Can wal-mart turn a new leaf?

CrossfireRadio · Post by **CrossfireRadio** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:32 am

Today, Wal-Mart has a new CEO. Mike Duke has the historic
opportunity to turn the page, and finally start doing things
the right way at Wal-Mart.

During Lee Scott's nine year tenure as CEO, he failed to
substantially change the company. His business and labor
policies resulted in dozens of wage and hour lawsuits and
declining real wages for Wal-Mart employees, while Wal-Mart
and the Walton family took in multi-billion dollar profits.

Join with us today and sign an open letter of support to
Wal-Mart workers, outlining what their new boss can do -
starting today - to help them live better, too. We'll be
posting the letter on our website, and sending it to every
employee that we talk with:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/mikeduke

fancy aint it..

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:08 am

Really, Walmart has done things right as far as a business goes....

CrossfireRadio · Post by **CrossfireRadio** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:48 am

not according to their employee's lol

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:47 pm

Hmmm ... No comment. Wal-mart isn't worth my time to make a remark

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:58 pm

A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.

JackANSI · Post by **JackANSI** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:28 pm

undercoverjoe wrote:A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.

So is this your concession that 'trickle down economics' can't possibly work?

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:26 pm

JackANSI wrote:
undercoverjoe wrote:A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.
So is this your concession that 'trickle down economics' can't possibly work?

I'm for whatever label you want to put on economics that lets Americans pay much, much less in taxes and spend their own money on what they need. Cut all taxes and watch this economy grow. This federal government now spends a larger proportion of GNP than at any other time of our history. Instead of investigating CEO's, how about throwing about 90% of politicians in jail? They are the real criminals.

J Michaels · Post by **J Michaels** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:27 am

undercoverjoe wrote:A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.

And there you have it. This is probably the best, most concise statement of what is wrong with the world (at least our corner of it) I have ever read. This comment perfectly embodies the sad fact that our system puts profits before people, that the only thing that matters is the almighty dollar, human beings be damned.

And the worst part is that there are people like those of us on this board who buy into it. That we accept our place as the peons of society, doing work that is as vital - if not more so - in the productive process, only to see the majority of the value of what we create go to those who already have so much more than we do they could never spend it all as it is. We are complicitous in our own exploitation, and the exploiters laugh all the way to the banks that are foreclosing on our homes, refusing to give us car loans except at loan shark interest rates, and taking our money [read: "gov't buyout"] and giving each other bonuses for a job poorly done.

Keep up the good work, joe.

RamRod 1 · Post by **RamRod 1** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:30 am

I'm signing it!

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:44 am

J Michaels wrote:
undercoverjoe wrote:A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.
And there you have it. This is probably the best, most concise statement of what is wrong with the world (at least our corner of it) I have ever read. This comment perfectly embodies the sad fact that our system puts profits before people, that the only thing that matters is the almighty dollar, human beings be damned.

And the worst part is that there are people like those of us on this board who buy into it. That we accept our place as the peons of society, doing work that is as vital - if not more so - in the productive process, only to see the majority of the value of what we create go to those who already have so much more than we do they could never spend it all as it is. We are complicitous in our own exploitation, and the exploiters laugh all the way to the banks that are foreclosing on our homes, refusing to give us car loans except at loan shark interest rates, and taking our money [read: "gov't buyout"] and giving each other bonuses for a job poorly done.

Keep up the good work, joe.

I did not imply anywhere in my post that "I buy into it". I am just stating facts of life that exist in the world today. For you to read that into my post demonstrates your own prejudice, and lack of grasp of business reality today. If you don't like what your employer is doing, don't sit like "peons of society", and get another job, or start your own company, just like Mr. Walton did in Arkansas.

No one is holding a gun to any employee to stay at Walmart, or any other job in America. What is wrong with the world is that liberals expect the world to give them a great job, with a great income, with great working conditions, and never take that job from them, no matter what happens. You are the type that would sue the Buggy Whip manufactures who fired all their employees because the automobile ended the need for the buggy whip. Those employees had a right to those jobs, right?

Jeez, grow up, will ya?

