Let's talk about............Wally World!

[Newsy]

Congrats on the new job!
I am also a little disappointed this thread isn’t about Vacation.

WalMart had a great plan to gain market share. They moved into small towns, at least in the midwest, and ran all the family run businesses out with lower prices. Slowly, over a couple decades, they went from USA made goods to cheap imports. In my area, they have very poor wages and benefits for the employees. I have family employed there, they seem content with the job. I personally don’t like Wal Mart, however they have provided jobs for many people.

If you like your job there, enjoy it!

 

[rodomonte]

I won a victory of sorts with the local Walmart Supercenter, which is across the street from where I live, so I go there often. I complained about a customer walking around wearing a shirt that said, " I F*** on the first date." An assistant manager told me there was nothing they could do about that. I eventually talked to the store manager as well as the second in charge and they agreed I was right. They said the person should have been asked to either turn the shirt inside out, or leave the store. If they refused the police would be called and they would be arrested for trespassing.

I am sure many Walmart stores would tell you they can’t do anything about that either. That fact is it represents sexual harrassment against Walmart employees, although no Walmart employee is ever going to complain.

So if you see something like this at your local Walmart, please complain. These stores are supposed to be family friendly.

 

[3DOCTORS]

My :twocents: worth

I’m not a fan of big retail because of the way it treats its employees (I’ve been one before though not at WM) - the being “trapped” at a register and no potty break and that sort of thing, all for peanut wages.

As a consumer I feel guilty buying from them because of the buying power that has hurt small businesses, the outsourcing, the imports that are cheap products made by exploited workers overseas. Doesn’t seem like Christian socially-just policy to me.

Old-school Wal-Mart (the decades before the supercenters) it was my favorite place. Back then I didn’t know much about the “dark side” of it. And I was really into being a shopaholic, something I’m on a campaign with myself to overcome.

When I do shop, though, I’ve made it a point to cut down my shopping at Wal-Mart. I’m also getting more and more like TEPO, and hate to shop when I’m having to defend my personal space from running children, people who don’t know how to drive a cart, people blocking the middles of the aisles oblivious that others need to get through, etc. Ugh.

Hoping someday we see a renaissance of American manufacturing and the mom-and-pop store and rural America. (Dream on, right? )

But to the OP, if you are liking your job, I respect that. It is a job and you need it and you sound like you are upbeat and can cope with it and I don’t want to be a wet blanket in any way. So I hope it continues to be a good thing for you. After all, whatever is wrong with anything in this world, is often offset by good in another area. You are having a good experience and that’s . . . good!

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

Thanks so far for all the responses.

 

[mary_bobo]

I’m back after a lull after my computer went down. I’ll be on and off while I get it repaired.

I was simply trying to gauge opinions as to what folks truly felt about one of the most “hated” and also “misunderstood” insitutions on Earth. I’m not really here to have folks validate my employment. Simply wanted to folk’s opinions as to whether Wally wolrd really is as hated and reviled as its made out tobe in the media and popular culture.

Question, though…

If you personally don’t care about my employment and my posting about it, why do you feel the need to answer it at all?

I ask the same question at least once a day on some of what I read here. As for Walmart, I never used to go there at all until a Super Walmart opened a few miles from my house. I grocery shop there now and buy most things except meat there. They are appreciably cheaper than the three stores nearby. And I can get other things I might need at the same time.

 

[Tracy24]

I have been working for Walmart as a cashier for 10 days now and I already hate it. It seemed good at first and then came my first day of training on the floor, I got put on an express register alone during the after work rush time and it was a nightmare. It got worse when I had to beg for my last break which I never did get, I had to forfeit it and clock out for the day instead.
Ever since that day, I have dreaded going in to work. I am already looking for another job.

And the big one is when I applied I said that I wasn’t available on Sundays and they knew this when they hired me, but when I go to orientation I get pulled out by management and told that I have to give them some availability on Sundays. They are not as flexible as they like people to think especially for those of us who are single parents with young children.

