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Wal-Mart Asks Workers To Donate Food To Its Needy Employees

HenryChinaski said:
Walmart isn't the only one. McDonald's is totally skummy too. McDonald's has a “McResource” line that helps employees and their families enroll in various state and local assistance programs. That came out into the open when a recording turned up of the McResource line advocating that full-time employees sign up for food stamps and welfare.
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While nearly 1/3 of the US population now gets SNAP benefits only 4% work at the minimum wage. It appears that you equate employers informing their employees of available federal/state benefits should now be accompanied by a requirement to pay them (or the gov't) more. As I have pointed out, and you continue to ignore, public assistance is based on family size, but wages are based on the work performed.

While citizen A can be paid $15K/year and not qualify for public assitance, citizen B can be paid $15K/year and qualify for publilc assistance, but that is not the fault of the employer in any way. Under your proposed "fairness" system citizen A can be employed (at minimum wage) without any penalty, yet employing citzen B (at the minimum wage) would incur a penalty. That is insane.
 
Pay your god damn employees wages that don't require the taxpayer to pick up the rest of the tab. Costco does it, Whole foods does it. Trader Joe's does it. Walmart and McDonald's can do it.
 
HenryChinaski said:
Pay your god damn employees wages that don't require the taxpayer to pick up the rest of the tab. Costco does it, Whole foods does it. Trader Joe's does it. Walmart and McDonald's can do it.
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OK, Skippy, let's see how that can be implemented. Citizen A, with no dependents, can be paid less than the minimum wage and not qualify for public assistance, but citizen B, with 8 dependnts must' be paid over twice the minimum wage (for doing the same job?) in order not to qualify for public assistance. Your idea boils down to the requirement to pay an employee $4,020/year more for each dependent that they have - thus you seem to favor a "living wage" system, rather than equal pay for equal work.

Federal Poverty Level 2013 - 2014
 
You know it used to be that if somebody wasn't making enough at their job they would have a second part time job to cover the rest instead of getting government handouts.

My how things have changed.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
OK, Skippy, let's see how that can be implemented. Citizen A, with no dependents, can be paid less than the minimum wage and not qualify for public assistance, but citizen B, with 8 dependnts must' be paid over twice the minimum wage (for doing the same job?) in order not to qualify for public assistance. Your idea boils down to the requirement to pay an employee $4,020/year more for each dependent that they have - thus you seem to favor a "living wage" system, rather than equal pay for equal work.

Federal Poverty Level 2013 - 2014
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Costco values "work" more than Walmart does and their pay reflects that. Despite the sagging economy, Costco pays its hourly workers an average of $20.89 an hour, not including overtime. It treats its employees well in the belief that a happier work environment will result in a more profitable company.
“I just think people need to make a living wage with health benefits,” “It also puts more money back into the economy and creates a healthier country. It’s really that simple.”
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- Costco CEO Craig Jelinek. I’ts not a socialist plot. He's right, it's good business sense. More disposable income in the economy means more economic activity, means more growth, means more profits in the long run.
 
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CanadaJohn said:
Apparently not - I simply matched yours.
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no, i said that walmart was ripe for unionization. that's entirely true, and it's walmart's fault for treating employees like cattle.

i also said that i'd cheer, which is a fact.

there is no hyperbole in my initial statement. i did, however, utilize a little hyperbole in this post when i said that they treat their employees like cattle. walmart does not kill and eat its employees, though back in the day, it did take life insurance policies out on them so it could profit from their deaths, so that's sort of similar.

;)
 
rabbitcaebannog said:
Food stamps
Free and reduced lunch
Medicaid
Welfare benefits based on state
corporate subsidies
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I'm too lazy to google the Forbes articles referring to how much the average Super Walmart cost the American tax payer in food stamps, welfare, etc. (thereby subsidizing Walmart's profits), but if I remember correctly it is somewhere just under a $1-Million a year for each store. With thousands of stores, we are talking Billions going to the welfare state. And that's Billions in profit for Walmart.

