How do you react to this?

[Joseph]

And Joseph, as far as Wal-Mart providing benefits for 56% of their employees, here's where they're breaking the law:
They're now hiring a TON of people for only 30 hours a week, whereas the labor laws kick in and they're required to provide a certain level of benefits at 35.

And hiring people for only thirty hours a week is illegal? I don’t think so – sounds to me like they are staying within the limits of the law. Remember our discussion on moral vs. legal? Well, they’re actions are legal so by your standards they should be left to their own devices. Who are we to judge the morality of their actions?

And what the heck do you mean by "people making a career choice" from them?
No one DOES? How many people does the company EMPLOY!?

I can’t find a current figure, but according to a PBS article, “more people than any other company in the United States outside of the Federal government.”

Seems like a LOT of people have made it a "career choice."

Actually, the opposite is true. A lot of people work there at any given time, but (according to the same article) they have about 70% turnover within the first year, which of course is another tactic WalMart relies on to keep from paying benefits. So only 30% of their employees are sticking it out past the first year, and I expect the figure for those actually making it a career is significantly smaller. And God help them that do. Retail under any circumstances, be it WalMart, K-Mart, 7-11, whatever – seriously sucks. I know – been there, done that, which is why I’m not there anymore.

Or rather, sorry to say this, just trying to work hard for 40 hours and make a liveable wage with health benefits.

Seems like most of their employees (at least in this country) are high school kids and young people just starting out in the employment world. They work there for a while, then move on to something better. I’ve worked at 7-11, Round Table Pizza and an Alpha Beta Supermarket, but I didn’t stay there and I didn’t think I was being screwed because I didn’t have benefits. It’s called “entry level employment.” To borrow your phrase, WHAT AN ALIEN CONCEPT!!!

Man, that was really a condescending thing to say about people that work there.

Not at all. My point is not many people make retail their career – “Do you want fries with that?”

The company made $12 billion in 2005, yet they are DRASTICALLY slashing the health benefits for new hires, or people working there less than 3 years. And upping the costs for long-time hires. Since my wife has been there 5, that means she's safe except now her take-home is less--except they'll probably create a hostile wrk environment and try to make her quit so they don't have to pay any of those benefits at all.

So why does she work there?

Man, you really have to research what this company does.
And this has nothing to do with how many people decide to patronize and shop at Wal-Mart. It has to do with them stop breaking the damn laws time and time again, and using this excuse:
"We are one of the largest employers in America, providing wonderful jobs and opportunities for millions of Americans."
Now THAT'S total bullshit.

That may be, but you have yet to cite a single law that they are breaking. In fact, it looks to me like they’re going to great lengths to stay within the letter of the law.

Sadly, no one cares--as long as they can get their small bottle of propane cheaper there than anywhere else. I don't expect anything different and I wouldn't behave any differently myself.

Then you are part of the problem – rewarding them for their behavior.

And Joseph, THIS is why we have government. To protect workers' rights.

Um… no. Government exists to protect the rights of everyone, which includes employers, not just workers. Sorry, this isn’t a Socialist utopia.

I know you don't agree with this philosophy, and that's why you're a Republican.

I hold my nose and vote Republican because I have no desire to live under a socialist nanny state. Though at least on the government hand-out scale it’s getting to the point that it’s hard to tell the difference between the parties any more…

Why would they lay me off or fire me, when they love the work I do? Is it possible the owner of my company is just bullshitting us about how much money we're making, and that raises wouldn't be a problem for those deserving of it?

Why not? Apparently WalMart does…

I pay 40% of my health insurance costs. Wow--great benefits.

Didn’t I just read that WalMart pays 35%? (For those that stick around long enough to get them, of course.) Sounds like you’re working for the wrong outfit!

Of course, you could always be self-employed like my dad - he gets to gets to pay 100% of the costs for him and Mom. He didn’t need “benefits,” just opportunity.

And Jay? YOU GO, GUY!!

Joseph

[Elumia]

I never understand why people decry Walmart and then go and shop there. After all, we have so many choices where to spend our dollar. Besides, their prices aren't all that great. I go to Target first becuase their store are better merchandised and cleaner. When I can't find what I want I will go to Walmart. Once you get off the main aisle in a walmart, past the teaser prices, you will find that in many cases they are actually priced higher than other places. Walmart has become successful because people have voted with their wallet.

If you are unhappy in your employment, sniping and griping, you are part of the problem. Be part of the solution or move on to something better. No one is holding a gun at your head to work anywhere let alone for 5 years. I left a miserable SOB of a boss a few years ago. I was a bitter bob while I worked there, but thought the job had "benefits" for staying there. The best decision I made was moving on. I don't make much more, but I am happier and that is worth all the pay in the world.

Just my opinion.

Mark

[asianflava]

As some of you already know, I'm a Wal-Mart Shopper. They are pretty much the only place open when I'm awake. Our Home Depot used to be open 24hours but they stopped that a couple years ago.

[Joseph]

I pay 40% of my health insurance costs. Wow--great benefits.

Didn’t I just read that WalMart pays 35%? (For those that stick around long enough to get them, of course.) Sounds like you’re working for the wrong outfit!

Woah!! I musta had a brain fart there - your employer pays 60%, you pay 40%. So you do in fact have it better than a WalMart employee. Got it.

Joseph

[jay]

so you get 60% paid!

more 'n half...

[asianflava]

Sam Walton would turn over in his grave if he saw how his company is being run nowadays.