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:06 am

Trickle down economics? Hahaha, really? Who the hell do you know that applied for a job at Walmart to get rich? People that work there put in the application and know what their pay rate will be.

Nothing against people that work at Walmart, but really if you wanna make some good money, go get an education and a good job. You might have to work hard, but it pays off in the end. It's funny how people work at a low paying place and bitch about it. Well fucking do something with yourself slappy!

CrossfireRadio · Post by **CrossfireRadio** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:06 am

Sometimes getting a "good" education doesn't always give you the job you want. And so therefore most are forced to work at places like walmart or some other place where you don't want to work at.

I'm sure there's some out there with better degree's or training than me, but im using myself as an example.

I have a degree in PC Repair - I chose PC's because its what the world is moving in towards in the whole economy among other things.

I run an internet radio station to help promote Unsigned Bands... I have no job in PC repair, cause this town is low rate. Can't afford to move because of... The lack of funds...

Sure there's probably worse than my position, but it was just an example. I make no money from the Internet Radio. And I don't have a job from the education that I got.

yay for greatest country in the world!!!!

Im sure there's a good many of those walmart employee's that might have a degree in uhh... Computer science, or electrical engineer... But living around here, their only hope was small cash and welfare by working at walmart.

Theres not many choices left for people in this whole economy anymore.

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:09 am

I know what it's like. I worked some shitty jobs to get by, so don't think I'm coming off as some kind of elitist either!

whitedevilone · Post by **whitedevilone** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:42 am

J Michaels wrote:
undercoverjoe wrote:A corporation exists for the sole reason to return a profit on investment for its investors. Is does not exist to give employees a job. If they could do it with monkeys or robots, they would, if it would return a profit. Life Sucks and then you die.
And there you have it. This is probably the best, most concise statement of what is wrong with the world (at least our corner of it) I have ever read. This comment perfectly embodies the sad fact that our system puts profits before people, that the only thing that matters is the almighty dollar, human beings be damned.

And the worst part is that there are people like those of us on this board who buy into it. That we accept our place as the peons of society, doing work that is as vital - if not more so - in the productive process, only to see the majority of the value of what we create go to those who already have so much more than we do they could never spend it all as it is. We are complicitous in our own exploitation, and the exploiters laugh all the way to the banks that are foreclosing on our homes, refusing to give us car loans except at loan shark interest rates, and taking our money [read: "gov't buyout"] and giving each other bonuses for a job poorly done.

Keep up the good work, joe.

.

Or you could just whine around and cry like a little bitch.??How dare you point out real facts Joe.Yes it's a shame that the food chain can't be all "tops"or the totam poll have no bottom.This damn awful country.Don't worry you'll be able to pick up your Brownsuits soon enough.

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:54 pm

This is the kind of crap that I can't stand, from people who know absolutely nothing about Walmart or how it is run. Maybe, CFR, you should talk to some Walmart employees before you go signing some petition.

*Ahem.*

Hi there. My name's Kevin and I work at Walmart, in the Connections Center. I make well into double digits per hour (more than I ever made in 15 years in radio), and have stock options, 401K, paid vacation, BCBS benefits, dental, vision, supplemental insurance, annual raises, quarterly reviews with opportunity to advance, and market sharing, and employee discount.

Oh, I forgot. I also get 4 cash bonuses per year (depending on store performance) ranging from $300-$550, plus a yearly cash bonuses.

Yeah, poor friggin me.

I'm out of "crunch time" financially thanks to Walmart. I don't have to worry about making ends meet. And I never have to work more than 40 hours per week, giving me plenty of family time. I am actually up for advancement to department head in April, and I've never worked in retail before. I can work my way up as high as I want. Oh, and I've got job security. Not like my store is gonna close anytime soon.

Yup, Walmart sucks.

Get the facts, not internet spin or political hype before you decide to "support the Associate who's getting screwed by the Walton family". It's called free market economy. Get over it, and use your degree to do the same thing for yourself, or get out of the way.

