Wal-Mart

[Shimmer]

This is absolutely a travesty.

Anyone who has ever worked for WM knows that what they do is WRONG.
It is LITERALLY the company's practice that if bennies are offered at 34 hours then under absolutely NO circumstances is ANYONE other than management and employees who have been there upwards of 20 years to EVER work more than 30.
The HR director at the WM I worked for was adamant about that. If you had to stay late on one day, you left early on another. They managed hours like misers and the whole point is that Bentonville (WM corporate) does NOT want to pay benefits to its employees.
NOR does it want to pay more than a certain amount in a town.
It both sets the standard for the income level in small towns and holds it there...e.g. the small town I'm from. Walmart starts out at 6.10 an hour...and that's the best paying job you're going to find in that area without driving all across hell's half acre to get to it. Once you DO drive you're lucky to hit 8 dollars an hour. With the cost of gas, it's not WORTH it.
WM is terrible for small business. Mom and Pop grocers EVERYWHERE get shut downbecause of walmart's undercutting and price matching.
I hate walmart passionately.

 

[lemurian]

Wal-Mart is a hideous example of American capitalism for sure. This is but one of many instances where this company has show blatant disregard for it's employees. However, in this particular case it is worth discussing whether or not any business, big or small, should be responsible for health care costs. My personal opinion is "no". If the government were to force but one business to pay for health insurance for all of their employees, you'd eventually see small businesses dropping a lot faster than you do now (thanks to huge monopolizing conglomerations like Wal-Mart). It is absolutely unrealistic to expect all employers to pay for all of their employees' health care costs.

 

[Hawkeye]

I hate walmart. We wont even begin my long list of WHY

 

[Shimmer]

Should they be responsible for costs? No.
Should they, however, not select plans that make the premium such a high dollar amount when their workforce is comprised of people living barely off the edge of poverty and making hardly more than minimum wage? Ethically yes.
Should they make their healthcare options available for more employees by changing either their scheduling policies or their benefit eligibility policies? I believe so. As that article states, MANY of the folks who work at WM are on some sort of governmental assisted healthcare. That's your tax money.
In addition, MOST (and seriously, considering I was a cashier, I encountered most of the people who worked at the WM that I worked at) of the people who worked at the WM I did were on Food Stamps. WM doesn't allow them to work full time, but DEMANDS full flexibility (you have to be available at ANY point in time during the week or you'll lose your job) of its part time employees, often including anytime during the weekend. Therefore, having a second job is difficult because of the demands of the first, so its parttime employees were barely making enough to pay their basic bills let alone buy food, and nowhere enough to cover health care expenses.
Hardly ethical behaviour on the corporation's part..

 

[lemurian]

You're right, Shimmer. WM is just awful in so many ways. But I think that the government (both Federal and local) is equally responsible for keeping people impoverished by holding the minimum wage down and allowing living costs (real estate, fuel, etc.) to go up (to benefit themselves and ugly, money-grubbing monopolies!). Ughhh, it's so frustrating just thinking about it!

However, I personally don't mind my tax dollars going towards food stamps or Medicaid; I'm perfectly happy to support public funding for those in need. I only wish that more of my tax $$ went towards education instead of military spending so that no one would HAVE to utilize these services or work at WM again

 

[pumpkincat210]

Since the old guy died (sam walton) they have been so crooked. They also don't carry as much "made in the usa" stuff as well.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemurian You're right, Shimmer. WM is just awful in so many ways. But I think that the government (both Federal and local) is equally responsible for keeping people impoverished by holding the minimum wage down and allowing living costs (real estate, fuel, etc.) to go up (to benefit themselves and ugly, money-grubbing monopolies!). Ughhh, it's so frustrating just thinking about it! However, I personally don't mind my tax dollars going towards food stamps or Medicaid; I'm perfectly happy to support public funding for those in need. I only wish that more of my tax $$ went towards education instead of military spending so that no one would HAVE to utilize these services or work at WM again

I cant agree with you on teh military spending as I've seen what lack of funds in the military does, though I would say the military needs a different manner of accountability.
That said...when you raise minimum wage, it doesn't do any good because the cost of items rise concurrently, and it doesn't offset anything the way it should.

 

[Hawkeye]

Wanna know what they did in my home town? Oh you will love this-

The City has an ordanance that states that there should be NO box stores (IE: Walmart, Target) within 3 miles of each other. We have a Walmart maybe 3 miles up the road that is NOT in our city limits, a Target maybe 2 miles up the road that are within the city limits and then Walmart-good ol jerks see a peice of land and they want it.

