Wal-Mart to Canada Store: Fuck you and your Union

[Guest MikeSC]

Here's a little math for you: Wal-mart is the largest retailer in the country. How many products do you think a Wal-Mart sells in a day? Thousands. If they raised the price of each item oh, a nickel, they could afford to pay their employees a buck more an hour, easily. Or advertise less! Everyone knows what fucking Wal-Mart is. That's been demonstrated. Anyone who opposes unions has never worked a shitty job before.

Anybody who supports unions hasn't actually worked before. I'd rather NOT be bled dry to give a corrupt leadership a bit more of my money.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I think the real story here is...

 

You went to college?!?!

 

Egads, man, I hope you got a refund

Well, it was a liberal arts school, so that explains a few things...

[Special K 0]

Anybody who supports unions hasn't actually worked before.

 

Complete and utter bullshit.

 

Yeah, unions may take a little too much in dues, and some of that money may not be used correctly, but look at the business practices of corporations, Wal Mart being a prime example. We would be fucking Chinese slave laborors without unions. We would be getting fucked so utterly hard by the companies we work for.

[Special K 0]

Anybody who supports unions hasn't actually worked before.

 

Complete and utter bullshit.

 

Yeah, unions may take a little too much in dues, and some of that money may not be used correctly, but look at the business practices of corporations, Wal Mart being a prime example. We would be fucking Chinese slave laborors without unions. We would be getting fucked so utterly hard by the companies we work for.

[Guest MikeSC]

Anybody who supports unions hasn't actually worked before.

 

Complete and utter bullshit.

 

Yeah, unions may take a little too much in dues, and some of that money may not be used correctly, but look at the business practices of corporations, Wal Mart being a prime example. We would be fucking Chinese slave laborors without unions. We would be getting fucked so utterly hard by the companies we work for.

I used to clean bathrooms at K-Mart, so I've HAD shit jobs in a very real sense of the word. Unions are useless. They protect the lazy worker and punish the industrious one.

 

Unions were once needed. Now, they are not. They are now simply political groups out for their own power and screwing over the workers they so horribly claim to represent.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm not a union guy, but I'm sure there are places where a union is needed and in some cases preferred. Funny enough, the place where I worked as a copy editor, had its workers try to go union a few years after I left. It didn't work.

 

Side union story: My one co-worker at my copy editor workplace once told me that his old man had worked at a plant that was unionized, and he said the union and management got along pretty well. However, when the plant started hiring younger workers, those workers wanted the same pay/benefits as the people that put in their time at that place. Then all hell broke loose or something...

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Here's a little math for you: Wal-mart is the largest retailer in the country. How many products do you think a Wal-Mart sells in a day? Thousands. If they raised the price of each item oh, a nickel, they could afford to pay their employees a buck more an hour, easily. Or advertise less! Everyone knows what fucking Wal-Mart is. That's been demonstrated. Anyone who opposes unions has never worked a shitty job before.

Do you know what their profit margins are per item? A retailer, on average, will price at cost + 12%. That's the cost they pay to get the good on their shelves, plus 12% to cover labor and operating expenses.

 

So you want to artificially raise prices a nickel? Guess what...someone else will offer it for a nickel less across the street. In a free-market economy, competitive firms cannot charge higher prices than what the market dictates.

 

Please note that I said competitive (not niche).

 

I'm just going to say it and get flamed badly. Who cares.

 

1) If it wasn't for Walmart, ALOT of their employees would not have a job or be working in less suitable conditions. The same goes for other mega-plex chains.

 

2) By propping up wages, say by a quarter from 6.50 to 6.75, ANYONE who could provide to a potential employer benefits from 6.50 to 6.4999 would NOT be hired (altruism aside, businesses do not willingly lose money).

 

If you think you can dictate an economy better than the market (with oversight, like oh wait, I DO), then move to China, or read about the Soviet Union, or the US in the early 70s with the wage and price controls.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

But look at the business practices of corporations, Wal Mart being a prime example. We would be fucking Chinese slave laborors without unions. We would be getting fucked so utterly hard by the companies we work for.

No. We wouldn't be. Because an employer has got to pay an employee what their worth, in the end, in the long run. Because if they're not...someone else will.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

That wacky Wal-Mart is up to its old tricks.

 

Pretty sweet deal secret deal they cut with the DoL.

 

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Hi, again, that's not a secret deal. Such contract language is included in any investigation launched into business activities by either the SEC, BLS, DOJ, DOL, and FTC. If *we, the government* notify them of a problem, there is a mitigation period where the party notified CAN propose a solution. If the government accepts the solution, the case is washed.

 

If we do not accept the mitigation, we go to court.

 

Really, learn how our government operates.

[Guest MikeSC]

Hi, again, that's not a secret deal. Such contract language is included in any investigation launched into business activities by either the SEC, BLS, DOJ, DOL, and FTC. If *we, the government* notify them of a problem, there is a mitigation period where the party notified CAN propose a solution. If the government accepts the solution, the case is washed.

 

If we do not accept the mitigation, we go to court.

 

Really, learn how our government operates.

Why should he?

 

It's MUCH more fun to demonize.

-=Mike

...It's bizarre that libs seem to like Castro, but Wal-Mart is evil...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Well Castro provides free health care -- after he chops off your limbs and stuff...

[Guest MikeSC]

Well Castro provides free health care -- after he chops off your limbs and stuff...

I imagine it's easy to supply free health care --- when you lock up the AIDS patients.

-=Mike

...AIDS care ain't cheap...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

...when you lock up the AIDS patients....

Hmm, maybe Castro is so bad a guy after all...

