[Eug Wanker]

Wal-Mart to shut unionized store

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. announced Wednesday it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

“Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we've been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably,” company spokesman Andrew Pelletier said in a statement.

The store, which will close in May, is located in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. Nearly 200 employees received union accreditation last summer, making it the chain's only unionized outlet at the time.

How much do Wal-Mart employees get paid anyway?

[lewd0006]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
Wal-Mart to shut unionized store

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. announced Wednesday it will close a Quebec store whose unionized employees were involved in negotiations to obtain their first labour contract.

�Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we've been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably,� company spokesman Andrew Pelletier said in a statement.

The store, which will close in May, is located in Saguenay, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. Nearly 200 employees received union accreditation last summer, making it the chain's only unionized outlet at the time.

How much do Wal-Mart employees get paid anyway?

Obviously, not enough

[demograph68]

This is worth a watch.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl.../walmart/view/

[driven]

Nobody in that store should be surprised.

Wal-mart has been saying for YEARS that they would close a store if they unionized and they couldn't negotiate with their employees.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

That company makes me totally sick, I hate everything about them.

[goMac]

Wow... I'm way too tired tonight... I kept reading the thread topic as "un-ionized store". I was like "What the crap..."

[demograph68]

Originally posted by goMac:
Wow... I'm way too tired tonight... I kept reading the thread topic as "un-ionized store". I was like "What the crap..."

Drunk and tired here... no problem.

[goMac]

Originally posted by demograph68:
Drunk and tired here... no problem.

I suppose doing chemistry at the same time doesn't help.

[olePigeon]

That's free trade for ya.

[torsoboy]

I love Wal-Mart and do most of my grocery shopping there.

The employees don't get paid too much, but it is above minimum wage, and it is for the most part unskilled labor. If they were to lose an employee today, any high school dropout could take over for that person the next day. How much money should they pay for a position like that??

I'm glad someone stands up against the unions... in theory they are good, but in the end I am just not sure.

[demograph68]

Originally posted by torsoboy:
I love Wal-Mart and do most of my grocery shopping there.

*cough*

[Link]

I hate walmart, totally despise the store that out here is full of MORONS.. pretty much one race, though I'll try not to talk about that in detail, tends to dominate, and they get all the other employees fired (hint: it's not white or black).. they blackmail them and **** with their demagnitizers so the alarm gets set off too..

Not only that, but they check your receipt as you walk out the door, one time I bought a handful of things, went to leave, when I showed the woman the receipt she opened the bags (I kid you not), counted everything, and then questioned why I needed that much laundry detergent.

One time we put a TV on layaway, when we took it off, my brother and I were leaving, handed the receipt to the said door harasser, they CALLED THE DAMN LAYAWAY DEPARTMENT ASKING because they thought we bought something else and were trying to steal it.

That was pretty much the last straw, after a bit of scolding said person got fired. Went back a while later, only to find the typic..

There were lines of 10+ people at the only 2 registers open, as usual merchandise laying around on the floor, instead of properly shelving things, sometimes finding open boxes in the middle of the aisle..

In essence, I've never had a good thing to say about walmart.. eventually it caught on with everyone else in my family that for a lousy 30 cents more on toilet paper, you can go to target which is quite a bit closer, has MUCH better service, and is a much cleaner store.

Not only that, but I'll go on a tangent and say that target here regularly BEATS walmart in pricing --- everything from pepsi to electronics is cheaper, and you don't get forced into cheapass brands like Durabrand and equate..

You get slightly better cheapass brands like Daewoo and The Grocery Corner.. or some **** like that

[His Dudeness]

Originally posted by torsoboy:
I love Wal-Mart and do most of my grocery shopping there.

The employees don't get paid too much, but it is above minimum wage, and it is for the most part unskilled labor. If they were to lose an employee today, any high school dropout could take over for that person the next day. How much money should they pay for a position like that??

I'm glad someone stands up against the unions... in theory they are good, but in the end I am just not sure.

I quit grocery shopping at Wal Mart. They charge almost 5 BUCKS for a gallon of milk. Food Lion charges about 3.50 and it's even cheaper at Fort Eustis commissary.

[macintologist]

This is how I see it.

If you hate Walmart, don't shop there, and encourgae family and friends to do the same.

If you think Walmart is good, then shop there as you wish.

If enough people think Walmart sucks and don't go, they will lose retail money and either reform their ways, or go bankrupt.

Let the free market decide.