It's within the city limits. Walmart says listen we want this land and my city says-no it is not allowed in our city ordinance. So guess what good ol Walmart does?

They then go further and they start to threaten to sue the city for a few million dollars. Money the city doesn't have. The city says NO we will not let you build a walmart there. We have high priced lawyers and we will win because you are not to build there.

Then the former governor of our great state of Georgia, ROY BARNS gets involved and he delivered the papers that basically say look you're getting sued. The towns lawyers told our mayor and planning and zoning that there was no way we could win and thus we are having a walmart built within one mile of target. Walmart wouldn't move it down 2 extra miles it had to be THAT peice of land.

Yes they are corrupt, snakes, and just all around evil.

 

[electrostars]

yeah, wal-mart needs to die.

 

[electrostars]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shimmer This is absolutely a travesty. Anyone who has ever worked for WM knows that what they do is WRONG. It is LITERALLY the company's practice that if bennies are offered at 34 hours then under absolutely NO circumstances is ANYONE other than management and employees who have been there upwards of 20 years to EVER work more than 30. The HR director at the WM I worked for was adamant about that. If you had to stay late on one day, you left early on another. They managed hours like misers and the whole point is that Bentonville (WM corporate) does NOT want to pay benefits to its employees. NOR does it want to pay more than a certain amount in a town. It both sets the standard for the income level in small towns and holds it there...e.g. the small town I'm from. Walmart starts out at 6.10 an hour...and that's the best paying job you're going to find in that area without driving all across hell's half acre to get to it. Once you DO drive you're lucky to hit 8 dollars an hour. With the cost of gas, it's not WORTH it. WM is terrible for small business. Mom and Pop grocers EVERYWHERE get shut downbecause of walmart's undercutting and price matching. I hate walmart passionately.

Wal-mart gives instructions to their employees on how to file for welfare/medicare(or is it medicaid? whatever!) just so they don't have to pay the benefits. So the taxpayers have to pay for their benefits, BASTARDS..

WM is terrible for small business. I know, because my grandpa owns a small grocery store. My dad runs it, and my Auntie is the assistant store director..our whole family depends on it. I also work there, and so does my cousin, as of right now. We've had alot more of our family here at one point or another. If the wal-mart that is located one mile north of us turns into a super wal-mart, which is being rumoured, we're all screwed.

Wal-mart is putting america out of business.

 

[electrostars]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemurian However, I personally don't mind my tax dollars going towards food stamps or Medicaid; I'm perfectly happy to support public funding for those in need. I only wish that more of my tax $$ went towards education instead of military spending so that no one would HAVE to utilize these services or work at WM again

I don't mind my tax dollars helping out people who are in need of it, but I hate my tax dollars going to people on welfare who drive CADILLACS!

The whole welfare thing is fucked up and someone needs to do something about it.

 

[user6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemurian You're right, Shimmer. WM is just awful in so many ways. But I think that the government (both Federal and local) is equally responsible for keeping people impoverished by holding the minimum wage down and allowing living costs (real estate, fuel, etc.) to go up (to benefit themselves and ugly, money-grubbing monopolies!). Ughhh, it's so frustrating just thinking about it! However, I personally don't mind my tax dollars going towards food stamps or Medicaid; I'm perfectly happy to support public funding for those in need. I only wish that more of my tax $$ went towards education instead of military spending so that no one would HAVE to utilize these services or work at WM again

You know, living by the border, I really hate the fact that a mexican woman can come across illegally, have her baby here, and her baby's a US citizen!!! Not only that, she doesn't live here, doesn't work here, and yet since here baby's a citizen she qualifies for all governemnt aide, i'm sorry but I don't work my a** off in a hospital emergency room seeing trauma, and some of life's worse things to support someone who doesn't even live here......and don't argue with me on this one, because I personally see it happen all the time!!

and I couldn't agree with you more about the governemnt allowing the cost of living to go up, shimmer brings up a good point where although minimum wage is raised, so is the cost of everything else, so nothing changes! But I also disagree with you on the military point of view, being a vet myself I know what lack of funding can do, so I'm just going to leave it at that.......but damn walmart! damn them all to heck!!

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

..........

 

[lemurian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by medicredfearn But I also disagree with you on the military point of view, being a vet myself I know what lack of funding can do, so I'm just going to leave it at that.......but damn walmart! damn them all to heck!!

