careless, rude customers that seem to visit my local Super Walmart. BUT, I DO shop there. Grocery shopping takes me to 3 different places all for best prices. There is also the ease of one-stop shopping there when I have to get a variety of things.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

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.

That would be considered full time in this state.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

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....

Recent history has shown unions to be their own worst enemies. The power shift between employee and employer is like a pendulum. At one time, it had swing too far in favor of employer. Unions came about and initially restored the balance. Then things swung too far in the union's direction. This caused economic hardship for companies, and the pendulum began to swing back again. We now find ourselves in an interesting place. On one side are employers who want to return us to 1920s status. On the other side are unions who still think its the 1940s. Both sides are wrong, but the employers hold the power.

 

[ladypage]

That would be considered full time in this state.

As far as I'm concerned it is full time. That's the amount of time I am actually there working, not my breaks or lunch period. So I'm actually there for about 46 hours each week, give or take.

Because I'm only working 39.5 hours I don't qualify for the full time benefits. It's not just Walmart that does that, a lot of minimum wage places do.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

It would have to be a difference in state law. 30 or 32 hours a week is full time here.

 

[joviroxx]

It would have to be a difference in state law. 30 or 32 hours a week is full time here.

You know its an interesting question. Laws usually make 40 hours as the legal definition of Ful ltime but that is only to determine overtime pay. Part time vs Full Time status for the payment of benefits is usually defined by each employer. The determination of the threshold to where employees are eligible for benefits is a company rule.

As far as I understand it, it is completely up to the employer what requirements they want for benefit eligibility. The law is that is must be clear and enforced evenly.

 

[Missypyxi]

I'm striking. As a consumer. I am refusing to go out and shop.

Me too, I refuse to contribute to Thanksgiving becoming "Black Thursday." I don't shop Black Friday, either.

 

[ladypage]

It would have to be a difference in state law. 30 or 32 hours a week is full time here.

I'm not even certain that my state has any laws about it, nor if many other states do as well. Per the department of labor website:

"The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-time employment. This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer. Whether an employee is considered full-time or part-time does not change the application of the FLSA, nor does it affect application of the Service Contract Act or Davis-Bacon and Related Acts wage and fringe benefit requirements."

So I think in most cases it's up to the employer. Maybe since we're an at will state? (That might not be the right phrasing...)

 

[mhsjax]

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.

2 kids, I feel your pain. I will have 3. UGH. Anyway, your WM sounds better than ours. Ours is crowded, dirty and very few checkout lines. YOu can wait 15-20 minutes just to check out. I can usually watch the prices at my usual store and get out for just a little more depending on what I need. I will say that they are always cheaper on cereal and my oldest DS eats it like there is no tomorrow. lol

 

[mhsjax]

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.

If you are a student, your availability changes. It would be hard to let them know your time available because it varies, and in this case I can only assume it is just Walmart trying to keep people under their strong arm. Also you work 39 hours a week, sorry but that is full time and I can see where they probably wouldn't work with you. when I speak of college students, I am talking about the ones who are in full time and work part time.

Also I am well aware of on line classes but in our colleges, you are required to show up at the actual building several times during the semester to take exams. I guess Walmart would have a problem with that also, just another reason why I would NEVER work for that corporation and I would forbid my kids to also, at least while they were under my roof.

 

[ladypage]

If you are a student, your availability changes. It would be hard to let them know your time available because it varies, and in this case I can only assume it is just Walmart trying to keep people under their strong arm. Also you work 39 hours a week, sorry but that is full time and I can see where they probably wouldn't work with you. when I speak of college students, I am talking about the ones who are in full time and work part time.

Also I am well aware of on line classes but in our colleges, you are required to show up at the actual building several times during the semester to take exams. I guess Walmart would have a problem with that also, just another reason why I would NEVER work for that corporation and I would forbid my kids to also, at least while they were under my roof.

By my company's standards, I am only part time. I don't work at Walmart, but I do work at KMart, so I understand the schedule changes and such in retail. The majority of my coworkers work the same hours as me, as well as go to school. In general they take online classes or consistently make their school schedule on the same two days as much as possible.

Having to show up a few times a semester really shouldn't be that hard. Most classes will give you the dates of those tests up front, so you request those days off as soon as you can. Look, I know it's not easy, but it is possible (most of the time) if you are really willing to work at it.


