Walmart: Always Low Wages
Posted 11 years ago on March 12, 2013, 8:12 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags:
walmart
At the end of last year, on Black Friday, Walmart workers bravely went out on strike. The workers and their supporters held protests at over 1,000 stores across the country, shortly following an initial set of strikes by workers in Walmart’s warehouses. The actions were broadly hailed as historic, given Walmart’s long-time practice of crushing the rights of workers at home and across the globe. Walmart, predictably, wasted no time denying the importance of the strikes and protests. On Black Friday, Walmart downplayed the strikes, falsely claiming that “…fewer than five workers walked off the job” and "less than fifty," in other sources.
The massive Walmart PR team continued with the spin to hide the truth of unrest bubbling from our neighborhoods. Even though the strikers had never called for a boycott, Walmart immediately released sales numbers in a nervous attempt to demonstrate that the workers hadn’t impacted its bottom line. In fact, it further added that despite the strikes and protests, the company had its best Black Friday ever. Interestingly, recently leaked emails from Walmart executives tell another story about Walmart’s holiday season and sales following Black Friday. In the leaked emails, one executive asks, “Where are all the customers?” A look at Walmart’s fourth quarter sales reveals “anemic growth” in the market of the United States.
As result of these sales numbers, Walmart’s tune suddenly changed. “We didn’t finish quite as strong as we would have liked, primarily due to a little slower holiday season than we would have planned,” Walmart’s CFO told the New York Times. Of course, Walmart was prepared to blame the downturn on payroll taxes, but its self-reported Black Friday numbers appear more dubious than ever.
The Black Friday Walmart strikes mattered a great deal, because Walmart is the corporate goliath in the room. Walmart represents everything about modern life that is sustainable only to the cause of siphoning resources out of our neighborhoods and into the pockets of the Directors of the company. These strikes are yet another sign that people have grown weary of the inequality that plagues us.
If the wealth of the Walton family were invested in the workers (or nationalized), every worker at Walmart could have a full health plan, education, sick days, and a living wage.
Remember WalMart during your MayDay planning, and remember Walmart when you need a glaring example of everything that is wrong with our modern economy.
Exploitation to the maximum: Six members of the Walton family have more wealth than the bottom 30% of all Americans.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/12/14/six-waltons-have-more-wealth-than-the-bottom-30-of-americans/
It doesn't have to be this way. The profits can be shared more fairly with the workers and that is the government's job, to ensure that the general welfare of the people is promoted.
Habemus Papam & the New Pope must 'resurrect' Liberation Theology, as only then can the Catholic Church be remotely relevant to the actual material well being of the likes of Walmart Workers and their similarly toiling brothers and sisters worldwide & btw Jesus was really a 'leftist' by any measure, imho !!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology .
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21777494 .
"Prof. R. Wolff : A Cure for Capitalism?"(Video, 15:24) : http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34286.htm .
Solidarity @ Workers Everywhere & thanx for your strong link.
pax vobiscum ...
Very well said Shadz. May the new Pope affect the masses who worship him in a positive way and may he use his Jesuit leanings to make the world a better, more fair place.
Think he may be adopted like Avida? That was her name right? The Argentinian Saint? Well not a saint - though the people are lobbying for that status.
All humans have equal value, every single one, including the Pope, and may he promote that idea around the world. I'm not familiar with Avida, or saints, but hey, hopefully he'll be a good guy.
I have never supported - Man Made Religion. Never will. None of us here are perfect - SO - who should be in a position of the judgement of others? The Priests ( churches ) mandate - was only to preach/teach the word of God.
Well Now - they have gone a bit beyond that now - Haven't they?
Christians killing Christians - Muslims killing Muslims etc etc etc. All on their own ( THEIR OWN ) determination.
".....to ensure the general welfare of the people is promoted."
First we have to get them off the corporate dole
We shouldn't stop there, but rather seek a better system altogether
~Odin~
Truth = is the government's job, to ensure that the general welfare of the people is promoted.
It is what this country was founded upon.
The wealthy can remain wealthy - but how much wealth does any ONE need? If they have it all - what good does it do them? Society collapses - and they - the hoarders - cause it.
Well said.
Hey BW - yes it was - I was quoting a part of someone Else's comment.
is the government's job, to ensure that the general welfare of the people is promoted.
Yeah. LOL. And, why don't they do that? You know, promote the general welfare of the people? Why do just a few people get to run off with all the cash while the rest suffer?
I can only hazard the guess of insanity with lots of cash in it's hand inter fearing.
How much wealth does one need? As much as they can make. THEY don't have it all. IF this country collapses its due to obama & co, and the endless laws and regulations and taxes that hamper the people.
