Not only does Walmart have low prices.

[DTM Brian]

Looks like Mcdonalds would be a better career path over Walmart.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/walmarts-internal-compensation-plan_n_2145086.html?ref=topbar

[FIJI-9-Brother]

The info in that article seems about in line with most retail mega giants. Ill first state that where I work, we have wonderful benefits, cheap health care, 401k, preferred stock options, and some other stuff, but they also say it's a great place to start and enjoy a long career with plentiful opportunity for advancement... blah blah blah. In my 7 years I have seen more outside managers brought in to run stores than promoted from within. I could go on and on about how when this happens, the new store managers have never worked in our type of environment and everything suffers (inventory, labor and sales) and it sucks inevitably for 6 months to a year at least until they are fully trained. These places keep the minions down, because we know how to do our jobs and well, so its easier to keep us working by teasing us with carrots (performance based bull-shit raises and promotions to store management) and bring in people who dont know shit about what we do but can write a schedule and type in an order. Crap like this, and the stuff in the article are part of the reason I have decided to get away and do something on my own. Rant over, Walmart and every other place that cares more about money than people can get fucked.

[DTM Brian]

Good response FIJI.

Maybe Walmart could teach General Motors a thing of two about how much money to set aside of compensation.

[madcat6183]

Ok, that's it, over the Holidays I am pulling my old Dell laptop out(If I can find it) and getting my thesis paper from college out about how awful Walmart truly is, about facts, statistics, etc. on how they are actually bad for the economy as a whole, mainly the US economy.

Granted the paper is 6 yrs old, but a lot of the facts actually have to do with OH specifically, in relation to job cuts, shipping FT jobs overseas and replacing them with PT jobs, just a bunch of crap.

In the end this link is extremely accurate and shows why I choose not to shop there. Actually I never shop there now, used to be I'd buy ammo only there because it was so cheap, now I refuse, I can't do it.

Think twice if the savings are worth peoples jobs, careers, and lives, most likely they arent.

[TSB67]

I phucking love Walmart and refuse to listen to 47%ers pumping out kids.

[conn-e-rot]

Walmart sucks

[jester3681]

I read somewhere that the only people at Walmart that are full time are in store management and higher - anyone else you encounter is part time. Any truth to that?

When I worked at the salvage yard, I essentially ran two businesses - a sales center and a production center. I tried part time employees on both sides. Did not work in production at all, and only worked in sales if I somehow ended up with two excellent part time employees. In almost every case, what I ended up with in two part time employees was less than what I lost in one full timer with benefits. Now granted, a lot of my problem had to do with knowledge of the product - Walmart probably doesn't have that issue, but you lose something only being part time.

[OsuMj]

Ok, that's it, over the Holidays I am pulling my old Dell laptop out(If I can find it) and getting my thesis paper from college out about how awful Walmart truly is, about facts, statistics, etc. on how they are actually bad for the economy as a whole, mainly the US economy.

I'd like to read it. All I ever hear is about how Wmart puts people out of business and its not fair (Hello free market! and the basis of how 'merica works). In general, most of their products are cheap products. If I want quality, I'll pay more and go somewhere that offers quality products. It's like the difference between campus pizza and suburb pizza - cheap or quality. I'll pay a little bit more for a pizza that isn't gross.

[Bad324]

I don't care about their business structure, I HATE wal-mart due to being annoyed by 97% of its clientele

[OsuMj]

I don't care about their business structure, I HATE wal-mart due to being annoyed by 97% of its clientele

I think that only like 20% of the people there are ridiculous (depending on which wally world you're at and what time of day/night), but those people are SO ridiculous, that it seems like 97% are annoying. You don't notice the quiet people with silent children picking out vegetables. You do notice the flailing armed lady yelling on her cell phone and taking 20 minutes to move out of an isle so you can get some freakin peanut butter.

[Bad324]

I think that only like 20% of the people there are ridiculous (depending on which wally world you're at and what time of day/night), but those people are SO ridiculous, that it seems like 97% are annoying. You don't notice the quiet people with silent children picking out vegetables. You do notice the flailing armed lady yelling on her cell phone and taking 20 minutes to move out of an isle so you can get some freakin peanut butter.

true...but I'm a 1%'er so its clearly beneath me

[motozachl]

/walmart

/thread

[Disclaimer]

I haven't watched it.. but it seemed relevant to this thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jazb24Q2s94

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jazb24Q2s94][/ame]

[DTM Brian]

If you have the time to watch the video posted above I would encourage it. I know I am only one person and will not be able to make a difference. Pretty sure I am done shopping there. I would rather go pay a little more at a mom and pops store then give to this company. The number of businesses it affects is staggering. Maybe it is because I am a small business owner. If walmart gets into the dyno tuning business I am fucked. I realize that many of you will continue to shop their because you need to get the most for your money. I am blessed will a small business that gives me a decent living. Therefore, I do not mind paying a little more for things. Eventually everyone is going to lose.