[effgee]

Originally posted by torsoboy:
... I'm glad someone stands up against the unions... in theory they are good, but in the end I am just not sure.

"In theory they (unions) are good - but in the end you are not sure?" That's your reasoning for why you are glad that someone stands up against the unions? I'm most certainly not a "unions rock" guy - but the argument you make is hilarious.



There was a recent thread about Wal Mart in which someone linked to a very interesting (and very long) article - something about Vlasic (yes, the "pickle-guys") and Wal Mart's business practices in general.

After reading said article, I hope many more people will feel the way you do and do all their shopping at Wal Mart. That'll contribute nicely to speeding up a development that, in the end, might lead to a rather painful but obviously long overdue conclusion.

[mitchell_pgh]

I think Wal-Mart is capitalism at it's worst.

[moonmonkey]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I think Wal-Mart is capitalism at it's worst.

and its coming to China, I can't wait.

[dlefebvre]

The officiel reason Wal-Mart gave was that the store was not «profitable».
It reminds me of A McDonald close to my work that closed a few years ago for the same reason. It's probably a coincidence that the workers were in a negotiation process. Well? One year later, they opened a new McDonald 200 feet away... Hmmm? Nothing like moving a business a few feet to make it profitable.

[sugar_coated]

If it wasn't walmart it will be someone else. Welcome to capitalism.

[sugar_coated]

double post! sorry.

[MacGorilla]

Wow, if a union is all it takes to get rid of one, I gotta organize the local one here.

[demograph68]

Originally posted by sugar_coated:
If it wasn't walmart it will be someone else. Welcome to capitalism.

Originally posted by torsoboy:
I love Wal-Mart and do most of my grocery shopping there.

*COUGH!* Damn people! Get a clue and watch the damn thing!!! AHHHHH

[RAILhead]

Originally posted by macintologist:
This is how I see it.

If you hate Walmart, don't shop there, and encourgae family and friends to do the same.

If you think Walmart is good, then shop there as you wish.

If enough people think Walmart sucks and don't go, they will lose retail money and either reform their ways, or go bankrupt.

Let the free market decide.

But that makes too much sense -- you don't REALLY expect people to do that, so you?



Maury

[demograph68]

Originally posted by RAILhead:
But that makes too much sense -- you don't REALLY expect people to do that, so you?

That would work only if most people bothered to dig deep about Walmart's business practices. (outsourcing to china, sweat shops, shady deals with american manufacturers like Rubbermaid, etc.)

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by Link:
I hate walmart, totally despise the store that out here is full of MORONS.. pretty much one race, though I'll try not to talk about that in detail, tends to dominate, and they get all the other employees fired (hint: it's not white or black).. they blackmail them and **** with their demagnitizers so the alarm gets set off too..

I don't like Wal-Mart either, but... WTF?

[DeathToWindows]

There is no excuse for such a bloody awful store...

[Twilly Spree]

Wal-Mart deals with unionzied employees in countries like Germany don't they??

[Superchicken]

I hate walmart... the stores are generally unclean, over packed... and finding anything there worth buying is terribly difficult.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I think Wal-Mart is capitalism at it's worst.

Nay. Wal-Mart is capitalism at its best, because you're free to stop going there and shop elsewhere. Capitalism is the purest form of democracy - you don't like something, you don't give them business.

[chris v]

Hmmm... If we try to unionize all the Wal-Mart stores, does that mean they'll close all of them??

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally posted by macintologist:
This is how I see it.

If you hate Walmart, don't shop there, and encourgae family and friends to do the same.

If you think Walmart is good, then shop there as you wish.

If enough people think Walmart sucks and don't go, they will lose retail money and either reform their ways, or go bankrupt.

Let the free market decide.

That is exactly what I do. Wal-Mart has not gotten any of my money in 5 or 6 years. And I convinced my Mom to give up her Sam's Club membership.

But most people care more about saving a few pennies than making a political statement with their shopping choices. Saving a few bucks is more important than whether or not their fellow citizens get a decent wage out of their job.

[discotronic]

Originally posted by effgee:

There was a recent thread about Wal Mart in which someone linked to a very interesting (and very long) article - something about Vlasic (yes, the "pickle-guys") and Wal Mart's business practices in general.

Here is the link to the article that you mentioned. I posted it in another thread recently. It is long but a good read.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

[Oisín]

Originally posted by Twilly Spree:
Wal-Mart deals with unionzied employees in countries like Germany don't they??