 

[graceandglory]

Yep----good old fashioned Wally World. The one, the only…

The reason for this thread is that I just started working at Wally World (Wal Mart) two days ago. Wanted to go for the stockrooms but ended up as a cashier. Passed the necessary tests and am now beeping groceries across a scanner for all types of people. Beieve it or not, it is not bad and the “reality” of working at Wally World is not congruent with the stereotype that the media likes to give out-----so FAR, of course.
I actually (gasp!) like working here so far.

Anybody want to either a) share a “wally world story” (whether positive or negative) or b)simply get your feelings out about the “world’s most sued and most hated company,” (as a former acquantance of mine put it) again whehther those feelings are negative or not.

Come on-------tell me how I’m going to burn in H–l for daring to work at “Satan’s factory”------or just congratulate me on finding a job I sincerely seem to be happy (so far) at----or rail at me for all the (imagined or otherwise) evils that Wally World has supposedly perpetrated on the world and which i am helping to perpetuate—come on, do not be shy!!!

Or just tell me I’m making the biggest mistake of my life and “I’ll be sorry” and they are SO anti-union and how dare they!!
Opinions of all stripes welcome-----I’ll be back in a day or two to see folk’s opinions here-----good night, for now.

I was at Wally World yesterday after Mass, bumped into several parishioners, and i always think about how many people hate the place.
Sure, it’s crowded, but that doesn’t make a place evil. Sure, everyone from every strata of civilization shops there, that doesn’t make it evil, (actually it makes it kinda catholic!)

What I did notice about shopping there yesterday is that you have to go with a smile on your face, because you are going to have to wait behind someone, or scoot by someone. The folks who can manage to shop at Wally World are those who can be charitable. They don’t need to be coddled with comfort as they grocery shop.

Charity, that’s what it takes when you shop at Wally World. Without it, probably you should let someone else shop for you.

 

[graceandglory]

My :twocents: worth

I’m not a fan of big retail because of the way it treats its employees (I’ve been one before though not at WM) - the being “trapped” at a register and no potty break and that sort of thing, all for peanut wages.

As a consumer I feel guilty buying from them because of the buying power that has hurt small businesses, the outsourcing, the imports that are cheap products made by exploited workers overseas. Doesn’t seem like Christian socially-just policy to me.

Old-school Wal-Mart (the decades before the supercenters) it was my favorite place. Back then I didn’t know much about the “dark side” of it. And I was really into being a shopaholic, something I’m on a campaign with myself to overcome.

When I do shop, though, I’ve made it a point to cut down my shopping at Wal-Mart. I’m also getting more and more like TEPO, and hate to shop when I’m having to defend my personal space from running children, people who don’t know how to drive a cart, people blocking the middles of the aisles oblivious that others need to get through, etc. Ugh.

Hoping someday we see a renaissance of American manufacturing and the mom-and-pop store and rural America. (Dream on, right? )

But to the OP, if you are liking your job, I respect that. It is a job and you need it and you sound like you are upbeat and can cope with it and I don’t want to be a wet blanket in any way. So I hope it continues to be a good thing for you. After all, whatever is wrong with anything in this world, is often offset by good in another area. You are having a good experience and that’s . . . good!

What is the dark side of walmart? I have read a lot of liberal pro union biased articles about the evils of Wally world. Still haven’t discovered anything evil in real life. If anything, Wally world is pro American.

 

[graceandglory]

My :twocents: worth

I’m not a fan of big retail because of the way it treats its employees (I’ve been one before though not at WM) - the being “trapped” at a register and no potty break and that sort of thing, all for peanut wages.

I’m a teacher in a Catholic school. I am trapped in my classroom, don’t get a potty break and work for peanuts. what’s the diff?

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

I’m a teacher in a Catholic school. I am trapped in my classroom, don’t get a potty break and work for peanuts. what’s the diff?

BTW-------you CAN log out and specifically code in anumber for restroom break----so, no, it’s not THAT cruel------know what I mean? (sarcasm, there)

The other poster must have watched one too many Michael Moore movies.

 

[Newsy]

What is the dark side of walmart? I have read a lot of liberal pro union biased articles about the evils of Wally world. Still haven’t discovered anything evil in real life. If anything, Wally world is pro American.

