Walmart employee Thanksgiving donations at Canton store cause controversy

[ComputerGeek25]

What problem? A company is raking in billions and passing round the hat for its workers to be able to enjoy a decent Thanksgiving meal…I don’t know a single business owner in this area who would have a problem identifying that as simply wrong.

You do realize that wal mart’s profit margins are 3.62%.

The only reason they “rake in billions” is because every town has a store.

 

[qui_est_ce]

According to Walmart (apparently there was a Twitter war between them and Ashton Kutcher recently that I completely missed):

Thanks for those stats. Seems there is a lot of misinformation about Walmart’s employment practices.

I think a lot of misinformation is spread on college campuses. My kids have all spouted the same misinformation as earlier posts, like not promoting from within, etc. I was just having this discussion with my son the other day.

You have to have a computer around to link some of this stuff!

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Can we go back to the food drive for a second?

I see two alternatives -

1. a few of “Martha’s” coworkers get together to contribute something to her family. This is started by her fellow employees and isn’t backed or organized by the company as a whole. This is good and the kind of personal charity we should all do.
2. The company/management sets up an official program to help employees that they know are stuggling. They do this not by perhaps offering this person more hours during the holidays or paying out bonuses (or best yet, by helping Martha out themselves), but by asking the other hourly wage employees to contribute. That I have a problem with. By making this food drive official it seems coercive to the employees and potentially very embarrassing to the families in question.

 

[qui_est_ce]

You do realize that wal mart’s profit margins are 3.62%.

The only reason they “rake in billions” is because every town has a store.

No, it’s because people CHOOSE to spend their money there. (And cash their paychecks).

 

[ComputerGeek25]

No, it’s because people CHOOSE to spend their money there. (And cash their paychecks).

Of course people choose to spend their money there. That is a given.

My point was Wal Mart just enables that behaviour by making it easy for them.

 

[qui_est_ce]

Of course people choose to spend their money there. That is a given.

My point was Wal Mart just enables that behaviour by making it easy for them.

Evil, greedy, fat-cat corporation making things easy!!

 

[ComputerGeek25]

Evil, greedy, fat-cat corporation making things easy!!

And last time I checked 3.62% profit margin wasn’t that much. Another question people cannot answer is how much profit margin is acceptable?

Apple makes an obscene profit margin but does not get the same criticism.

 

[qui_est_ce]

And last time I checked 3.62% profit margin wasn’t that much. Another question people cannot answer is how much profit margin is acceptable?

Apple makes an obscene profit margin but does not get the same criticism.

The same liberal arts colleges that attack Walmart use MACs.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

And last time I checked 3.62% profit margin wasn’t that much. Another question people cannot answer is how much profit margin is acceptable?

Apple makes an obscene profit margin but does not get the same criticism.

Actually in the grocery business 3.62% is very good. I’m not sure how that compares to retail that isn’t groceries though.

Do you know if that is the margin calculated after the entire family (even those who do not directly work at Walmart) take their “salary”? If so, I wonder what the margin is calculated before that?

I would also say that Apple did come in for quite a bit of criticism about their offshore manufacturing. They made some changes based on that as well.
They do also pay their US based employees well, so they wouldn’t come under fire for that.

 

[Corki]

Fine. Yes. People who are raising more children who will go out and contribute to society should receive more, and no person alive needs multiple billions of dollars to be happy or prosperous.

No one “needs” billions to be happy but prosperous is defined by material wealth. As for your first statement, that’s not only illegal, it’s completely unrealistic in practice. If a person has children who are ill or disabled, should they get less since their children will not “contribute to society”? What if their kids grow up to be criminals or drug addicts - demand a refund?

People with families “receive more” anyway in the forms of a deduction on taxes. Their net pay is higher. But otherwise, unless you are going to ask for more productivity from those workers, they should not be paid more.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They pay squat because anyone can do these jobs. They are unskilled labor.

If you want a job that pays a so called “living wage,” then learn a trade or go to college.

It would also help if there were plenty of jobs. Then all employers would have to compete for labor.

But for whatever reason, this administration believes in doing things that suppress job creation. I guess the view is that it’s better to mandate wages in ever-fewer jobs than to cause competition for workers by allowing job creation.

In defense of Walmart, I do know that people who have been trained for the better jobs at Walmart are sought after by other companies. Walmart’s merchandising, IT, and management training is the best there is.

 

[seekerz]

According to Walmart (apparently there was a Twitter war between them and Ashton Kutcher recently that I completely missed):

I guess we have to research the data which supports or disproves these claims. What some protesting Walmart associates claim is that the $25,000 figure given is inaccurate.

 

[seekerz]

If you want a job that pays a so called “living wage,” then learn a trade or go to college.

The obligation to pay a just wage does not depend on what a person does.

 

[Corki]

The obligation to pay a just wage does not depend on what a person does.

Of course it does.