Isn't Jerry Brown in court right now suing for the right to fine Walmart if they don't provide health coverage? The average Walmart worker get's like $6000.00 a year in state funded medical care, so he is going to fine them the same . . . or something like that, I am too lazy as i said before, to look it up. Plus, if it is against Walmart, I am jaded . . . I hate them for what they did to the Mom & Pop's (I'm conservative that way). Rumor is good enough for me. Sam Walton would be turning over in his grave if he knew how his store was being run now.

Logic and reason will not work with me . . . Walmart is evil.
 
HenryChinaski said:
Costco values "work" more than Walmart does and their pay reflects that. Despite the sagging economy, Costco pays its hourly workers an average of $20.89 an hour, not including overtime. It treats its employees well in the belief that a happier work environment will result in a more profitable company. - Costco CEO Craig Jelinek. I’ts not a socialist plot. He's right, it's good business sense. More disposable income in the economy means more economic activity, means more growth, means more profits in the long run.
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With Costco vs. Walmart you are not just comparing different labor rates at "similar" retailers these are different business models entirely. For example Wlamart does not charge an annual membership fee, employs twice as many employees (per square foot of retail space), sells many more products and allows you to buy those products in much smaller quanities than Costco does.

Why Can
 
Mason66 said:
You know it used to be that if somebody wasn't making enough at their job they would have a second part time job to cover the rest instead of getting government handouts.

My how things have changed.
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Encouraging "the government will take care of you" thinking is not good for one's sense of self worth, IMO. Why exert yourself when you can get money for doing nothing? No wonder obesity is a problem! It can't and won't last forever...our $17 trillion dollar debt will see to that...then what will they do? :scared:

Greetings, Mason66. :wave:
 
Your Star said:
Good grief.

How about they pay them a freaking living wage? This is just ridiculous. Putting money before humanity is the biggest problem in the world.
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It equals itself out. If they don't pay a living wage, they don't have to work a living day.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
With Costco vs. Walmart you are not just comparing different labor rates at "similar" retailers these are different business models entirely. For example Wlamart does not charge an annual membership fee, employs twice as many employees (per square foot of retail space), sells many more products and allows you to buy those products in much smaller quanities than Costco does.

Why Can
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Walmart Pays Workers Poorly And Sinks While Costco Pays Workers Well And Sails-Proof That You Get What You Pay For - Forbes
Perspective. By compensating employees generously to motivate and retain good workers, one-fifth of whom are unionized, Costco gets lower turnover and higher productivity than Walmart
 
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ttwtt78640 said:
So, Walmart should become just like Costco - charge large annual fees. use 1/2 the staff, supply 1/10 the items and leave everything on pallets. ;)
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Walmart's is leaving merchandise on pallets as they're way understaffed and can't get them unloaded.
 
HenryChinaski said:
Pay your god damn employees wages that don't require the taxpayer to pick up the rest of the tab. Costco does it, Whole foods does it. Trader Joe's does it. Walmart and McDonald's can do it.
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whole foods is also dependent on selling overpriced bull**** to would-be yuppies. Hardly comparable to walmart's business model and not a place many people can afford to shop
 
American said:
"Liveable" wages are a fantasy. Tell me an exact dollar amount of a living wage.
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1. It was possible to live on minimum wage up until the 1980s.

2. It needs to vary based on the cost of living of different regions.
 
Dr. Chuckles said:
whole foods is also dependent on selling overpriced bull**** to would-be yuppies. Hardly comparable to walmart's business model and not a place many people can afford to shop
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Whole food rules.:peace
 
HenryChinaski said:
Oh save your free market bull****. Walmart's philosophy is get everything for the lowest price, goods and employees. Wal-Mart is the biggest consumer of taxpayer supported aid. They're having their cake and eating it too by taking advantage of their employees and the tax-payer.We should charge back the amount of public assistance any employee receives to the company he or she works for and watch them up their pay and/or increase their hours.
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Same with the people that shop there.

And individual taxpayers take every single break they can as well...what, do people turn them down 'for the greater good?'