By “pro-American” you mean not selling products made in America? Or is it the wonderful hours, part time and Sundays?

 

[vz71]

By “pro-American” you mean not selling products made in America? Or is it the wonderful hours, part time and Sundays?

How about the support of the Capitalist system.
If you do not like Wall World, you are free to shop elsewhere and work elsewhere.

 

[Newsy]

How about the support of the Capitalist system.
If you do not like Wall World, you are free to shop elsewhere and work elsewhere.

I avoid it as much as possible, however I see nothing “pro-American” about Wal-Mart. That was the point I was addressing. As far as supporting the capitalist system, I believe it would work more effectively if they sold American made products. That would support the economy in two ways.

 

[graceandglory]

I avoid it as much as possible, however I see nothing “pro-American” about Wal-Mart. That was the point I was addressing. As far as supporting the capitalist system, I believe it would work more effectively if they sold American made products. That would support the economy in two ways.

Too many rich Americans won’t sell their products at prices that the average citizen can afford. That’s why there is international commerce. I’m Catholic first, ,American 2nd, there’s nothing wrong with buying things made in other countries.
They don’t have an artificially high minimum wage that they have to pay.

I see nothing holy in paying twice as much for something at Safeway, where I have to pay someone’s union dues.

 

[PiousFriend]

Yep----good old fashioned Wally World. The one, the only…

The reason for this thread is that I just started working at Wally World (Wal Mart) two days ago. Wanted to go for the stockrooms but ended up as a cashier. Passed the necessary tests and am now beeping groceries across a scanner for all types of people. Beieve it or not, it is not bad and the “reality” of working at Wally World is not congruent with the stereotype that the media likes to give out-----so FAR, of course.
I actually (gasp!) like working here so far.

Anybody want to either a) share a “wally world story” (whether positive or negative) or b)simply get your feelings out about the “world’s most sued and most hated company,” (as a former acquantance of mine put it) again whehther those feelings are negative or not.

Come on-------tell me how I’m going to burn in H–l for daring to work at “Satan’s factory”------or just congratulate me on finding a job I sincerely seem to be happy (so far) at----or rail at me for all the (imagined or otherwise) evils that Wally World has supposedly perpetrated on the world and which i am helping to perpetuate—come on, do not be shy!!!

Or just tell me I’m making the biggest mistake of my life and “I’ll be sorry” and they are SO anti-union and how dare they!!
Opinions of all stripes welcome-----I’ll be back in a day or two to see folk’s opinions here-----good night, for now.

Many years ago I worked at Walmart and it was a nightmare, to say the least. It started out well enough. It wasn’t until I had more exposure to things that were going on behind the scenes that the unpleasantries began. But I would like to stay on topic and focus on the whole thing about social justice. There are two things to mention about my experience at Walmart.
First, during the Christmas season everyone was asked to work overtime. Why not? I could sure use the extra money for gifts for my family. But after the Christmas season was over, a meeting was called and we were informed that records had been kept of who worked how many extra hours and now we would be required to “give the hours back” to the company. In other words, we were all docked hours from our weekly schedules based upon how much overtime we had worked for the Christmas season. For example, if you worked five hours overtime each week for five weeks, you had to take a cumulative 25 hour schedule cut in order to compensate the company for the extra money you had been paid. Nobody was told that this would happen when they were asked to work the overtime, and for that reason I will call this a gross injustice. I have been told that this is Walmart’s policy on a nationwide scale. Is it fair? I don’t think so.
Secondly, prior to working at Walmart I had worked at a union grocery store. Walmart made me watch anti union videos during my training. The videos were false and made statements about unions that, according to my experience, were simply not true. I have no emotional investment in unions and can take or leave them but this was gross and blatant dishonesty on the part of the company and I mentioned it to several other employees. Unfortunately for me, one of those employees went to upper management and unbeknownst to me, I had suddenly become blacklisted for having pro-union sentiments. In less than three weeks I had been accused of several fabricated work related “errors” and dismissed from employment at Walmart. The things I had been accused of I had never done, and it was an affront to me because I am a very honest and conscientious person, but Walmart needed a reason to purge the ranks of what they considered dangerous “pro-union”(I only worked at the union grocery store(???)–I was not a union organizer) sentiment.
Walmart as a policy does the bare minimum for its employees. The focus of the company is on profit at the expense of the dignity of the individual. Furthermore, Walmart is unscrupulous about things such as overseas sweatshops and human rights, so it’s probably one of the dirtiest companies out there in terms of actual policy in context with how we are commanded to live our lives out as Catholic Christians.