[Dr. Tom 0]

...when you lock up the AIDS patients....

Hmm, maybe Castro is so bad a guy after all...

Apparently, the Colonel just couldn't quite bring himself to pay a commie even a backhanded compliment...

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Hi, again, that's not a secret deal.  Such contract language is included in any investigation launched into business activities by either the SEC, BLS, DOJ, DOL, and FTC.  If *we, the government* notify them of a problem, there is a mitigation period where the party notified CAN propose a solution.   If the government accepts the solution, the case is washed.

 

If we do not accept the mitigation, we go to court.

 

Really, learn how our government operates.

 

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

 

Congressman George Miller:

"I don't know if the Department of Labor threw in the towel or whether Wal-Mart put enough political pressure on them that they ended up with a sweetheart deal," Miller said, adding that he will ask the department's inspector general this week to review the agreement.

 

"I don't know if there's anything in Wal-Mart's background with regards to allegations of violations of labor laws that would make any suggestion Wal-Mart has earned the right for this kind of treatment," Miller said.

 

A veteran DOL inspector was also rather perplexed:

"With child labor cases involving the use of hazardous machinery, why give 15 days' notice before we can do an investigation?" asked a district office supervisor who has worked in the wage and hour division for nearly 20 years.

 

"What's the rationale?"

 

Several department officials suggested that the provision for 15 days' notice might give Wal-Mart an opportunity to hide violations.

 

John R. Fraser, the government's top wage official under the first President Bush and President Bill Clinton, said the advance-notice provision was unusually expansive.

 

"Giving the company 15 days' notice of any investigation is very unusual," Mr. Fraser said. "The language appears to go beyond child labor allegations and cover all wage and hour allegations. It appears to put Wal-Mart in a privileged position that to my knowledge no other employer has."

 

Several federal employees voiced concern about a Jan. 10 e-mail message sent by the director of the Little Rock, Ark., office for the Labor Department's wage and hour division after the settlement was reached, that said, "Wage & Hour will not open an investigation of Wal-Mart without first notifying Wal-Mart's main office and allowing them an opportunity to look at the alleged violations and, if valid, correct the problem."

 

OSHA prohibits inspectors from warning employers about planned inspections, unfortunately, child labor laws do not (which they should).

 

Wal-Mart has faced previous child labor charges. In March 2000, Maine fined the company $205,650 for violations of child labor laws in every one of the 20 stores in the state. In January 2004, a weeklong internal audit of 128 stores found 1,371 instances in which minors apparently worked too late at night, worked during school hours or worked too many hours in a day.

 

And way to hijack the thread and make it about Castro (WTF?).

 

Bitches.

[Guest Brian]

The AIDS "ghetto" is actually in a decent part of the island. The buildings all look white-washed and it's pretty secluded, as people can't move out. But they get doctor visits regularly, though the doctors don't make much, and the infection rates are very, very low; probably among the bottom ten of all countries in the world. I might have a picture my pops snapped about ten years back if I can find it.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal has also weighed in on Wal-Mart's sweetheart deal:

 

"In effect it gives the company an unusual, if not unique, amount of time to avoid or even cover up evidence in the future," Blumenthal said. "And it certainly diminishes the usefulness of any future federal investigation, which is why the state has an obligation to undertake a more proactive and aggressive role."

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Oh yeah, and the DoL didn't announce the (early January) agreement with Wal-Mart until forced to by the NY Times investigation more than 30 days later.

 

Oh yeah, and Wal-Mart is a very significant corporate GOP donor.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

Nobody knows sweepings generalizations and veering threads off topic for some random liberal bashing/flaming like Czech.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

Nobody knows sweepings generalizations and veering threads off topic for some random liberal bashing/flaming like Czech.

I'd argue that plenty of CE denizens do it better

[SuperJerk 0]

Anybody who supports unions hasn't actually worked before. 

HELLLOOOO...actually union member who's been working since he was 17 sitting right here!

 

**waves arms around**

 

nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

 

Because, as Ann Coulter has taught us, if one liberal possesses an iritating character flaw, then enough liberals must possess that same character flaw to the point where said flaw is an accurate description of practioners of the ideology in general.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Apparently, the Colonel just couldn't quite bring himself to pay a commie even a backhanded compliment...

D'oh. Oh, wait. That makes me love America even more. Nevermind...

[The Czech Republic 0]

nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

 

Because, as Ann Coulter has taught us, if one liberal possesses an iritating character flaw, then enough liberals must possess that same character flaw to the point where said flaw is an accurate description of practioners of the ideology in general.

You had me agreeing with your rebuttal until you tacked on the rolling-my-eyes emoticon and proved my point for me.

[SuperJerk 0]

nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

 

Because, as Ann Coulter has taught us, if one liberal possesses an iritating character flaw, then enough liberals must possess that same character flaw to the point where said flaw is an accurate description of practioners of the ideology in general.

You had me agreeing with your rebuttal until you tacked on the rolling-my-eyes emoticon and proved my point for me.

Because, if two liberals possess an iritating character flaw, then enough liberals must possess that same character flaw to the point where said flaw is an accurate description of practioners of the ideology in general.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

The Czech Republic, my 4th favorite poster

[SuperJerk 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

The Czech Republic, my 4th favorite poster

You should have used an emoticon in that post.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Kudos to you on bringing the pompousness and arrogance HARDCORE STYLE~!.

That's high praise from a Democrat, Popick, nobody knows pompousness and arrogance like the liberals

The Czech Republic, my 4th favorite poster

You should have used an emoticon in that post.

 

I Czech and to him.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

These last few posts make me want to