The nation's biggest private employer is also its most notorious union-hater. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wal-Mart has been swaying workers from voting Democrat this November, fearing that the Democrats' proposed Employee Free Choice Act would make unionizing possible in Wal-Mart stores.
In an act that reeks of desperation, the mega retailer has been holding "mandatory" meetings for thousands of store managers and department heads, scaring their employees by stressing the "downsides" of unionization.
From the WSJ:
"According to about a dozen Wal-Mart employees who attended such meetings in seven states, Wal-Mart executives claim that employees at unionized stores would have to pay hefty union dues while getting nothing in return, and may have to go on strike without compensation. Also, unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise."
The Employee Free Choice Act that Wal-Mart so adamantly opposes would enable labor groups to organize with a "card check" system instead of the current single secret-ballot election that is prone to anti-union protests from Wal-Mart corporate. Barack Obama co-sponsored EFCA, and not surprisingly, John McCain opposed it.
While it's illegal for Wal-Mart to tell workers who to vote for, the WSJ claimed that employees said Wal-Mart's human recources managers told them that "voting for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in."
While the WSJ report is certainly stunning, it's by no means a shocker. Wal-Mart's anti-union track record has been appalling for years. They spend millions flying in their "rapid response teams" on private jets from their Bentonville, AK headquarters just to quash any suspected union activity. And when employees are actually successful in unionizing, the company treats that department (or entire store) like a cancerous tumor and has it excised.
Wal-Mart's latest stunt just proves unionization is their worst nightmare. It would mean they would have to pay workers wages that aren't below the poverty line. It would mean they would have to provide workers with adequate health care coverage. Hell, it would mean they would have to treat their workers with fairness and decency for a change.
And as to Wal-Mart scaring workers into believing that if Democrats win in November, they will lose, I ask this: if you're a Wal-Mart employee who's making a meager hourly wage that doesn't even cover the cost of food for your family or doctors' visits for your children, haven't you lost already?
good, thanks for your infos
I have been a UFCW member for almost 40 years. I work for a company that is owned by Safeway.....Listen to this I am in the top 1% as far as seniority goes HOWEVER I CANNOT get 40 hours a week and I have to pay a weekly fee for my insurance and because my wife works she IS NOT covered ! Since our last contract my wages have consistanly gone down but my union dues keep going up along with my health care. WHAT IS THE SENSE TO BEING IN A UNION???
The only people who benefit from a union are the people who work for the union. The president, secretery and the business agents. THEIR PAY HASN'T GONE DOWN!!!!
Do any of you all ever bother to think about the importance of unions? I live in a state that is the most thankful for unions. Many movies about my state are based on the coal miners and the help they got from the union. Walmart tries to act like the coal companies did in the 1800s. They want to rape the area for all they can then pack up and leave town. When Walmart decided in my city to go from having a store that was close to the next town nearby; to having two so called "super centers". They spent a long time trying to figure out what to do with the old building; until a hospital decided to buy the property and move in. Even when the hospital is in the weeds they can't fill the entire parking lot. I have personally dealt with the racism from the employees and management of the local Walmart the last time I ever wanted to have anything to do with them. When I went to the local government about buying part of a vaccant lot from the city to start my own business I was told no; later finding out from a former schoolmate that works for Walmart, that they might put another one in the city on that lot.
I don't understand why everyone is down on Wal-mart for not wanting unions in there stores. Why don't people wake up and see the real world. Jobs going to other country's is not the Government or the Company's it's is all the fault of the Union's. They don't want a fare wage they want an unfair wage and benefits that break company's. Unions where good when they first started but if you really look at every major company that has went under in the last 20 yrs can be blamed on unions. Wake up people put the blame where it belongs.
Walmart's richest heir is worth $65 billion and their are 4 more heirs with assets of over $20 billion each.To hear that America subsidizes their employees to the tune of $1.5 billion a year is outrageous.The only Walmart store in Canada that unionized was promptly closed.
WalMart will never get my business. And to JC, you think Greenwald and Brave New Films would allow any kind of 'propaganda' videos here? You're trying to divert attention from the fact that Wal-Mart treats their employees like dirt!!
Hey Shelly (posted a comment 1 week ago from 9/12/08) you talk so tough and clearly racial in an indirect manner. Why don't you identify yourself to see if you would say that in someone fact! You coward!
I'm perusing these comments and find what I find at Amazon and other places when someone wants to be against whatever is being discussed. FREE HINT: if your mastery of the English language is that of a bag of wet hair, no one will take you seriously. Egregious misspellings and the belief that "U R" is an appropriate substitute for "You are" will let everyone know that you're an absolute idiot and while entitled to whatever opinion you may think you have, in fact you're just a retarded colostomy bag with a flapping hole of a mouth.