2434 A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice.221 **In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. **"Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good."222 Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages

CCC

 

[qui_est_ce]

**It would also help if there were plenty of jobs. Then all employers would have to compete for labor.
**

THIS

At my company (office cleaning) starting wages in the city (of St. Louis) pay less than in the far reaches of the county? Why? Why pay someone in the City of St. Louis 7.35/hour and someone in St. Charles $9.00/hour? It’s demand. It costs more to live in St. Charles than in St. Louis, therefore jobs HAVE to pay more in order to entice people to work for them.

But for whatever reason, this administration believes in doing things that suppress job creation. I guess the view is that it’s better to mandate wages in ever-fewer jobs than to cause competition for workers by allowing job creation.

Truer words…

In defense of Walmart, I do know that people who have been trained for the better jobs at Walmart are sought after by other companies. Walmart’s merchandising, IT, and management training is the best there is.

Said to be true of Mcdonald’s as well.

As I posted earlier, in many instances, people need to be trained how to properly present. Walmart (and similar companies) offer people these opportunities for personal growth and enrichment.

 

[Mickey_Finn]

;

Go ahead with your idea. Start a company with your own money at risk, pay employees with few skills as much as you can, and serve the needs of your customers. Sam Walton did that in a single lifetime. Many of his early employees became millionaires and he became one of the world’s wealthiest men and one of the greatest philanthropists.

Our views of Sam Walton, your apparent admiration, and my contempt are at odds.

 

[Corki]

;

Our views of Sam Walton, your apparent admiration, and my contempt are at odds.

I don’t understand the hatred some people have for the Walton family. Not a perfect man, for sure, but it’s almost like people hate him mostly for being successful.

 

[PeopleB4Things]

Dear People-
The problem isn’t that people are on “the dole” because they work for Walmart. It’s they can’t get a job anywhere else that pays better. Raising minimum wage isn’t going to solve that problem.

One of the problems I see at my job is that the people who work for minimum wage don’t even have a high school diploma. They come from families that have lived on welfare for generations. They have to be taught to come to work on time, to call in if they won’t be in or if they’re late. And they have to work. Those that do well and show initiative get promoted to higher paying and even managerial positions.

Sadly, many (not most) only stay a few months, then don’t show up for work. A few weeks later, we get the unemployment compensation request.

Many people think the way you do. But we must also recognize that we currently have people with college degrees and years of experience that have been laid off and are currently working low paying jobs, just to have jobs. I recently helped a gentleman get a job. He was a marketing manager for a sports group that was laid off during the recession. He’s now a director of a large before/aftercare center where his kids go to elementary school. The State of MD requires directors to have college degrees and many professional credit hours. The job pays $13/hr and is loaded with tons of responsibilities.

We also have many college graduates who are having trouble entering their fields. They are competing against people who have the experience they lack. Many resort to working 1-2 years for free as interns to hopefully, maybe get a job offer. It’s that way in the public law field. I’ve watched a dozen law clerks (lawyers looking for jobs) this past fall tryout for a couple of positions and it was quite unsettling, especially since these clerks had worked together as part of a mission, a team, only to have 2 cherry picked for the prize, actual jobs. Some stayed, some got disheartened and decided to clerk in other counties. With student loans to pay, how many college graduates can afford to work for free?

There are many Americans who could benefit from job retraining or career development programs. However, these cost money. If you’re working for Walmart, you don’t have the extra money to spend on training. You’re caught in what many feel to be a vicious cycle.

We need to think about the men and women who serve us our Big Macs, who clean our offices, who mow our lawns, who watch our children, who clerk in our church offices, who stock Walmart shelves and ask yourself, how do they live? Ask yourself, could you pay for your rent, your electricity, your food, your monthly bills on $8.23/hour or $1316/month (the average Walmart wage before taxes)? What if you had kids. Could you afford to house them, feed them, clothe them, etc on $1316/month? That’s what we are asking Walmart employees to do.

Here’s a quote from a manager at Walmart who makes above average wages. “I struggle to support my family on $14,000 a year,” said Sara Gilbert, a customer service manager at the company for three years. “My children are in state housing and we get subsidized housing and food stamps.”

She’s not a deadbeat employee who shows up whenever she wants and then stops coming to work at all. She’s a mom working full time and working as hard as anyone else. She’s just working for a company that does not value their employees.

 

[Corki]

Many people think the way you do. But we must also recognize that we currently have people with college degrees and years of experience that have been laid off and are currently working low paying jobs, just to have jobs.

I think you are both saying the same thing. But how is raising wages, creating fewer jobs to go around and raising the price of everything from groceries to screwdrivers going to help?

 

[Mickey_Finn]

I don’t understand the hatred some people have for the Walton family. Not a perfect man, for sure, but it’s almost like people hate him mostly for being successful.

Contempt, and hatred are two different things. Try to think of it like those corny TV shows of old where the hero says of the defeated villain “If only he had used his talent for niceness”. You can compare Walton with Hendrik Meijer who he modeled his stores after. Hendrik stayed more or less local, and did not resist his employees decision to organize. Walton, went for money at the expense of his workers, and the communities he operates in. He has spent countless dollars preventing his workers attempts to organize. We as a people subsidize his greed and that is all there is to it.

The phrase “Crushing the middle class one discount at a time” is very much the truth.

ATB