Well, I certainly don't want our service men and women to be going into battle without the proper gear, but I don't think the issue is the amount of billions spent, but HOW they are spent, and I'd agree that they're being spent poorly. I just think that with proper budgetting we could get by spending a lot less on "just in case" and more on what we so obviously need RIGHT NOW, which is proper public schooling

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK ..........

this was the first 'haha' post.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemurian Well, I certainly don't want our service men and women to be going into battle without the proper gear, but I don't think the issue is the amount of billions spent, but HOW they are spent, and I'd agree that they're being spent poorly. I just think that with proper budgetting we could get by spending a lot less on "just in case" and more on what we so obviously need RIGHT NOW, which is proper public schooling

it's not just proper gear, it's living in conditions that are fit for human residence.
My orders kept me at Ft. Stewart where the president of the US walked through the barracks and personally condemned them because they were so disgusting. I LIVED in those barracks. I had to help clean them so we could live in them...
I remember the Nat'l Guardsmen having to sleep in GROSS places because their barracks weren't fixed.
I know for a fact that MANY lower ranking enlisted servicemen with families were receiving governmental aid when I was in the army as well as even now there are still those same numbers. :/
It's funding for EVERYTHING, not just battle rattle.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shimmer this was the first 'haha' post.

This is true. but i changed it. I just dont think america is going to become poor because of "wal mart" im pretty sure its other things that are going to bring this country down.

 

[Shimmer]

I never said America was going to become poor, however there is substantial evidence that Wal-Mart's business practices are detrimental to small businesses within the towns Wal-Mart builds in.

 

[joytheobscure]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbeabitch Wanna know what they did in my home town? Oh you will love this- The City has an ordanance that states that there should be NO box stores (IE: Walmart, Target) within 3 miles of each other. We have a Walmart maybe 3 miles up the road that is NOT in our city limits, a Target maybe 2 miles up the road that are within the city limits and then Walmart-good ol jerks see a peice of land and they want it. It's within the city limits. Walmart says listen we want this land and my city says-no it is not allowed in our city ordinance. So guess what good ol Walmart does? They then go further and they start to threaten to sue the city for a few million dollars. Money the city doesn't have. The city says NO we will not let you build a walmart there. We have high priced lawyers and we will win because you are not to build there. Then the former governor of our great state of Georgia, ROY BARNS gets involved and he delivered the papers that basically say look you're getting sued. The towns lawyers told our mayor and planning and zoning that there was no way we could win and thus we are having a walmart built within one mile of target. Walmart wouldn't move it down 2 extra miles it had to be THAT peice of land. Yes they are corrupt, snakes, and just all around evil.

That literally turns my stomach, if your town could stick together, walmart would not stay in business.... Just have your local cops start writing up infractions for people who visit that establishment, treat it like a crack house, LOL!! I do not agree with that at all --I'd love to see a town run them out of business. capitalism at its worst-

Our society is increasingly becoming more and more big business-- I mean the vast change of how our society operates, we don't have the small town business or atmosphere. 100 years ago people weren't insured to the hilt, nor were they buying massive amounts of consumable goods on credit or living way above their means. I really blame insurance, the banking industry, and credit cards for part of our societies problems..even this computer and the globalization, along with national credit agencies etc... So many conveniences take things out of the hands of the common man. Even Electricity and Utilities, you can't go two weeks late on a bill before you get cut off nowadays..

Everything is a big corporation, look at health care, and healthcare costs, thats a whole other vent. My feelings on medicaid is there are serious issues with medical costs - overinflated costs in many ways...Foodstamps my feelings are they should be seriously reregulated and basically made into commodity type subsistence, (but thats my personal opionion)- a bag of potatoes, beans, flour, sugar, butter etc, are a lot easier to make last the month than frozen pizzas and chips. I felt that way when I had to be on foodstamps - yes I've been there.

I also have to shop at walmart-- a necessary evil in my life. Its a shame that Target can't open up more stores closer to me. There aren't many Mom and Pop grocery stores around anymore. Walmart I think was ok, until they got into the grocery business.


Upward social mobility is something you have to have in a society and as long as there is that American Dream that everyone can become wealthy or go from rags to riches the situation will remain...

I love the book "The Grapes of Wrath " by Steinbeck as a reflection on our modern society and a reminder of what can very easily happen again. Ok, well thats a soapbox area for me, modern society that is, as much as it is a love-hate relationship for me.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shimmer I never said America was going to become poor, however there is substantial evidence that Wal-Mart's business practices are detrimental to small businesses within the towns Wal-Mart builds in.

I never said that YOU said it someone else did and I happend to think it was Silly. Sorry if i Ofended anyone..