[Boodro]

I could just see ya Ira , being a Wal-mart greeter!

Welcome to Wal-mart , git your shi* , & git out ! Have a nice day!
Shalom!


As far as the way WM treats its employees Hey can ya say the " Union Label " ?

Good luck Ira what ever ya do . Just remember its never to late!
I left a corp. company after 23 years , left the state without a job to go to , took a 10 dollar an hr cut & worked up from there. After 10 years I'm better off now. You can do it!

[alaska teardrop]

Want a raise, Ira? Come on up to the 'Last Frontier'.

No state sales tax ________________________________________________________= $_______

No state income tax_______________________________________________________= $_______

This month every man, woman & child received a $1106.96 Permanent Fund Dividend check

(Ira + wife + kids)________________________________________________________= $_______

Free meat, fish & berries___________________________________________________= $______

Plenty of free parking for the 'Crab'___________________________________________= $_______

Grow your own__________________________________________________________= $_______

Add up your raise_____________________________________________________total = $_______

Walmarts? Maybe two.

[campadk]

Ira,

Sounds like the kind of Christmas letter Sparky Grizwald would have got from his boss in 'Christmas Vacation'.

Are you still going to be getting a turkey at least?

To help make you feel better, you should listen to this...
http://campadk.com/hlgiftidea.wav

[sdtripper2]

Dave:

To help make you feel better, you should listen to this...
http://campadk.com/hlgiftidea.wav

I needed a good smile this morning and this example sure is exemplary
of how many of the unsung hero's who have suffered the insults of
out-sourcing, off-shoring and abandonment of even the rudimentary trappings
of respect by employer to employee in the work place must feel.

Like Ira, the working class US citizen left behind and paying the cost in stagnant
wages for the profits of these new slave owners exacerbated by unfettered immigration
to wholesale corruption from their elected officials, at some point must explode in this type of outburst.

Unless and until the citizens step uP and claim back their Government,
from the corporate power, as seen in the news of bribes inside the
Washington beltway we are at extreme risk. The next assault is coming to
us from the corporations in regards to the net neutrality rules as we citizens
could loose even more of our rights.
To resist the insults of a thin veiled Christmas letter will seem like child's play in comparison.

[jay]

i really miss that show.

wonder what ever happened to John-Boy?

[Laredo]

/Political rant on/

A country that can afford $80 BILLION annually in wars against nations that were and are no threat to our shores, but cannot afford to take care of the least among us, is hardly a socialist utopia. Priorities, people. Government spending that goes into Halliburton/Exxon pockets is much larger and way more wasteful than government spending that keeps kids from starving, growing up illiterate, or spreading communicable diseases throughout their communities.

And as far as "capitalism" goes, I saw this on a political site the other day:

If your damn company can't make enough to take care of the people who work there, it's not your employees' fault. It's because you suck as a manager."

/Political rant off/

[angib]

One of the things that virtually all politicians in virtually all countries don't tend to do is to look at what they've done and see if it came out alright. Nobody (OK, virtually nobody) would think of running a business without any idea of whether the customer was satisfied, but most countries seem happy to do it.

If you want to question whether a health system works effectively, child mortality (the number of live births that don't reach 5 years) is a good overall figure as it's an objective that every parent thinks is important. The WHO (World Health Organization) publishes those figures in PDF form or as an Excel spreadsheet.

The best are Iceland and Singapore with 3 deaths per 1,000. Next comes Japan and all three Scandinavian countries on 4.

The USA is down at 8 per 1,000, in surprising company - Estonia, Poland, Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates.

Perhaps a bigger shock is the countries at 7 per 1,000 - Croatia, Cuba and Malaysia.

The bottom of the table is rather horrifying - Afghanistan, Angola, Niger and Sierra Leone have figures over 250 per 1,000 - a quarter of all children don't live to the age of 5.

Child mortality is usually connected to wealth, so rich countries tend to have significantly lower rates than poor countries - they can afford expensive vaccines, etc. Data for each country can be found here.

If you then want to question whether a country's health system is efficient, you need to look at the amount of its wealth that each country spends on health care and that makes some fairly wild reading too. Here's a few (% of Gross Domestic Product spent on health care and US dollar amount per person):
Iceland: 10.5%, $3,100
Singapore: 4.5%, $1,200
Japan: 7.9%, $2,200
Cuba: 7.3%, $250
Malaysia: 3.8%, $370
USA: 15.2%, $5,700

We all tend to start from political ideals and use them to decide which is the 'best' system - this sort of data tends to show that this isn't a good idea.

Andrew

[Joseph]

A country that can afford $80 BILLION annually in wars against nations that were and are no threat to our shores, but cannot afford to take care of the least among us, is hardly a socialist utopia. Priorities, people. Government spending that goes into Halliburton/Exxon pockets is much larger and way more wasteful than government spending that keeps kids from starving, growing up illiterate, or spreading communicable diseases throughout their communities.

Oh please - as I have pointed out here before, the biggest share of our spending does not go to defense, or Homeland Security, or Haliburton/Exxon - it goes to Health and Human Services.

Speaking of illiteracy, in the District of Columbia we have the highest per capita spending on education in the country and one of the worst education systems in the freaking world. Throwing money at a problem doesn't necessarily solve it.

Joseph

[SkipperSue]

Speaking of illiteracy, in the District of Columbia we have the highest per capita spending on education in the country and one of the worst education systems in the freaking world. Throwing money at a problem doesn't necessarily solve it.

Joseph

Ditto that for South Carolina Joseph!