Walmart is not responsible for people that TAKE their jobs yet cannot support themselves. Those people should take other jobs then. Or, is it Walmart's fault too that they cant/wont do so?
 
HenryChinaski said:
Whole food rules.:peace
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Absolutely but I cant really afford to shop there. I do go there for stuff I cant find anywhere else tho...like purple potatoes. Ack, I do buy some treats there tho.:)
 
Lursa said:
Same with the people that shop there.

And individual taxpayers take every single break they can as well...what, do people turn them down 'for the greater good?'

Walmart is not responsible for people that TAKE their jobs yet cannot support themselves. Those people should take other jobs then. Or, is it Walmart's fault too that they cant/wont do so?
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Walmart should up the pay. They still bank profit, less tax money is used on those employee's welfare checks. More money in the employee's pocket makes a happier, loyal and more productive employee who will spend a chunk of that money at their place of employment. It's a win win for everyone.
 
americanwoman said:
My twin sisters in law both work at walmart and go to school. They have no problems at all working and going to school, they say walmart is pretty flexible with hours to fit their schedule. They say they like working there and besides some usual complaints about customers acting like idiots (anyone working with the public will have that gripe) they are happy. One of them even met her future husband working there.
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Just IMO, your sisters are a good example of who and why people can make the most of working...at the current wages...at Walmart work *for them.* And then they'll move on.

Service jobs at Walmart, etc should not be intended as a career unless one plans to move into management.
 
HenryChinaski said:
Walmart should up the pay. They still bank profit, less tax money is used on those employee's welfare checks. More money in the employee's pocket makes a happier, loyal and more productive employee who will spend a chunk of that money at their place of employment. It's a win win for everyone.
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"Should"

Yes, that's always nice.
 
DiavoTheMiavo said:
I'm too lazy to google the Forbes articles referring to how much the average Super Walmart cost the American tax payer in food stamps, welfare, etc. (thereby subsidizing Walmart's profits), but if I remember correctly it is somewhere just under a $1-Million a year for each store. With thousands of stores, we are talking Billions going to the welfare state. And that's Billions in profit for Walmart.

Isn't Jerry Brown in court right now suing for the right to fine Walmart if they don't provide health coverage? The average Walmart worker get's like $6000.00 a year in state funded medical care, so he is going to fine them the same . . . or something like that, I am too lazy as i said before, to look it up. Plus, if it is against Walmart, I am jaded . . . I hate them for what they did to the Mom & Pop's (I'm conservative that way). Rumor is good enough for me. Sam Walton would be turning over in his grave if he knew how his store was being run now.

Logic and reason will not work with me . . . Walmart is evil.
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By no means is it 'Walmart's fault.' No forces anyone to work at Walmart. If you cant survive on Walmart's pay....DONT WORK THERE. But people do...and then abuse the safety net of public assistance. That is the individual, not a corporation.
 
Lursa said:
Then perhaps it is not a viable alternative. Or it is only for some.

But not IMO, something to aspire to change overall society towards.
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If we survive as a species, a lot of the changes that have to be made are already starting to happen -- such as the Re-localization Movements (especially when it comes to growing food, in many regions there has been a quiet, rarely reported move away from agribusiness to growing and buying food locally. Energy costs and resource scarcities are going to force changes that may make life in a few generations look almost exactly as it did prior to the Industrial Revolution.

When it comes to communes and communal organization, that was the standard way of organizing family life until about 10,000 years ago, and worth noting that according to more recent anthropological evidence, most early settled communities did not establish patriarchal hierarchies as in the example of the city states of Sumer. In the Indus Valley during that time, cities such as Mohenjo Daro and Harappa were enforcing some degree of conformity as houses in the early period of those cities all followed the same floor plans; there were no palaces or temples, and what's known about family life indicates that they were matrilocal (men went to live with their wife's family after marriage). A lot of the changes we have accepted as products of civilization are in fact products of barbarian invasions...since warrior cultures tended to be patriarchal and extremely hierarchal....and I'm way off topic now so I'll stop here and make a note to post a topic on ancient civilizations at some time in the near future.
 
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