Come out to the East Freedom/Duncansville Walmart and see for yourself if you want. I'll be in Electonics/Connections. It's my Walmart. And no, I'm not brainwashed, I work hard and am proud as hell of what I do and who I work for.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:28 pm

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:06 pm

i work at the wal-mart distribution center and make excellent money.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:10 pm

DrumAndDestroy wrote:i work at the wal-mart distribution center and make excellent money.

Shut up asshead. nobody asked you.

Can I borrow 20 bucks?

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:26 pm

I love Walmart and never understood the people who stand against the place. Walmart saves me thousands a year I'm sure, not just on groceries, but on EVERYTHING I need — and gas in my car.

In Huntingdon, ever since the Walmart opened there three years ago, I only have to go to one place to shop. Before that, I had to go to 15 different places and then say fuck it and drive to Altoona anyway cuz I couldn't find what I needed at the local Mom and Pop shops.

One time, prior to Walmart, I was working outside on a Saturday afternoon about 4 p.m. and I broke my shovel, so, of course, to finish the job, I needed a new one. I went to Huntingdon, stopped at SEVEN stores. Four were closed already and the other three had no fucking shovels. Mind you, I wasn't trying to track down a rare copy of Action Comics No. 1 or anything like that, just a fucking shovel. I finally went to Altoona and was able to get a shovel.

The only thing I can't stand at Walmart are the customers. They act like they own the aisles, and when one has their cart parked sideways in an aisle, I like to crash into them to move them out of my way.

My thing is, if you need more income, earn more, don't cry about how unfair the world is. I gig as much as I can with four different acts cuz I need the money.

This is America. The only person who can stop you from succeeding is yourself.

r:>)

DrumAndDestroy · Post by **DrumAndDestroy** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:41 pm

DirtySanchez wrote:Shut up asshead. nobody asked you.

Can I borrow 20 bucks?

need a similac fix?

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:50 pm

Man, it must be sweet that everyone here is no longer an employee at will. Tell me how you all negotiated such sweet contracts so you can be all high-and-mighty about the labor market!

Unless you're protected by a contract, either one negotiated between you and your employer, a collective bargaining agreement, or you have a HUGE amount of consideration to constitute an implied contract (good luck with that in a PA court), then you have little job security right now. Be sure to keep adding value to your empleyer's company, because when performance appraisal time comes around, it might be your ass being thrown out to make the company more competitive. Then maybe you can use the extra time to study for the PHR exam instead of playing armchair HR managers on the Intranetz.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:35 pm

I worked at wal-mart in state college - Did not make double digit salary, half of my pay went for my own benefits (if I would have had my family on it I would not have gotten a pay check!!). The altoona walmart starts out at, last I heard, $6.50 an hour.

That was the most horrible place - Associate? Sure. I was an associate to make the waltons more flipping money while I got minimum wage. They are in no way in it for the consumer or employee, they are in it for themselves.

Walmart is the main reason for corporate welfare in the country ... everyone who worked there either had food stamps and/or medical card because they didn't get paid enough to support their families.

I was offered an assistant manager position there. When I found out how much they make and how many hours they have to work I laughed and said you gotta be kidding me lol ...

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:58 pm

f.sciarrillo wrote:I worked at wal-mart in state college - Did not make double digit salary, half of my pay went for my own benefits (if I would have had my family on it I would not have gotten a pay check!!). The altoona walmart starts out at, last I heard, $6.50 an hour.

That was the most horrible place - Associate? Sure. I was an associate to make the waltons more flipping money while I got minimum wage. They are in no way in it for the consumer or employee, they are in it for themselves.

Walmart is the main reason for corporate welfare in the country ... everyone who worked there either had food stamps and/or medical card because they didn't get paid enough to support their families.

I was offered an assistant manager position there. When I found out how much they make and how many hours they have to work I laughed and said you gotta be kidding me lol ...

So don't work there. Right?

One time when I was 13, I went to work on a farm. It sucked, it was hard, the day was long and hot and after the first day (it was dark again at this point) the kindly farmer who broke my ass all day having me do things like changing a tractor tire by hand gave me a $10 bill.

I didn't go back the next day.

