Thread: Wal-Mart Working Conditions

Well, I happen to know people that have worked for Walmart full time that actually DO make $17.00 per hour. Granted, it doesn't happen in a few years, and you have to be there for a long time, but it does happen. Nevertheless, Costco isn't Walmart in terms of set up, number of employees, etc....Costco is a do-it-yourself store and the average Costco probably has 1/10 of the number of employees that the average Walmart does. The bulk of their employees are probably on the dock or in the warehouse, whereas Walmart probably has the bulk of it's employees on the floors, working the registers, service, stocking, etc....

But that said, I still don't understand the beef. If you hate Walmart, don't work there. Of, if you do, get the experience, then go work at Costco. Problem solved. Sheesh.

Originally Posted by Lista

Below is the perfect article to sum up Wal-mart's disregard for their employees

Costco vs. Wal-mart

I've looked at the wages for employees who work for Oklahoma county. Many of them work in offices and make less than $35k. Housing in Ok is fairly cheap compared to the rest of the country. Teacher pay is low in OK. So, if you don't like the wages, go elsewhere.

If WM were to unionize, Mr and Mrs Curly would be doing with a lot less. So you want the government to make everything "fair" for everyone? As Rush Limbaugh says "When was the last time you asked a poor man for a job?".

My parents lived through the Great Depression. Most of my childhood I was a latchkey kid. We lived in a nice middle class neighborhood. My mother told me if you can't afford health care, you do without.

Me thinks we have a generational difference here.

Originally Posted by CatchyUsername

...Also, there isn't MUCH made in the USA now. It's really unavoidable. I try to buy "made in the USA" as much as possible.

Ditto!

Originally Posted by KaySharpe

I really can't stand Walmart; if I want to buy cheap chinese plastic crap....

Originally Posted by CatchyUsername

Hmmmmm....we get toilet paper,

You use cheap Chinese plastic toilet paper

The OP asked why do people think Wal-mart has unfair practices. I shared an article that sums up what I feel, BUT please don't assume that I posted the article due to "class-envy". That has NOTHING to do with why I posted it.

Also...it's possible to shop at Costco, get an executive membership that actually pays for itself. If you buy all your stuff in bulk you actually DO save money. Are some things more expensive...definitely, but the quality is almost ALWAYS better, even when you buy their Kirkland brand. (generic vs. name brand)

Costco believes in paying their employees well, and it's reflected in the customer service you receive when you shop there. I'm not saying that everyone who works at Costco is uber happy, but you can guarantee you won't get the disgruntled, uncaring, rudeness that I have received SO many times shopping at Wal-mart. We shop at Costco for most of our groceries, those things that Costco doesn't carry, I purchase at Aldi, or other grocery stores. The Costco employees pretty much all know who we are...why? Because it's the same employees working there for years. I know that Wal-mart employees occasionally stay there for years as well, but look at the turnover, it's much larger for Wal-mart than Costco, because Costco CARES about their employees.

Originally Posted by Lista

The OP asked why do people think Wal-mart has unfair practices. I shared an article that sums up what I feel, BUT please don't assume that I posted the article due to "class-envy". That has NOTHING to do with why I posted it.

Also...it's possible to shop at Costco, get an executive membership that actually pays for itself. If you buy all your stuff in bulk you actually DO save money. Are some things more expensive...definitely, but the quality is almost ALWAYS better, even when you buy their Kirkland brand. (generic vs. name brand)

Costco believes in paying their employees well, and it's reflected in the customer service you receive when you shop there. I'm not saying that everyone who works at Costco is uber happy, but you can guarantee you won't get the disgruntled, uncaring, rudeness that I have received SO many times shopping at Wal-mart. We shop at Costco for most of our groceries, those things that Costco doesn't carry, I purchase at Aldi, or other grocery stores. The Costco employees pretty much all know who we are...why? Because it's the same employees working there for years. I know that Wal-mart employees occasionally stay there for years as well, but look at the turnover, it's much larger for Wal-mart than Costco, because Costco CARES about their employees.