Bush was a regulation maniac as well. They are both the same- let the very top go wild, and regulate the shit out of all their competition.
Corporatism 101.
Protest A new Tampa Walmart!!
http://www2.tbo.com/news/central-tampa/2013/mar/13/walmart-eyeing-hillsborough-avenue-property-in-sem-ar-656581/
Don't we have any Occupy Tampa People here.? Someone who is against Walmart and interested enough to spread Walmart abuses.?
Here ya go, I have a feeling this is who Im dealing with on the other side :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zniDzLLhcjg
jk
Oh man, you are something else....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXQMoyhPNJA
You're a fraud!!! You don't know what occupy Tampa is doing, You don't know about anti labor activity in your own town, and when confronted with these facts, you dishonestly personally attack with immature bad hollywood clips.
LOL.
So you are against Social Security, Don't care about the current student protests in your town by your group, against tax increases on the rich, know nothing about walmart incursions down the block, and you're against regulations right?
Precious. See I don't need a youtube click to show you for what you are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9Hgpu0EKA
When was the last time that happened to you?
Aaaaaaah ha ha ha!. More ridiculous bad movie clips. I guess this is just your speed. You seem to have them at the ready. You sit around watching them often I bet.
And still nothing on Tampas Walmart/anti labor issues?
Nothing on the brave tampa students education protests.?
Nothing on the efforts to destroy Social Security?
Nothing on renouncing your corp-centric regulation positions?
Are you even from Tampa, You clearly aren't an occupier.
Come on man, you don think that is funny? :(
Im sorry I have lost your endorsement.
In the meantime...
This is what I think of when you start to "hatch a plan"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Qeh6KA6H8
I guess this is just your speed. You seem to have them at the ready. You sit around watching them often I bet. Do you ever watch anything of substance? Try documentaries.
And still nothing on Tampas Walmart/anti labor issues?
Nothing on the brave tampa students education protests.?
Nothing on the efforts to destroy Social Security?
Nothing on renouncing your corp-centric regulation positions?
Are you even from Tampa?, You clearly aren't an occupier.
Your Vkag is showing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=JEmklTvAkbM&NR=1
Fraud!!
The only people being hampered by the endless laws and regulations are the 50% of American workers, 75 million people, who make $13 an hour or less.
Did you happen to notice that the top 10% make half of all income? Their share of income has steadily grown over the past 40 years, while the lower 90% haven't had any increase in real income.
http://stateofworkingamerica.org/who-gains/#/?start=1968&end=2008
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So you are shiny and flaky?
"One Walmart's Low Wages Could Cost Taxpayers $900,000 Per Year, House Dems Find"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/walmart-taxpayers-house-report_n_3365814.html
Really? No kidding?
Only 900,000 ?
I was thinking that too, lol.
{:-]) Should have asked if that was per county where wallmart was operating.
I think it is per Walmart store.
Ahhhh - still that seems low. When you figure how many employees per store - what their wages are like - 1% getting a living wage ( still raped in comparison to market average ) - well it will get worse especially when/if ACA gets underway as those to afraid or ashamed to get county/state support for health care will have the alternative of qualifying for Health Care even when they still can not afford it.
BTW - have you seen their BS commercial about starting out and progressing on the job? Even used a good looking minority kid to pitch the BS.
Yes. It's like a commercial for the military.
Very similar - U the proud the wallmartians. Such shit.
Excuse me but you are confusing the Declaration of Independence with the founding of the nation. The Constitution provides no such protection, nor even the right to self governance; which is why the corporations are taking over the world. A local municipality does not even have the power to say no to Factory Farming, Fracking or any other corporate obscenity. There IS no right of self governance in this country because the founding fathers were too busy protecting their right to commerce - hence the commerce clause in the Constitution.
These principles WERE the basis of the Declaration of Independence but the Constitutional Convention was highjacked and the nation was lost. To get it back we must bring the rule of law into proper order where it protects the rights of people, communities and the living instead of the rights of property and its owners. This is where 99.9 perocent of all Americans are uncer ecucated and mis-informed. We have been taught our entire lives that "this is the greatest nation on earth" without being taught the truth of the finer points of our actual history, both political and legal.
The best way to address this problem is to start to get educated and work to take back control of your local municipality and counties - and the best way to do that is to watch the entire series of The Democracy School and start to talk to others in local communities around the nation who are already doing it.
There are over 100 places nation-wide who are taking this on in order to put local bans against fracking, factory farming and other toxic corporate practices into place and in every instance, the States and Federal Governments insist that they are all in violation of the law because they do not have the RIGHT to local governance.