And as far as Walmart not being in it for the consumer, that makes no sense at all. As a consumer in this day and age, price and availability are two of the main reasons I shop somewhere.

r:>)

JackANSI · Post by **JackANSI** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:28 pm

BadDazeRob wrote:The only thing I can't stand at Walmart are the customers. They act like they own the aisles, and when one has their cart parked sideways in an aisle, I like to crash into them to move them out of my way.

My thing is, if you need more income, earn more, don't cry about how unfair the world is. I gig as much as I can with four different acts cuz I need the money.

This is America. The only person who can stop you from succeeding is yourself.

r:>)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates other customers when they do that crap. Don't have it in me to crash into them. I just stare at them till they get uncomfortable.

There are plenty of obsticles in the way of success, not all of them can be overcome by everyone.

To the republitarians:

I'm sure its cheaper to feed a person on your taxes than to have them on your payroll... If I'm wrong, by all means, go out and hire some people... You get tax credits for job creation.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:40 pm

Speaking of dealing with the crazy people who shop at Walmart, I made this blog on my MySpace about a shopping experience I had during the Christmas season of '07.

Paul vs. Wal-Mart, Part II - Back into the Heart of the Beast

Many of you may recall an earlier blog in which I discussed the trials and tribulations I endured to procure an Angels and Airwaves CD from Wal-Mart. Well friends, once again, my desire to procure a Christmas present led me back to the greatest argument for Marxism in the 21st Century. This time, I had to survive the Lock Haven (well technically, Mill Hall, but nobody's that nitpicky) Wal-Mart.

My mission, which I obviously chose to accept, was to procure a Christmas present. I arrived at the Wal-Mart in the early afternoon. Which by the way, this Wal-Mart's parking lot could double as an obstacle course. As a rule of thumb, I hate driving in parking lots, because it's like general knowledge about driving goes out the window for most people. Take a straight road away from them, and they make the little old blue-haired ladies of America look as good as seasoned stunt drivers. On top of that, you get the asshole pedestrians who walk in the middle of the lanes and are generally dickheads to the people in the cars. I pride myself on being a good pedestrian and not walking through parking lots like I just downed a 5th of Jack.

I really don't care much for holidays. Being in Wal-Mart reminded me why I really don't get into Christmas. People turn into complete egocentric fucktards as they follow their commerialistic ideals and bow down to the gods of consummerism. I relied on a healthy dose of my wits, a bountiful amount of my Paul-like reflexes - which are somewhat similar to cat-like reflexes, but with more emphasis on jumping manevuers - a good heaping of my training in social psychology, and a little bit of luck to prevent myself from being steamrolled by crazy Middle Americans with shopping carts. If it weren't for my instrinic desire for self-preservation, I may not be sitting here tonight typing this blog. I was almost "run down like a dog," to quote Hunter S. Thompson, as a middle-aged couple pointed their cart of death straight across the section between the grocery part of the store and the cooking untensils.

As more people filtered through the isles, shifting in front of me with no regard to my ability to actually walk in a straight line, I felt my agoraphobia begin to kick in. Bad news!!! I had to get the fuck out of this place and pronto! I located a gift and headed for the check-out isle. Of course, there was talk of a Nor' Easter' coming in the next day. That meant that every bored house wife in the greater Clinton County area was stocking up on bombshelter-levels of food. I find this area so funny. If there's even mention of a snow storm, peole go haywire. I'd hate to see how people would act if they had to deal with a REAL crisis. I chose a lane that had a bored house wife who seemed to have the least amount of groceries. Once it was my turn pay for my item, the cashier said, "Hello," in a monotone and scripted voice. I paid for my item. She said, "Thank you, have a good holiday," in that same bored voice.

I walked out of Wal-Mart, triumphant that I had once again went into the corporate megagiant and lived to tell the tale. Of course, I once again had to put up with the dipshits driving and walking through the parking lot. I've been trained enough in statistics to understand probabilities and such. The more I tease the beast that is Wal-Mart, the more likely I will not survive. This I know. I must not tempt fate too much. There may be a Paul vs. Wal-Mart Part 3, or maybe a Paul vs. Part 4, perhaps even a prequel. This I know for sure: A Paul vs. Wal-Mart 5 would most likely end in tragedy.