Thread: Wal-Mart: A Great Company In A Great Country

Even though the positives of Wal-Mart are overwhelming, the Left, including many Senators who kowtow to big labor and who disdain profits, are on the attack against the retail giant.


Two powerful unions have created front groups to go after Wal-Mart.


Union money has funded Wake Up Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Watch. Other groups are also involved including the infamous group Acorn.


Four Acorn workers were indicted in November for submitting false voter registration forms in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2004 election.


Other workers from this group have already been convicted in Colorado and Wisconsin, while others are being investigated in three other states.


<center><b>Wal-Mart Workers</b></center>




Wal-Mart pays salaries in billions to its employees and pays billions in taxes, to each of, federal, state and local governments.


Each time Wal-Mart opens a store, there are thousands of applicants for just several hundred jobs.


Youngsters and others with no special skills or advanced education, eagerly pursue entry level jobs starting at $7 an hour, knowing they are joining a company that gives them a chance for a solid career. Persistence can give most Americans a great future.

The average wage in 2005 was about $10.75 an hour, quite competitive in the retail area, and probably higher now. According to a company spokesman, more than 3 of every 4 full time workers have health insurance coverage through the company or other sources.

Some unions refer to Wal-Mart’s wages as “poverty wages.”


That same $10.75 average wage is higher than many of its competitors represented by unions.


<center><b>Wal-Mart Customers</center></b>


Wal-Mart has 127 million customers.

Wal-Mart saves American households an average of $2,300 a year through lower prices, according to a study by the economic consulting firm Global Insight. In 2004, that per family savings, added up to a total savings of $263 billion.

That study also concluded that Wal-Mart’s expansion has lowered inflation in an amount totaling 3.1% from 1985 through 2004.


<center><b>What Unions Want and Why They Want It.</center></b>


Unions represent grocers, like Safeway, in big cities. These unions want that turf protected, they do not want competition from Wal-Mart. The unions also would love to get their hands on about $300 million dollars in dues from Wal-Mart Employees.


Besides adding to the enormous compensation packages some union leaders receive, all that dues money could make the Democratic Party even more beholden to unions, than it is already.


Conservative Politics: Fight Redistribution Strengthen America

Everything there is correct. But what Wal-Mart does is they don't give their employees enough hours to meet above poverty level standards of living. But hey...I love Wal-Mart.

Hey, you don't need to even defend Wal-mart! It makes money, legally, and is entitled to pay whatever it likes as long as it abides by employer laws. If you don't like them don't work there- it's that simple!!!! If you want to maintain the cornershop don't shop Wal- mart. The freemarket will determine everything on its own with government regulation as a restraining hand.

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Wal-Mart on The Issues
Want to know why changing Wal-Mart can change America? Just read the facts about how Wal-Mart is taking America in the wrong direction.
Wal-Mart Wages and Worker Rights

Download the Wal-Mart and Wages flyer - PDF
A Substantial Number of Wal-Mart Associates earn far below the poverty line

• In 2001, sales associates, the most common job in Wal-Mart, earned on average $8.23 an hour for annual wages of $13,861. The 2001 poverty line for a family of three was $14,630. [“Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?”, Business Week, 10/6/03, US Dept of Health and Human Services 2001 Poverty Guidelines, 2001]
• A 2003 wage analysis reported that cashiers, the second most common job, earn approximately $7.92 per hour and work 29 hours a week. This brings in annual wages of only $11,948. [“Statistical Analysis of Gender Patterns in Wal-Mart’s Workforce”, Dr. Richard Drogin 2003]

Wal-Mart Associates don't earn enough to support a family

• The average two-person family (one parent and one child) needed $27,948 to meet basic needs in 2005, well above what Wal-Mart reports that its average full-time associate earns. Wal-Mart claimed that its average associate earned $9.68 an hour in 2005. That would make the average associate's annual wages $17,114. [“Basic Family Budget Calculator” online at www.epinet.org]

Wage increases would cost Wal-Mart relatively little

• Wal-Mart can cover the cost of a dollar an hour wage increase by raising prices a half penny per dollar. For instance, a $2.00 pair of socks would then cost $2.01. This minimal increase would annually add up to $1,800 for each employee. [Analysis of Wal-Mart Annual Report 2005]