Here is the link to the videos if you are ready to learn more, but I'll warn you, it is not for the faint of heart. As Tom Lindsey says "Most towns and municipalities will not take action until they are harmed or feeling the pain directly of the Corporate Boys." True enough. http://vimeo.com/user5651125/videos
WalMart: Pay for your own uniform.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/sep/11/walmart-legal-new-uniform-clothes-polo-shirts
"Imagine this: you work at Walmart, where you make $800 a month. Then the company asks you to spend $50 to buy clothes that meet its dress code."
Freaking outrageous! The greediest grubbers of them all, WalMart!
The conservative economic policy over the last few decades is short sighted and is not sustainable. It creates inequality which cannot last. Not before long, the conservative economic policy will break down and liberal economic policy will return as the only sustainable choice.
The economic policy over the last decade has not been conservative in the least. Its been full blown corporatism and cheap money.
Always boycotting Wal-Mart
Agreed. I've never spent one penny in that fucking place. Or Sam's Club. And never will.
I did when I was younger. I actually worked at one for 9 months when I just got out of high school. The one I worked at told workers to report anyone talking about unionizing. It was the most depressing atmosphere I have ever worked in.
Well, just out of high school, you can be forgiven, lol.
Wow, a culture of snitching on your fellow workers. Fuck that. I couldn't do it.
Yah the place was fucked. The break-room felt like purgatory.
except purgatory before hell.
Personally, I can't even conceive of working in a place like that. Oppressive, spirit-crushing. You probably felt like nothing but a drone.
Yah it sucks working any job that has no creative release. And no control over any aspect. In my opinion.
What are you doing now employment-wise, TM? I know you've been kicking ass on this forum lately. Quite a few high-quality posts.
Thanks for the good words.
I work in broadcasting. I'm a technical guy, not a content guy though.
numbers should not be compared by country do much as population
Sams club is pretty bad to when it comes to wages.
These scum are trying to get into India now by bribery and blackmail. Yes corporate blackmail of ministers by the corporations after they take the bribe is the elephant in the room. Same in America the reason why politicians cant act is because they take the bribes in the 'lobby' and are now being blackmailed by their paymasters. This model of Corruption is the new norm. Now foreign aid in the UK is officially used to bribe for contracts. In America bribery is called lobbying :-( And blackmail is a racist and perjorative term that sullys the image of the black male. Voila !
Wal-Mart is almost certainly being hit much harder than they have let on. If the commercial media did a better job covering all the scandals they're involved in it would be clear that they are among the most corrupt corporations out there. Even a writer from Forbes Magazine said that the bribery scandal would bring Wal-Mart down along with a lot of the other scandals they're involved in and the samples he cited were only a fraction of the scandals Wal-Mart is involved in. After looking up some information on Wal-Mart I found out that they've been involved in human rights abuses in their factories including the fire in Bangladesh, sex discrimination, overcharging customers, deleting hours of their workers, using illegal aliens at low wages, planned obsolescence and so many other scandals that I couldn't keep track of them without making a long organized list; which I just might do assuming I don't find someone that beats me to it.
If anyone is interested I have begun my own comments on this at the following site and included the link to the Forbes story.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2012/04/26/walmarts-mexican-bribery-scandal-will-sink-it-like-the-icerberg-sank-the-titanic/
http://zacherydtaylor.blogspot.com/search/label/Walmart%20Watch
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/walmart-oreo-theft_n_2734097.html
Did I mention the Wal-Mart Oreo cookies scandal; they don't arrest many if any Wal-Mart executives even though there is an enormous amount of evidence for many crimes including negligent mass murder in the Bangladesh fire but if someone takes their Oreos the government has to use an enormous amount of tax payer money to prosecute this working person to the full extent of the law!
OY
It's not that I don't believe this chart (I do) -- but I would like to see some sources on those numbers. Producing such a chart but leaving out the sources is pretty irresponsible.
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Really good to see OWS talking about wealth inequality, this is not so much a "problem" as it is an engineering nightmare the American economic system is spinning out of control, grossly unbalanced and like a washing machine on spin it's starting to make some noise.
America and indeed the entire world as we extend our special form of "freedom" will in the end breakdown completely.
Those that support this wealth concentration, like the American Republican Party, look to the thousands of years that humans lived under Monarchy and see that as a more stable and preferred system to messy democracy where people can just vote themselves stuff (without earning it by working for a Royal) if you think they don't support Monarchy, think "death tax", anyway good to see this. Remember 54% of exit voters in VA in 2012 thought wealth inequality is a major problem in America. Also remember that if you want the politicians to do what you want, you have to threaten their seats, and no third party is a threat to anybody.
Black Friday - morphing into a modern-day take-off of - THE BLACK DEATH???
To funny.
And those in positions of power - seem unable to see - that it is "their own" DAMN FAULT.
http://www.occucards.com/walmart/
http://www.forrespect.org