Walmart

[Lindaloo]

The biggest problem with WalMart is that when they displace smaller businesses, the replace the lost jobs with lower paying jobs with fewer benefits. The net effect is that you and I end up paying more in welfare for the benefits and salaries that Wal Mart displaces. In other words, a much higher percentage of Wal-Mart employees are on some form of public assistance than are the employees of other major retailers. We may get lower prices at the register, but we more than make up for it in tax bills.

Can you back this up with fact? Or is this just an opinion?

[greeng13]

The biggest problem with WalMart is that when they displace smaller businesses, the replace the lost jobs with lower paying jobs with fewer benefits. The net effect is that you and I end up paying more in welfare for the benefits and salaries that Wal Mart displaces. In other words, a much higher percentage of Wal-Mart employees are on some form of public assistance than are the employees of other major retailers. We may get lower prices at the register, but we more than make up for it in tax bills.

Can you back this up with fact? Or is this just an opinion?

i believe this article sums it up quite well.....the STATE OF MARYLAND PASSED THIS EVEN THOUGH THE GOV. OF MD VETOED IT.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10827217/

quote from the article:

Labor unions have said they are seeking similar legislation this year in at least 30 other states. Supporters say the retailing giant unfairly takes advantage of taxpayer-funded health care plans because some workers can’t afford Wal-Mart’s health insurance.

“The taxpayers are giving a health-care subsidy to the largest retailer on earth,” argued Democratic Delegate Kumar Barve. The House and Senate, both controlled by Democrats, both notched the three-fifths margins needed to override a veto last May by Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

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The bill requires companies with more than 10,000 Maryland employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on employee health care or pay the difference into the state’s Medicaid fund. Of the state’s large employers, only Wal-Mart spends less than 8 percent on health care.

The company employs about 17,000 Marylanders at more than 40 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, and about 1.3 million people nationwide.

[gtalum]

Here is a site that nicely details and documents Wal-Mart's abuses of its employees that cost all of us big money at the tax till.

[Lindaloo]

Here is a site that nicely details and documents Wal-Mart's abuses of its employees that cost all of us big money at the tax till.

That site really does not tell me anything except that it is obvious some folks do not like Wally World.


Now what greeng quoted is more believable.

[gtalum]

Lindaloo, the site lists cites for every claim they make. Like it or not, Wal-Mart underpays its employees and trains them to take public assistance to make up the difference. Therefore they get me and you to pay the difference whether we shop there or not.

[Lindaloo]

Lindaloo, the site lists cites for every claim they make. Like it or not, Wal-Mart underpays its employees and trains them to take public assistance to make up the difference. Therefore they get me and you to pay the difference whether we shop there or not.

Dang, gimme a minute to read it. sheesh! LOL!

[CajunMama]

I'm sorry but people working part-time (if they aren't too busy chatting with the other employees to notice you) should be making what they are. I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way and I know how the typed word can do that but it's not like these are people with a higher education. If these people don't like what Walmart offers them there are plenty of other jobs out there.

[azsnowman]

I never heard about that (buying foreign products) being the problem. The biggest complaint I hear about is how Wal-Mart kills smaller, family-owned businesses.

Yup...and that's why I DISPISE WalMart with a PASSION, unfortunately, I am FORCED into shopping there, they've run 2 grocery stores outta town and now they are the ONLY place in town to shop (there's Safeway and I REFUSE to be rapped by them)

[MGC]

My biggest problem with Wal-Mart is the wages and benifits they pay. My sister-in-law is a CSR (I think that is correct ) and she currently makes what I made in 1981. So yea, I'd say the wages at Wally World are low. Plus, since Sam Walton died the place has gone down hill IMO......MGC

[BUD]

I am sure Walmart will not knowlingly hire an illegal and I respect them for that.

Are you sure?

Wal-Mart cleaners arrested in sweep

In a sweeping crackdown on undocumented workers, federal agents arrested more than 300 people at Wal-Mart stores in 21 states Thursday and raided the retail giant's world headquarters in Arkansas.

The workers arrested are members of cleaning crews that the company hired through a contractor.

Wal-Mart said Friday it would review all of its 1.1 million U.S. workers and fire any that aren't legally employed.

The government's decision to go after Wal-Mart (WMT), the world's largest employer, underscored an aggressive and ongoing effort to enforce labor laws involving undocumented workers.

The workers from Eastern Europe, Central America and Asia, hired by contractors to fill cleaning crews, were arrested at 60 stores. Agents also hauled several boxes of documents from an executive's office at Wal-Mart headquarters. A sealed criminal complaint alleges that immigration violations took place with "direct knowledge" by Wal-Mart executives, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. Evidence includes taped conversations between Wal-Mart executives, they said.

They just hire their illegals through contractors so that they can pretend not to know about it.

That was a while back.NOW they check everything about you.Also your credit.If you have bad credit they will not hire you.They think bad credit = to bad people.