 

[PiousFriend]

Too many rich Americans won’t sell their products at prices that the average citizen can afford. That’s why there is international commerce. I’m Catholic first, ,American 2nd, there’s nothing wrong with buying things made in other countries.
They don’t have an artificially high minimum wage that they have to pay.

I see nothing holy in paying twice as much for something at Safeway, where I have to pay someone’s union dues.

No. Your taxes are already paying for the health care that Walmart refuses to provide for their employees because the employees are not given enough hours to qualify as “full time.” This is my second and last post on this thread because I am a newcomer here and did not register to spend my first day posting here ranting about Walmart. But your attitude isn’t very charitable. The people who work at Walmart don’t have any benefits. So who pays for their medical bills? It wouldn’t be your taxes, would it? Did you ever think that Walmart’s ability to offer lower prices had something to do with something that they were refusing to give their employees? And what about the living conditions of the people who live in overseas sweatshops actually manufacturing those low priced items you buy?
Tell me what is holy about buying from a company that exploits the poor in other countries and manipulates the schedules of their employees in this country in order to legally deny them health care and other benefits? You pay less at Walmart but your taxes are picking up Walmart’s slack everywhere else.

Perhaps if more people stopped making their own convenience the measuring rod by which they measure the standards of society the world would be a better place.

 

[Newsy]

Too many rich Americans won’t sell their products at prices that the average citizen can afford. That’s why there is international commerce. I’m Catholic first, ,American 2nd, there’s nothing wrong with buying things made in other countries.
They don’t have an artificially high minimum wage that they have to pay.

I see nothing holy in paying twice as much for something at Safeway, where I have to pay someone’s union dues.

OK, think about what you said…
“Pay someone’s union dues”, dues are not assessed on the employer. Dues are paid by the employee. The employees in question have no way to recover those dues from the customer. By paying dues, this union member then has a vote in the local union meetings. Meetings are run by officials elected by the membership in a popular vote. Wow, those evil unions are sounding like a democratic bunch! Cue sinister villain laughing

My point has nothing to do with international commerce, but since we’ve brought it up… If us rich Americans won’t buy our products because they’re too expensive, and we can buy imported products cheaper… Then who would buy our products? Seems like we would be uncompetitive in a global market.

 

[Captain_America]

I really don’t care for wal-mart at all, and am thankful that where I live the nearest walmart is about 35-40 miles away; so I don’t have to worry about my wife dragging me along with her anymore… :coolinoff:

Whenever I enter a walmart supercenter store, it only takes about 5 minures before I start feeling a little hot under the collar… It’s like being hit by a chlostrophobic panic attack… I think I just don’t like being confined in a building with hundreds of bargain-conscious consumers who all seem to be in a rush. I also don’t like anyone to step within a 3-foot radius of me either and at walmart people always seem to cross that line…

But congradulations on your new job.

I feel something like this, too. I also feel like I’m raping China.

 

[Captain_America]

To keep this topic on a realistic course, it’s important to point out that there never really was, or has been, a world of free trade, and the Ricardian notion of national competitive advantage remains a working fiction in economics.

Really.

 

[vz71]

I feel something like this, too. I also feel like I’m raping China.

With all of the debt that China has bought up from us, they have a pretty hefty hammer they can weild upon the remains of our economy.

If we do not put the Chinese products on the shelves, the hammer will fall.

Of course, that does not mean that the consumer should buy into it.
But that is a reason this country continues to import goods.

Call it the gulf between politics and morality.