Costco is not a human being. It's a corporation so sorry Costo does not "care about it's employees" anymore than any other Corporation does..

Their business model may be more employee eccentric and many corporations do successfully go that route but its' simply a business model that works for them not evidence of anybody "caring". And in any case the trade off is that they have a much smaller economic footprint with customers having to drive further distances and buy in bulk to get any meaningful savings. I guess one can then make the argument that Costco doesn't care about consumers ??

I am not here to tell you where to shop or to imply that you are operating in class envy simply here to tell you that the article you posted is designed by the writer to stir up exactly that while using paradigms that simply don't apply when comparing businesses or business models by juxtaposing them with emotive human terms like "caring for their employees".

Bottom line If you are willing to drive longer distances and pay more money then Costco is for you. If you are willing to go around the corner and buy cheaper goods for cheaper prices than Walmart is for you. Personally i have never run into a any rude employees at Walmart so I am not convinced that the folks at Walmart are inherently rude as a result of their business model.

Whatever the case may be Walmart's Overall Economic Footprint and its Anti-Inflationary effect has been good for America's poorer consumers in many ways because there is no bigger tax on the poor than Inflation

Originally Posted by Lista

The OP asked why do people think Wal-mart has unfair practices. I shared an article that sums up what I feel, BUT please don't assume that I posted the article due to "class-envy". That has NOTHING to do with why I posted it.

Also...it's possible to shop at Costco, get an executive membership that actually pays for itself. If you buy all your stuff in bulk you actually DO save money. Are some things more expensive...definitely, but the quality is almost ALWAYS better, even when you buy their Kirkland brand. (generic vs. name brand)

Costco believes in paying their employees well, and it's reflected in the customer service you receive when you shop there. I'm not saying that everyone who works at Costco is uber happy, but you can guarantee you won't get the disgruntled, uncaring, rudeness that I have received SO many times shopping at Wal-mart. We shop at Costco for most of our groceries, those things that Costco doesn't carry, I purchase at Aldi, or other grocery stores. The Costco employees pretty much all know who we are...why? Because it's the same employees working there for years. I know that Wal-mart employees occasionally stay there for years as well, but look at the turnover, it's much larger for Wal-mart than Costco, because Costco CARES about their employees.

Costco is an example of smart capitalism. When I was a business co-owner, we offered higher pay and better benefits to attract the best in the field. It was a fun place to work and most of our staff stayed with us for at least the duration of time I was there (1993-1999.)

The Wal-Mart Effect on Inflation

May 13, 2002

One reason the Federal Reserve is less concerned about inflation than the European Central Bank, say economists at UBS Warburg, is the deflationary impact of America's more competitive retail environment.

They recently evaluated the impact of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on grocery prices in locations where its Supercenter stores have been undercutting traditional supermarket chains.

The survey found that rival's prices for grocery items were as such as 27 percent to 39 percent higher than Wal-Mart's -- with the average discount offered by Wal-Mart stores for a comparable basket of goods running about 20 percent.
Also, Wal-Mart's presence in a market forced down rival stores' prices by some 13 percent.
This spells less pressure on U.S. household budgets than in Europe -- where grocery competition is less intense.
And, of course, that puts less pressure on the Fed to step on the monetary brakes.

Source: Gene Koretz, "Economic Trends: Wal-Mart vs. Inflation," Business Week, May 13, 2002.

For text

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...9/c3782040.htm

- See more at: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.ph....VgRdBsAC.dpuf

Man, some of you think about too much useless stuff. I go to Walmart because I don't have to pay for a membership and it's close and cheap. That's as far as my thinking about any of this goes. I go, buy my stuff, come home, the experience is what it was, then I forget about Walmart or any other company until the next time I go.

Seriously, uncomplicate your thought life and get rid of useless musings. :)