[swingset]

I'd shop at Walmart just to thumb my nose at the reactionary, anti-establishment turds that need a big bully to blame everything on. Go type an angry screed about unfair workplace environments on your sweatshop-made Ipad, that'll hurt 'em.

Their customers are poor and tacky. Yeah, Dollar General isn't just as bad....but no one shits their pants when they move into town. They also displace local businesses, but Walmart is the devil? CVS kills pharmacies. Autozone kills small auto parts businesses. Starbucks kills coffee houses. Fine, rail against all that....but no all everyone can focus on is Walmart. Raise your pitchfork, and focus on one germ while all the other ones escape your crusade or worse get your business.

Walmart bullies the locals. They also get protested before they build. And, then the local consumers have no choice and are forced to shop there right? Bullshit, they shop there because it's preferable to what they have. You can't displace businesses that people prefer.

Oh, and they ruin people. Rubbish. Most people's lives are bettered by Walmart coming to town. I saw an interesting study that showed that in most small communities a Walmart represented a 25% raise in pay for the working poor and low-income families for how far their money went and access to more products...not to mention more employment opportunities. Not only that, watch when a Walmart opens...what usually follows? Business development. In North Newark, after Walmart moved in a depressed end of town exploded. Small businesses shot up all over the place, even ones that directly compete with Walmart. Restaurants, local shops, you name it. They brought that end of town to life, and it's not just Newark that this happens to. Mt. Vernon saw the same explosion after Walmart built....and it brought jobs galore.

Speaking of that, Walmart is unskilled labor in big box. It's not supposed to be a "living wage", it's part time and first-time employment. It's meant for people with no skill to enter the work force, not make a fucking career. And, boo hoo they work the holidays. So fucking what? You know it going in, and lots of people work the holidays. Don't like it? Quit. If you unionize Walmart, your beloved poor just pay more and they hire less. That'll fix it all.

They sell Chinese shit. The horror. So does Sears and Target. So does Dick's sporting goods, so does every electronics store. Walmart also sells a lot of made in the USA stuff, if you bother to look. Fact is, people don't really care about that....so blame the consumer.

[Disclaimer]

I'll give Walmart credit on their business model... have the gov't subsidize their healthcare.

Walmart's healthcare plan is Medicaid. So, I suppose if I'm going to pay taxes to provide the poor with healthcare, then they should be able to provide me some discounts.

[DTM Brian]

Interesting video starting around the 1 hour mark.

[swingset]

I'll give Walmart credit on their business model... have the gov't subsidize their healthcare.

Walmart's healthcare plan is Medicaid. So, I suppose if I'm going to pay taxes to provide the poor with healthcare, then they should be able to provide me some discounts.

Completely stupid way of looking at it, or just disingenuous. Which is it?

All full time employees have healthcare benefits at Walmart, and some of the part time employees. The rest don't get any benefits, and are qualified for Medicaid because of that. Has nothing to do with Walmart's existing benefits for it's employees, they simply don't offer healthcare to every single employee - as many businesses also mirror. That's not subsidizing anything, unless you want to blame every business that doesn't offer healthcare at all for being even worse...and that's a long fucking list of small businesses.

Walmart has rolled back (pun intended) their healthcare recently to include less part timers, but then Obamacare and rising healthcare costs are affecting most businesses and this is a logical step for a company trying to stay competive. From what I understand, Walmart's existing coverage is quite affordable - certainly much much cheaper than I pay through the Teamsters and it's better insurance.

[DTM Brian]

From what I understand, Walmart's existing coverage is quite affordable - certainly much much cheaper than I pay through the Teamsters and it's better insurance.

One woman claimed $75.00 a paycheck for her health insurance.

[Disclaimer]

Completely stupid way of looking at it, or just disingenuous. Which is it?

Interesting... that's why stupid and disingenuous guys with PhDs at institutions of higher learning devote their time to that very issue...

http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf

Rebuttal to you Dr. Swingset.

[swingset]

One woman claimed $75.00 a paycheck for her health insurance.

Their basic healthcare for 2013 is $17.40 per 2-week pay period for a single employee. The most expensive is supposed to be $59.30, and that's well below the national average of $79 per pay period. This is an increase from 2012, btw, like everyone else Walmart is raising rates but they appear to be raising less than most. Mine went up this year.

