37 replies to this topic

[caligirlz]

I worked at Wal-Mart about 10 years ago, as a subcontractor in their Work Comp division. As part of my orientation, I got to travel back the HQ's in Rogers...that was fun trip except for the excessive cheerleading garbage at the orientation meetings. It was really, really pathetic. Remember when the employees used to do morning cheers before starting work, well, I had a whole week of corporate big wigs having cheer offs..ughh.....Back then, it was a well-known fact that Wal-Mart's had crummy benefits (wages & health insurance). It was also a well-known fact that there were many stipulations to even qualifying to receive medical benefits, and very few employees did.

I was always amazed by the way the management and claims adjusters treated the injured employees. Yes, there was lots of fraud (proven through surveillance tapes), but the underlying automatic attitude was to screw the injured employee from receiving medical care. It was very challenging to work in that situation as a patient advocate (RN).

I think there is some accuracy to the complaints one reads on-line, as my Wal-Mart friends expressed very similar opinions and experiences to me during the time we worked together. We all got fired on the same day as management decided to shut down our claims shop (they had a cheaper vendor in another city)...so there was a lot of complaining at the end. Of course, no one had a clue until we were told in a group meeting, and told we had 15 minutes to pack up our personal belongings, and to wait in the line to be discharged. Of course, all the power was shut down...I understand why, but it sure was a shock for most of the bread winners receiving poverty wages. Thankfully, my contractor was onsite, and we got to take home most of the special supplies (ergo chairs, etc) that they had bought for us.

One of the websites I recall being mentioned (& I can't attest to how accurate they are now), was http://www.walmartsucks.org/

Here's something I found about salaries..Wal-Mart hit with minimum wage lawsuit as walkout threat looms, Oct 22, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/22/walmart-lawsuit-idUSL1E8LMCTE20121022

June 30: Rockers Rally Against Low Wages and New Walmart Store in Los Angeles
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rockers-rally-against-low-wages-and-new-walmart-store-in-los-angeles-20120630#ixzz2AHMdwpfD

From 2006: More than 3,100 Wal-Mart workers got state health aid
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002758209_report24m.html

From 2005: Wal-Mart Memo Suggests Ways to Cut Employee Benefit Costs
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/business/26walmart.ready.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ms. Chambers acknowledged that 46 percent of the children of Wal-Mart's 1.33 million United States employees were uninsured or on Medicaid.

I easily found 10+ articles all talking about the lousy wages & benefits.

More....Internal Wal-Mart Memo Validates Findings of UC Berkeley Study http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmartmemo.pdf

[caligirlz]

and it continues with more recent news....Wal-Mart’s Economic Footprint 1/10/10 http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/files/Walmart.pdf

Wal-Mart has thousands of associates who qualify for Medicaid and other publicly subsidized care, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.13 For instance in Ohio Wal-Mart has more associates and associate dependents on Medicaid than any other employer, costing taxpayers $44.8 million in 2009.14
Wal-Mart’s 2010 health care offerings have a high annual deductible of $4,400 which means a family would have to spend $5,102 of their own money on health care before Wal-Mart’s insurance pays anything. Based on the average salary of a Wal-Mart employee this payment represents almost 25% of their annual income.20 21
Because many of Wal-Mart’s employees do not earn enough to make ends meet they often turn to public assistance. Each Wal-Mart store, averaging 200 employees, costs taxpayers approximately $420,750 annually in public social services used by store employees.38 Wal-Mart has thousands of associates who qualify for Medicaid and other publicly subsidized care, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.39 For instance, Wal-Mart has the greatest number of associates and associate dependents on Medicaid in Ohio, costing taxpayers $44.8 million in 2009.40

From 2011: Walmart Must Be Accountable http://www.laborpress.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=454:walmart-must-be-accountable&catid=71:john-durso&Itemid=86

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I don't really care for Wal-Mart. I'd much rather support the small, independent store that Wal-Mart has put out of business in nearly every community market they enter. Thankfully, Folsom & the Sacto region still has a few of these stores left...like Ace Hardware. And I really don't like to buy cheap junk from China. I realize that most of our products are foreign made or assembled, but some of it is of higher quality than others. I don't mind spending more for something that works. Target isn't much better for quality. For example, I bought a cheap plastic dust pan & brush at Target. It's a piece of junk. The brush has the wrong fibers, and brushing dirt up against the plastic lip...well, it just pushes the dirt under the pan. There's $5 wasted. Also, most Wal-Mart's are filthy dirty (however...Folsom has probably one of the nicest stores I've seen in california. The superstore in Thomaston GA was very nice too).