I could be wrong (I don't know much about this situation in other countries), but I would guess that's mainly because many countries (I suppose Germany is one) have laws preventing companies from taking any affirmative action against, or to prevent, unions or unionizing.

I don't know how it works in the US, but if you work for, say, McDonald's in Denmark (not a random example; I used to do just that), part of the contract you sign when you start there is that you will automatically be included in the hotel and restaurant union (erm, that's a free translation). I haven't held many jobs, but I think that's quite standard here - you sign the contract, and automatically you're a member of the relevant union (or you can choose if there are more to choose from)...

PS.: goMac, you're not the only one... I was wondering what an ionized or un-ionized store was too...

[OldManMac]

People who shop at Wally World don't have any idea of what the true costs of a product are, and don't realize that they are slowly handing their jobs over to countries like China. As a result, it's not surprising that Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporation. People who equate the success of Wally World with capitalism also don't have any idea that capitalism has absolutely nothing to do with Wal-Mart's success. Their success is based on finding the cheapest price for a product, in order to enhance their revenue growth and profitability, and if that means destroying American manufacturing, and having the American taxpayers subsidize the health care of their employees, then that is the route Wal-Mart will take. There is a reason that five of the Walton family are worth over $100 billion, collectively, and it has nothing to do with free enterprise, or concern with the well being of the American people, or the Canadian people, or the people of any other country they operate in. Wal-Mart is like the lion in the jungle; it often depends on others to provide it's dinner, with no qualms or guilt over that.

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
...

How much do Wal-Mart employees get paid anyway?

It depends how high on the ladder you are: 2004 Wal*Mart Exec Comp Summary. Some get paid in the millions.

[scottiB]

Originally posted by demograph68:
*COUGH!* Damn people! Get a clue and watch the damn thing!!! AHHHHH

I'll second this. I saw it when it was first run last November. All that have any opinion at all about Wal-mart should watch it.

and its coming to China, I can't wait.

It's IN China. There's a whole fraking port city dedicated to manufacturing and shipping to Wal-mart. It's in the Frontline episode demograph68 linked to.

[effgee]

Originally posted by discotronic:
Here is the link to the article that you mentioned. I posted it in another thread recently. It is long but a good read.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

Yes that's the one - very interesting read. I forgot to bookmark it the first time around (and was too lazy to search for it). Thanks much!

[olePigeon]

Every wonder why people protest in front of the WTO? Give you a hint:

[FulcrumPilot]

Originally posted by chris v:
Hmmm... If we try to ionize all the Wal-Mart stores, does that mean they'll close all of them??

ionize with what?

[SimpleLife]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
That's free trade for ya.

Free from Wal-Mart!

[SimpleLife]

Originally posted by FulcrumPilot:
ionize with what?

With lots of electricity, they could.

[TailsToo]

Originally posted by KarlG:
People who shop at Wally World don't have any idea of what the true costs of a product are, and don't realize that they are slowly handing their jobs over to countries like China. As a result, it's not surprising that Wal-Mart is the world's largest corporation. People who equate the success of Wally World with capitalism also don't have any idea that capitalism has absolutely nothing to do with Wal-Mart's success. Their success is based on finding the cheapest price for a product, in order to enhance their revenue growth and profitability, and if that means destroying American manufacturing, and having the American taxpayers subsidize the health care of their employees, then that is the route Wal-Mart will take. There is a reason that five of the Walton family are worth over $100 billion, collectively, and it has nothing to do with free enterprise, or concern with the well being of the American people, or the Canadian people, or the people of any other country they operate in. Wal-Mart is like the lion in the jungle; it often depends on others to provide it's dinner, with no qualms or guilt over that.

I hate them too - The only things I will buy at Wal-Mart are those that I know that they are losing money to sell. (their loss leaders, like new release DVD movies for $15)

[goMac]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Nay. Wal-Mart is capitalism at its best, because you're free to stop going there and shop elsewhere. Capitalism is the purest form of democracy - you don't like something, you don't give them business.

Yes, Wal-Mart is Capitalism, unfortunately choice is not. In a Capitalistic society the store with the lower prices will win, assuming all the consumers are rational. And almost all consumers are. If all competing stores are providing the same goods (which in Wal-Marts case they are) the rational consumer will just go to Wal-Mart if they have the lowest price. Under Capitalism, the consumer usually gets screwed. This isn't saying Capitalism is bad, but pure Capitalism certainly is bad.

Wal-Mart knows this. A few angry consumers won't even make a dent. And even then, even if the consumers do make a fuss, it won't change the minds of rational consumers.