That's all published figures, got them from Huffpo and a CNN article, and my sister who works as a manager in New Mexico pays about $70 every month for her and her daughter last I knew so that jives.

I'd imagine if that woman is paying that much (which is still less than I pay), she's got extraordinary circumstances....or is full of shit.

In any case, I worked 5 or 6 part time jobs similar to Walmart in my youth and never had healthcare offered, at all. I suppose that was good tho, it motivated me to do something better than push shopping carts.

[swingset]

Interesting... that's why stupid and disingenuous guys with PhDs at institutions of higher learning devote their time to that very issue...

http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf

Rebuttal to you Dr. Swingset.

I can't open .pdfs's on my work puter, so why don't you explain or even verify your assertion - that Walmart's healthcare is Medicaid. Those were your words....and they're wrong.

The low-hour part timers who don't get any healthcare can apply for Medicaid, if they choose to. Just like someone who works for any business that doesn't offer healthcare or if they can't afford it and qualify.

That doesn't have anything to do with the care that Walmart does offer, nor is it an indictment of Walmart particularly. Benefits are enticement for employees, hence the term "benefit". If they work harder and get more hours and become full time, they get these benefits. If they did offer everyone a fat wage and great healthcare, they'd just pass on their costs and cede their business to someone else, or hurt the same workers and class of people who rely on them for their goods. Basic economics even a PHD from California should understand.

I would bet, from a Berkeley study these unbiased smart guys will try hard to suggest that Walmart not giving every single employee top shelf benefits and pay equals collusion to subsidize it's workers care with government $$. Am I right?

Bet I am.

And, it's an asinine viewpoint if I'm right.

Not every job deserves full benefits, part time at Walmart is for teenagers and people who need some extra dough, as these jobs have always been until the weepy liberal twats made victims out of everyone with a shitty job...and every single Walmart employee robbed of their worker's utopia is still free to seek better employment and benefits elsewhere...just like I was when I worked many jobs with no healthcare.

Edited November 20, 2012 by swingset

[blue03636]

I refuse to shop there which sucks being in a small town with few other places to go. They really aren't that much cheaper than anywhere else but it's a pain when they are about the only place that sells kids toys.

[swingset]

It's interesting to me that so many people avoid Walmart yet seem to be very concerned for the workers there.

That's an oddly contradictory stance to take.

What will boycotts and massive avoidance of their stores do to the workers? Yeah, hurt 'em and hurt the communities that Walmart serves. Walmart has lost some market share recently, like everyone else tightening their belts. Healthcare costs went up, they don't control that. They cut benefits and wages, as a lot of companies have. I know the union pamphlets would like you believe the CEO was jerking off at the thought of these cuts, but don't you think they'd rather grow and have more happy employees making more? Well, boycott 'em that'll get it done.

When they were more flush with profits and healthcare was cheaper, they offered it to more employees and pay was better (for the dollar). I'd think if you care about the economy and WM's many workers you'd support what supports them. At the very least in a shit economy you'd want people currently stuck there to have a liferaft until things pick up and they have options. If everyone in the country avoided Walmart this year, they'd go under and in the short term that would send vast numbers of people to poverty that work there, or rely on Walmart. That would crush families, fixed income pensioners, poverty would skyrocket.

I guess it's a good thing some of us still shop there. You guys could really ruin lives, if you had your way.

So what's the plan? Do you think if you're successful in driving them out of business that the tens of thousands of workers will return to Mom & Pop and get better pay and cheap healthcare? Oh, that's gonna happen. Mom and pop didn't pay healthcare when it was cheap. Now? Fuck no. Do you think whoever comes in and takes Walmart's crown will be a more benevolent corporation? Because that's the only thing that will likely happen in their absence. Is Kmart gonna be a better overlord? Target? Big Lots? The retail industry is what it is, because people buy the cheapest shit they can afford for the most part.

There's no going back to the 1960's, that ship sailed a long time ago. On one hand I'm ok with pressure on big business to be a little better and do a little more...that's fine and dandy, in general the best man wins and a company's reputation will be it's best salesman, but it seems to me that many vilify Walmart to the exclusion of everyone else that behaves the same or worse, and people watch slanted propaganda and come away believing their cause is righteous without even considering the whole picture.

Next time any of you hip young revolutionaries are in Chipotle eating a burrito made by a part-time worker of questionable legal status, with no health insurance, and you're railing against The Man™ with your comrades ask yourself who is The Man™, and are you sure he's the problem.

[blue03636]

Glad you have a hard on for Wal-Mart. I know quite a few people that work there and that video is very accurate. This is why I don't shop there, lowes or any other store they own.