I'm an immigrant to the U.S from the U.K, and I've been a union member all my working life. I read with great interest all of the comments, and, as always, I've reached the same conclusion. "There would not be one union on the face of this planet if there wasn't a need for them, and the need is ALWAYS the treatment of the employee by the employer." I"ve found it to be a rare thing when employees are treated fairly, they push for more than they're entitled. I will admit that there are times when unions become extremely powerful, and there are times when that power does seem to corrupt their actions, but remember, the 'union' is always comprised of the membership, and if the power of the unions is kept in the hands of the membership by using a fair voting system, and not delegating the decision making to union officials, then healthy profit, and happy employees can be realized.
UNIONS ARE GANGS! THEY GANG UP UP ON BUSINESS AND EXTORT MONEY! WAKE UP PEOPLE, THANK GOD RONALD REAGAN FIRED THE LAZY EXTORTIONIST AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS.
Absolutely the truth. Try walking around a Wal-Mart with a union jacket on once. Security will follow you everywhere. Then up the ante...talk to a few associates. My little experiment ended up with me explaining to the local police that I was there picking up a few items on my way home from work. Of course the police officers are members of the F.O.P. and unionized so they basically laughed in the security and store managers face and told them they were delusional. I was met at my vehicle in the parking lot by store security after the police let me go and told that if I ever returned to Wal-Mart I would be arrested for trespassing.
All I did was walk in to a Wal-Mart wearing a CWA Union Jacket. Screw Wal-Mart, I'll shop at Meijer. Their prices are better, their employees are unionized and much nicer. Meijer actually does all of the community involvement that Wal-Mart claims to do. Here in Michigan Meijer is competing head to head with Wal-Mart and doing it with UNION employees who are paid EXCELLENT wages and VERY GOOD Benefits. I'll spend my money at Meijer.
i have worked at wal-mart for two years and i have had and still do have friends and family that work at wal-mart stores for our store to earn over 90 million in profits in 2007 and then say we were below our profit goal to deny us our bonus in 2007 yea right im not all for unions but wal-mart is to big of an employer to give small wages after they force other companies out
These stupid little videos are posted by unions who want walmart associates in the union. You can tell from the little story under the movie. Could you imagine how much money they would make from them. There are probably millions of walmart workers. I mean come on if your a cashier and have 4 kids of course ur going to be on welfare. I don't care if you work at an IGA, Target, or Walmart your not going to make enough money to pay for everything they need. If you don't like how much your getting paid find another job. If unions make their way into "Wal mart then the workers will get paid even less cause they'll have to pay union dues and unions won't be able to get them a pay increase. I'm not against unions but come on they have their place and this really just feels like a take down.
Bullcrap is what this video is about. I been at walmart for 4 yrs and still plan on being an associate. Sure we have our day to day drama but these guys are misslead. My walmart store #1667 in Wabash Indiana is an example that Walmart doesnt drain realestate and doesnt drive buisness under. They have a shoping center going up and have a TSC and a Big R next door. Also Walmart has allowed me to acheive greater goals then those other retailers. People crying about wages? It based on an area study. They think ya gonna get paid 10.00 an hour through the door. People need to shut up and move on and complain about something better like our gas prices!!
Chevy
Who told you that crap? The man on the t.v?
Over here we have Walmart by the balls, they opporate in this country by our rules: Decent wages, holidays, working time limits, maternity leave(1 year)full pay, the worker decides the overtime, pensions, no one gets fired without a good reason 'by law' or else Walmart pays out bigtime. Strange thing is... we have cheep prices also, Asda's(Walmart) is way cheeper than anyone else by a mile. You guys are being lied to, its not a matter of either/or. Walmart in the U.S is run by a bunch of gangsters. If you want shafted fair enough but dont thank them for it.
Its funny, Everybody loves their low prices. But they also like to bring up crap like this. You cant have both, low prices and people who dont want to work, just bitch!
News has it that unemployment figures are up! Thats because some people dont want to work! THey call that Unemployment! Please! Move back to your welfare state!
sound posting.
So, is Target a better place to shop, or not?
Wallmart bought Asda's over here in the U.K about five years ago. And its as good a place to work as anywere else. Good benefits and protections. Its tragic watching the same company in the U.S take such advantage of the people working for it.
We are protected by government regulation. But we have to force them to do that. If you dont organise from the grassroots, these coorporation will give you nothing.