Wal-Mart forces employees to work off-the-clock

• Wal-Mart’s 2006 Annual Report reported that the company faced 57 wage and hour lawsuits. Major lawsuits have either been won or are working their way through the legal process in states such as California, Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. [Wal-Mart Annual Report 2006]
• In December 2005, a California court ordered Wal-Mart to pay $172 million in damages for failing to provide meal breaks to nearly 116,000 hourly workers as required under state law. Wal-Mart appealed the case. [The New York Times, December 23, 2005]
• A Pennsylvania court, also in December 2005, approved a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. by employees in Pennsylvania who say the company pressured them to work off the clock. The class could grow to include nearly 150,000 current or former employees. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, January 12, 2006 ]
• In Pennsylvania, the lead plaintiff alleges she worked through breaks and after quitting time — eight to 12 unpaid hours a month, on average — to meet Wal-Mart’s work demands. “One of Wal-Mart’s undisclosed secrets for its profitability is its creation and implementation of a system that encourages off-the-clock work for its hourly employees,” Dolores Hummel, who worked at a Sam’s Club in Reading from 1992-2002, charged in her suit. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, January 12, 2006 ]

Wal-Mart executives did not act on warnings they were violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

• Wal-Mart has known for years of a massive companywide problem of fair labor standards violations but did not take sufficient steps to address the problem. An internal Wal-Mart audit of one week of time records in 2000 from 25,000 employees had alerted Wal-Mart officials to potential violations. The audit found 60,767 missed breaks and 15,705 lost meal times. It also alerted Wal-Mart executives to 1,371 instances of minors working too late, during school hours, or for too many hours in a day. [Steven Greenhouse, “Suits Say Wal-Mart Forces Workers to Toil Off the Clock,” New York Times, A1, 6/25/02]
• Despite this knowledge, Wal-Mart had to settle in January 2005 for violations that took place from 1998 to 2002, Wal-Mart agreed to pay $135,540 to settle U.S. Dept. of Labor charges that the company had violated provisions against minors operating hazardous machinery. [Ann Zimmerman, “Wal-Mart's Labor Agreement Is Criticized by Former Official,” Wall Street Journal, 2/15/05]
• In March 2005, Wal-Mart agreed to pay $11 million to settle allegations that it had failed to pay overtime to janitors, many of whom worked seven nights a week. [Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 11/7/05, Forbes, 10/10/05]
• The State of Connecticut, investigating Wal-Mart’s child labor practices after the federal investigation ended, found 11 more violations. In June 2005, Connecticut fined Wal-Mart Stores Inc. $3,300 over child labor violations after a state investigation found that some minors lacked proper paperwork and were operating hazardous equipment at the stores. [“Wal-Mart Is Fined for Child Labor Violations,” Bloomberg News, June 22, 2005]

Originally Posted by ilikeGW

In 2001, sales associates, the most common job in Wal-Mart, earned on average $8.23 an hour for annual wages of $13,861. The 2001 poverty line for a family of three was $14,630. [“Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?”, Business Week, 10/6/03, US Dept of Health and Human Services 2001 Poverty Guidelines, 2001]

I repeat it is not Wal-marts responsibility to ensure their workers have a healthy income!!!! Wal-mart don't force people to work for them!!

I work for UPS. UPS full and part time employees are represented by one of the oldest & most powerful unions on the planet... the Teamsters.

Wal-mart, without a union, pays more for starting employees than UPS! Plus, too and also, I'd be willing to bet that payraises & working conditions are infinitely better at Wal-Mart.

Granted, UPS pays for some truly sh!tty health insurance for it's employees, but I'd be willing to bet the difference in pay negates this issue.


...and don't get me started on clock-times being tampered with & lost breaks at UPS!

I agree that they do pay great hourly wages, especially when comparedto areas where the hourly wage is less than $6.00 per hour, BUT they have been guilty of many things that far outweigh the good points.

First ever reply to other replies in any forum.

Any advice or protocol tips-feel free to give them.

Wal-Mart is not perfect, no person or entity is, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Like commiekiller said if you don't like it don't work there, or don't shop there.

Ford today reported losing $12.7 billion this past year. Why? Mostly labor charges.
General Motors paying the same price.

Practically everyone I grew up with and myself had 2 jobs (at least) for many years of our lives. You do what you have to do. No whining.

Originally Posted by Camlow

First ever reply to other replies in any forum.

Any advice or protocol tips-feel free to give them.

Wal-Mart is not perfect, no person or entity is, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Like commiekiller said if you don't like it don't work there, or don't shop there.

Ford today reported losing $12.7 billion this past year. Why? Mostly labor charges.
General Motors paying the same price.

Practically everyone I grew up with and myself had 2 jobs (at least) for many years of our lives. You do what you have to do. No whining.

GM is losing money because there sales suck ass. Why are there so many smaller imports on the road these days? Because those companies were smart enough to realize not many people want to get 12 MPG. Detroit kept putting out tanks, regardless of slipping sales for that reason. Thankfully the dems have enough sense to enact a new fuel efficiancy bill.