Wal-Mart's Ad Campaign...what do you think?

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Minimum wage here is $7.65 and hour.
I had no experience working before, and my starting wage was $8.45 an hour.

Minimum wage in this country is still $5.15/hr (not in every state though, it was recently raised to $6.85 in CO). I don't know if Walmart pays that or not (I don't think they pay that low) but families cannot survive on that. Period.

[Cataholic]

Minimum wage in this country is still $5.15/hr (not in every state though, it was recently raised to $6.85 in CO). I don't know if Walmart pays that or not (I don't think they pay that low) but families cannot survive on that. Period.

I heard this comment the other day on talk radio that made me pause. I am paraphrasing. "Minimum wage is not SUPPOSED to support families. It is a low end, entry level job rated amount of money. "

The speaker was trying to emphasize that one should go to school, complete an education, maybe live with a roommate, live at home, 'scimp' or save, THEN search for a better paying job, THEN take on debt. THEN start a family.

I had never looked at it from that perspective before.

On a side note, IMO, in general, we have grown past the purpose of unionizing.

{runs off to corner to await the fallout from that last comment}

[Logan]

Cataholic, you are not alone in your thinking about unions. If I were a business owner and had to face a union coming into my business vs closing the doors, I think I'd close the doors, too. I've been too close to the manufacturing business, too much of my life, to think otherwise.

[Lady's Human]

Not all unions are pointless. Some are, some aren't.

The Teamsters union is a prime example of one I believe whose time has passed.

They still use hardball tactics (intimidation, threats, etc) to try to unionize companies when employees are perfectly happy without union representation.

They also push for contractual items that would bankrupt companies. Case in point, St Johnsbury trucking. The owner told the union he was doing all he could just to keep people on the job, and couldn't pay any more. He also told the union that if they persisted with the contract they were pushing and went on strike, he would close the doors. That is exactly what happened, so instead of having people working for what the teamsters thought were substandard wages, they had people in the unemployment line.

One case of a union that is still needed? The US Post office. The supervision and management is inept, and that's being kind. Contrary to what BM wrote, the USPS DOES award jobs by skill. They are awarded in most cases by senior qualified, not just seniority. Having had to go to the union more than once to correct inept supervision, I shudder to think what the work environment would be like without the union.

[borzoimom]

I disagree agree totally about the post office unions. Totally- ..

[Lady's Human]

Of course you do. You were part of the management.

[Cataholic]

Of course you do. You were part of the management.

LH- I changed what I originally posted...but, that sounds kind of harsh to me. Did you mean it like that?

[Logan]

This doesn't have anything to do with the original post (sorry), but I am curious about this statement:

And I'm getting a master's degree because a BA in psychology just doesn't cut it so I have to take on more debt.

What line of work did you hope to enter with this particular major? I think that is one of the big questions that every college student needs to consider before entering college and declaring a major. Some majors are simply not going to be in areas where there is a lot of job demand.

I am not pointing fingers, I promise, but I was just curious. I majored in Textile Management. That was a silly thing to do because after one year as a management trainee in a textile mill, I was laid off. There was no where for us to go. They laid off every person who had entered the training program when I did. I had to take a minimum wage job in a bank and work my way up in order to survive. My degree helped, but it certainly was not a ticket for me for an easy ride.

Logan

[cassiesmom]

I think Sam Walton's intention was originally good, but his plan has not been as successful as he probably envisioned.

[Marigold2]

I have just finished reading everyones post. Many many good points made. Walmart does employ people who otherwise would not have a job. They offer products at a reasonable price. They offer healthcare. How Walmart operates is Capitalism at it's greatest. It is one of the things that make this country great. If you feel that Walmart doesn't pay people enough, don't work there. Get an education either through school or work expericence and go somewhere else. If you don't like Walmart, don't shop there. I personally think most of their stuff is low quailty, I perfer K-Mart or Target. As far as a union, look what the union did for Ford and the other auto makers. It made people greedy. It paid and paid and paid people wages that were far too high, making their cars too expensive. Yes factory workers work hard, but they shouldn't be making $25.00 an hour. They should not be paid more then police, firemen, or teachers. Education should still count for something. When the Ford workers were laid off in the 80's many of them couldn't read or write past an 8th grade level, yet they were making $50.000 a year. There was no way they could find a job anywhere that paid them as much. Many lost their homes. Some couldn't even fill out a job application, they had no skills. They didn't care about school because hey they were gonna work at Ford and make big bucks, who needs schooling? It was a rude awakening. Factory work should not be a lifetime employment. It should be short term until once gathers skills. Be it as a plumber, carpenter, cook. At least one is trained, one has a skill. And most important people need to be educated. Education is the key.

[BC_MoM]

If you feel that Walmart doesn't pay people enough, don't work there. Get an education either through school or work expericence and go somewhere else. If you don't like Walmart, don't shop there.

Hehe! I agree.. people complain all the time.. if they're not happy with it, then don't go to it!!

[borzoimom]

GM recently closed a series of plants, including the one near by in West Virginia. Those employees made over 30-35 dollars a hour- now unless they had the time to retire- they were given the option to move to another plant- but who wants to relocated their family into another state- and the ones without time in to retire- well.. They are looking for other jobs. .. And I guarrentee you there isnt another factory that could support such a salary around here.. The reason- it wasnt cost effective to GM to keep the plant opened.

[IRescue452]

A business is a business. If you don't like it don't patronize it. I love walmart. I go there all the time. Not for the low prices (I don't see much difference) but because they carry so many items. I also like Apet Inc. who supplies Wisconsin walmarts with nice quality fish, but that's a whole new can of worms.

[critter crazy]

Walmart right now is going through a huge change, as far as employees go. First off they are requiring uniforms for teir employees, that was supposed to start jan 1 2007. The uniform will be blue shirt, khaki pants. Pretty much just like target. They are also changing the Dept. Manager scheduling. instead of dept. mngr. working mon-fri, they are now requiring them to work a swing shift, ie. working different hours and diff. days of the week. Also they are trying to remove all full time employees, and making them part time. ie, only working 34 hours a week as oppossed to 40.

i used to work at Wal-mart years ago, and I was a dept mangaer, as a dept. mngr. I only made 50cents and hour more than your average employee. If you wangted to make any money, you ad to be asst. mngr, but then you would get shifted from store to store. The benefits were good, but the pay itself was not. in my opinion. I know many people who styill work there, and they are not happy with all these new changes.

[Cataholic]

One case of a union that is still needed? The US Post office. The supervision and management is inept, and that's being kind. Contrary to what BM wrote, the USPS DOES award jobs by skill. They are awarded in most cases by senior qualified, not just seniority. Having had to go to the union more than once to correct inept supervision, I shudder to think what the work environment would be like without the union.

I don't know anything about the PO specifically, so, this isn't directed exactly at that issue. BUT, inept supervision is hardly foreign to non-union work places. AND, those workplaces still manage to carry on. I don't think a union is necessary to correct inept supervision. And, I do know some union places around here, and, from an outsider's glance, I think some of these people have jobs ONLY cause of the union protection afforded them, not cause they are stellar employees.

I have never been union. But, I have been blessed by the many achievements brought about by unionization- health care, fair pay, working conditions, labor laws in general. To that, I think I have only the union to thank.