[BUD]

[quote=￾hgreeng13￾h][quote=￾hLindaloo￾h][quote=￾hgtalum￾h]The biggest problem with WalMart is that when they displace smaller businesses, the replace the lost jobs with lower paying jobs with fewer benefits. The net effect is that you and I end up paying more in welfare for the benefits and salaries that Wal Mart displaces. In other words, a much higher percentage of Wal-Mart employees are on some form of public assistance than are the employees of other major retailers. We may get lower prices at the register, but we more than make up for it in tax bills.[/quote]

Can you back this up with fact? Or is this just an opinion?[/quote]

i believe this article sums it up quite well.....the STATE OF MARYLAND PASSED THIS EVEN THOUGH THE GOV. OF MD VETOED IT.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10827217/

quote from the article:

Labor unions have said they are seeking similar legislation this year in at least 30 other states. Supporters say the retailing giant unfairly takes advantage of taxpayer-funded health care plans because some workers can￾ft afford Wal-Mart￾fs health insurance.

￾gThe taxpayers are giving a health-care subsidy to the largest retailer on earth,￾h argued Democratic Delegate Kumar Barve. The House and Senate, both controlled by Democrats, both notched the three-fifths margins needed to override a veto last May by Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

Story continues below ￾«
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advertisement

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The bill requires companies with more than 10,000 Maryland employees to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on employee health care or pay the difference into the state￾fs Medicaid fund. Of the state￾fs large employers, only Wal-Mart spends less than 8 percent on health care.

The company employs about 17,000 Marylanders at more than 40 Wal-Mart and Sam￾fs Club stores, and about 1.3 million people nationwide.

[/quote]

Yes,and Walmart will be closing some of it stores for that new law also.I think they want to cut 15-20 stores.

[BUD]

My biggest problem with Wal-Mart is the wages and benifits they pay. My sister-in-law is a CSR (I think that is correct ) and she currently makes what I made in 1981. So yea, I'd say the wages at Wally World are low. Plus, since Sam Walton died the place has gone down hill IMO......MGC

Your very right.Also the store mangers are getting to much money.There bonus checks together are more than some of us make in 2-3 years!!Thats not there salarys only in bonus!!!!

[Janice]

You would be shocked to see every wage and bonus check of all heads, store managers, etc. in every business around this country. Walmart is not unique. The top bananas are always making all the money.

[bvigal]

KMart and Target employees are not on public assistance as much as Wal-Mart employees are. ...

I simply don't believe that statement. Are you sure that wasn't in totals, not percentages, simply because Walmart has more employees?

My friends who work for KMart, Albertsons, etc. (except those union cashiers) make less money than my friends who work for Walmart. Also, those who work for KMart are treated awfully and those who work for Walmart are generally happy. At least they have a share in their department's profits, thus a stake in how well things are running and keeping customers happy.

KMart seems to want their customers and all their employees to be miserable. Walmart is all about customer safisfaction, you can return things with no questions asked, and they always seem to be smiling. Maybe this differs in some areas, and, I don't know the full effect since Sam died.

As to everything made in China, well, free enterprise will operate within it's bounds. No business is going to pay more for stock when they don't have to, and when their competitor won't. How silly an idea is that? Call your U.S. Representative and see how he/she voted on newer, bigger trade agreements with China, etc. if you would like to again some day see "Made in the USA" on something.... anything!!!

Or, we could simply knuckle under to the Walmart-haters and start ourselves on a path to socialism right now.

[gtalum]

I am not a "Wal-Mart hater". I don't think anything they do should be outlawed. I simply choose not to shop there because they sell inferior junk. It is, however, well-documented that a significantly higher percentage of Wal-mart employees are on public assistance (food stamps, medicaid, etc) than other large retailers like K-Mart and Target. It's also a documented fact that Wal-Mart actually offers classes to actively teach its employees how to apply for and receive such publoic assistance.

I do not support trade barriers, because if we close off free trade, we end up with expensive low-quality merchandise. For a good example, look at India. They only recently opened up their markets. Before that, all that was available to buy in India was expensive low-quality goods. And most Indians are dirt poor.

[Janice]

I think Walmart has great quality. They carry named brands.I can buy the same article in another store and spend a lot more for it. I bought a great Bissell vac for $69..... cannot beat that. But of course, if I am looking for LV or Guess, I may have to shop somewhere else

Indians are moving up. They have poverty just like us and they have rich and working class like us too. They are a democracy moving up on the ladder.

[bvigal]

gtalum, I didn't mean you were a walmart hater. But there are plenty out there making noise via the media every day.

U.S. Health care costs are out of control, and EVERY business is struggling to find a way to be fair to employees, not cut wages, stay in business. If every company is forced by some government to provide it for their employees, the whole country would be in a depression almost instantly, no business, no jobs, nothing!!

When something what costs $350 here costs $35,000 in the United States, you know something is wrong.

OK, maybe we shouldn't be preserving life at price tabs of $2 million. What about when it costs $50 million for some kind of life-saving transplant. Just because someone invented the technology, is it ethical to pay for it? Is any life worth that much?

And speaking of such, while it sounds great to "punish" some huge insurance company for being bad by making them pay $50 million in a lawsuit, what the U.S. population seems just too incredibly ignorant to understand ,is we are only punishing ourselves, the little guys, with higher costs. And since almost ALL legislators are LAWYERS, we never hear about this horrid problem from them when campaigning for re-election.

[gtalum]

U.S. Health care costs are out of control, and EVERY business is struggling to find a way to be fair to employees, not cut wages, stay in business. If every company is forced by some government to provide it for their employees, the whole country would be in a depression almost instantly, no business, no jobs, nothing!!

Who said anything about forcing them to cover employees' health care? I don'[t support such actions. however, I will always try to suppor tbusinesses who do what I do and support their employees interests. Therefore I generally avoid Wal-mart.