There are plenty of reasons to hate Walmart, but I can't see this as being a valid one. (In my opinion)

 

[mhsjax]

By my company's standards, I am only part time. I don't work at Walmart, but I do work at KMart, so I understand the schedule changes and such in retail. The majority of my coworkers work the same hours as me, as well as go to school. In general they take online classes or consistently make their school schedule on the same two days as much as possible.

Having to show up a few times a semester really shouldn't be that hard. Most classes will give you the dates of those tests up front, so you request those days off as soon as you can. Look, I know it's not easy, but it is possible (most of the time) if you are really willing to work at it.


There are plenty of reasons to hate Walmart, but I can't see this as being a valid one. (In my opinion)

But you are the one that said it isn't up to WM to work with a students' schedule and now you say you just have to request off, so why should they give you off on these days? According to you, it isn't their responsibility. You can't have it both ways. By your explanation, if they can give you days off because you know in advance, then if you only change classes every 3-4 months, you should be able to give them your schedule and they can adjust for those 3-4 months and then make a different schedule. When I worked retail we got out schedule about 1-2 weeks at a time, don't tell me that they can't to this for college students to make their classes, they just don't want to.

 

[ladypage]

But you are the one that said it isn't up to WM to work with a students' schedule and now you say you just have to request off, so why should they give you off on these days? According to you, it isn't their responsibility. You can't have it both ways. By your explanation, if they can give you days off because you know in advance, then if you only change classes every 3-4 months, you should be able to give them your schedule and they can adjust for those 3-4 months and then make a different schedule. When I worked retail we got out schedule about 1-2 weeks at a time, don't tell me that they can't to this for college students to make their classes, they just don't want to.

There's an obvious difference between requesting a few days off within a 4 month period and having a student only working 3 days a week because the other days they have classes. I stand by my previous statement. It's not up to Walmart to work around your schedule, but for you to make sure that your schedules will work out.

I never said they can't do it, but it's not their responsibility to. It's not just Walmart that does this. Do you ever shop at K Mart, Sears,or Target? Most retail environments are like this.

 

[stindall]

I'm striking. As a consumer. I am refusing to go out and shop.

This is so silly. Chances are you're still going to give these businesses your money on another day, not shopping on one day is not proving anything. Not everyone hates working holidays and not everyone has plans the entire day. The few times I had a job that required me to work holidays, everyone was only scheduled a few hours and that was that.

But to those of you saying "don't like it don't work retail" obviously don't understand that most people don't have that option.

 

[stindall]

Well, I don't know about that. You do what you have to do and it is often with no choice.
(and I have worked my share (25 years+) of holidays as a floor nurse and didn't gripe about it) Now I am in an office!

I agree with this.

And as for my thoughts on the Walmart walk out, I have many.
I am old enough to remember when stores were closed on Sundays. And over the years family life has taken a back seat to corporations and the all mighty dollar.

Again, ridiculous. Stores being closed one day of the week is just not something that should be forced upon everyone. Don't want to work one day of the week? Change your availability. Want to have family time on Sunday? Then don't shop and do just that.

 

[mhsjax]

There's an obvious difference between requesting a few days off within a 4 month period and having a student only working 3 days a week because the other days they have classes. I stand by my previous statement. It's not up to Walmart to work around your schedule, but for you to make sure that your schedules will work out.

I never said they can't do it, but it's not their responsibility to. It's not just Walmart that does this. Do you ever shop at K Mart, Sears,or Target? Most retail environments are like this.

Sears yes, me and DH worked there for years. Well he worked there for years, I did for one, part time as did DH. They 100% worked with our school schedule, they had no problem with it what so ever, they knew we were students and adjusted our schedules accordingly. We weren't full time, well actually DH was 3/4 time college students and this is what I am talking about, part time college students. So there you go, the answer is YES.

 

[ladypage]

Sears yes, me and DH worked there for years. Well he worked there for years, I did for one, part time as did DH. They 100% worked with our school schedule, they had no problem with it what so ever, they knew we were students and adjusted our schedules accordingly. We weren't full time, well actually DH was 3/4 time college students and this is what I am talking about, part time college students. So there you go, the answer is YES.

I really don't understand what you're saying with this. If you shop at Sears, you're contributing to the same environment that Walmart has. Maybe it was different when you worked there, but not now. Again, like I said, the Walmart near me DOES cater to student schedules, but I don't think that it is necessarily their responsibility.

 

[Kteacher]

I think it's important to remember that holiday work hours are just a piece of the larger Walmart issue. Personally I feel that every employer should ensure a healthy and safe workplace that is also free of any discrimination based on gender, race, age, creed, or sexual orientation.