[asbestoshills]

Great article Calgirlz. It seems when I post the exact same info, it is taken as garbage and thrown away. People just hate to believe that big corp would not have their employees best interest, or any interest for that matter at heart. I think a lot of the people on this forum are older and perhaps have had the same job for twenty years and are dinosaurs that can't accept change. Change from the majority, change in the way we are a service economy and change that we aren't the best country in the world concerning infant mortality, wages and benefits and equality. I think it's a wake up call if anything that SOME people on this forum need to educate themselves. More than once they ask for the information, but when delivered they have an excuse as to why the info is not valid. People who expect others to do their thinking, are people I rather not even deal with.
Until their job or their livelihoods are affected, they won't change. Once their job is gone or they are making a very low wage and can't support their family, maybe they will expect more from their employers. Most of the people on the forum are white middle class people that have two children and the same job since college. They don't have the luxury to change jobs or see what it's like to work in another country for a year b/c they are so busy trying to make ends meet. They aren't bad, they are the middle class. They wake up early, get the kids to school, go to work, make dinner, play sports and go to bed and start the whole thing over again the next day, with little time to think of the bigger picture of America. They don't have time to read the propositions on the ballot b/c they are too busy carting their two kids to out of town soccer and spending too much time watching tv etc. The world is going too fast for most middle class people in America to have time to think of anything other than the day to day. It's a sad commentary on our country. NOT all people are like this, but I would say at least 80 percent of the middle class is like this and many want off the hamster wheel that we call America. My husband I years ago decided to save one income for X amount of years so we will be able to retire at 50, however most unfortnuatley can't do this b/c they don't have this luxury.

[granto]

Great article Calgirlz. It seems when I post the exact same info, it is taken as garbage and thrown away.

Nah, I just am bored trying to get people to see with both eyes...so I will jump on the band wagon. Target sucks and their policies ruin the lives of their workers.

Target lawsuitt

target emlployee uniform lawsuit

Target abuse complaints

Target sucks

Man, this is much better...bash corporations. Next week let's take on Apple and their chinese exploitations.

[asbestoshills]

Yeah Granto, you should bring Apple's attrocities too. At least, even with sarcasm you acknowledge the problems. Until all people are able to earn a living in a safe working environment we can always do better as a country and be an example to the world. Remember when people replicated America's business practices? Look at the countries where the happiest people reside and there's little poverty. WHAT ARE they doing RIGHT, that we are doing so WRONG? Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austalia and New Zealand are great examples of a highly educated population that seem to know what's important in life and fighting with every country isn't one of them.

[mac_convert]

Walmart also supports the community. EVERY TIME our school's PTA goes in for a donation they get more than they ever thought possible. Last time the PTA went out for otter pop donations Walmart was the ONLY store to donate any and gave them their entire supply, enough to give out more later to the kids.

Yes, but Target is at least the lesser of two evils IMHO. Also, at least Target donates 5% back to their community.
I know who the manager of Target is b/c my son goes to school with one of his kids and he is a very nice man. However, there's not much he can do to work against the giant Walmart. He is a manager and does what is told. I'm sure he treats his employees fairly, but he really has nothing to do with hours and full time vs part-time or medical coverage . He is in charge of expediting what the corporate structure is and that's it.

[supermom]

You sure stretch the proverbial trueth DUDE! I NEVER said the people were trash. I said Walmart is an example of out of control capitalism that treats their employees like shiz and they don't respect their customers either. THEIR thirst for profit in Folsom is apparent. Instead of closing the store for two to four weeks they decide to keep the store open. Not only that, the store is disgusting. They look like they used all non-union employees and the cheapest remodel I've ever seen. The doors are opposite the carts, the aisles during construction were a mess and I wonder if any ADA or Osha rules were broken. I went there late one night when Target was closed to get cold medicine for my kids' and was shocked that even their new floors were already scratched and torn in many places.
ANY COMPANY that isnures people who can get welfare benefits b/c they don't make enough are disgusting. ANY company that pays so low it's long term employees is not a benefit for the community, but a tax gold mine for the city of Folsom. If every time you hire a Walmart employee and they qualify for food stamps and Medi-cal you gotta ask yourself, is this really benefiting the community at large. At least Target gives 5% back to local communities, Walmart does not. A living wage would go a long way into creating a positive impact on Folsom. Have you seen some of the employees, they look miserable. I highly doubt they are happy since their are rumblings of walk outs on Black Friday. This was reported in teh Walstreet Journal. NO one is saying that you shopping at Walmart should be illegal, but when possible and if your budget allows, try a store that pays their people better. Kinda like shopping for food. You can live on pesticide laden processed foods, but wouldn't be great if you didn't have to????

Target hates American Veterans

[granto]

Yeah Granto, you should bring Apple's attrocities too. At least, even with sarcasm you acknowledge the problems. Until all people are able to earn a living in a safe working environment we can always do better as a country and be an example to the world. Remember when people replicated America's business practices? Look at the countries where the happiest people reside and there's little poverty. WHAT ARE they doing RIGHT, that we are doing so WRONG? Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austalia and New Zealand are great examples of a highly educated population that seem to know what's important in life and fighting with every country isn't one of them.

My aunt is from Denmark and still lives there. When she has a major health need she drives to Germany.

Our economy is not Europe and it is crazy to think that if we just adopt Europe attitudes that all will be better. Do you really think $10 gas will cause us to stop using oil? BTW, Walmart operates very successfully in all those countries you mentioned.

Let's say you win your argument and get rid of Walmart...What next? We force all corporations to pay the same wages...that is called socialism/communism. Which now explains your anti-corporate views.