Walmart employees say they're preparing for job cuts as retailer rolls out its 'Great Workplace' pro

Walmart last spring said it was testing a sweeping overhaul that would make its stores better run and create more opportunities for employees to “do meaningful work.” The “Great Workplace” initiative, the retailer said, would be “the key to winning the future of retail.”

But nearly a year in, workers say the effort, which will reach 1,100 of the company’s 5,300 U.S. stores by year end, has led to widespread confusion.

Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, is telling employees that it is doing away with certain positions — including hourly supervisors and assistant store managers — and replacing them with a smaller set of roles that carry more responsibilities, often for the same pay, according to interviews with current and former store employees, and internal documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Workers say they are being asked to apply, interview and test for new positions, essentially pitting them against their colleagues for a shrinking number of jobs. Some are terrified they will lose their job and insurance.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/walmart-employees-say-theyre-preparing-for-job-cuts-as-retailer-rolls-out-its-great-workplaces-program/2020/02/14/d8f4ea1c-4f63-11ea-9b5c-eac5b16dafaa_story.html?

Update on Squirrels nesting in wife's Nissan Rouge engine compartment

A week ago I added an OP regarding squirrels nesting in my wife's Nissan Rouge and leaving a trail of destruction (about $3K) behind as they chewed on wires, hoses and the washer fluid reservoir. Some good ideas were posted to my call for assistance and they were appreciated but I found some great advice on this webpage so I am passing it along for those who might be having similar experiences.

https://www.wildlifehotline.com/welcome/mammals/raccoons/evicting-raccoons/

I have followed the advice given and so far Operation Squirrel Buster seems to be effective.

Wages back above pre-economic crisis levels

Average weekly wages in the UK have reached their highest levels since before the financial crisis.

Weekly pay reached £512 in the three months to December, which - adjusting for inflation - is the highest since March 2008.

Excluding bonuses, earnings grew at an annual rate of 3.2% in the three-month period, official figures show.

Employment rose by 180,000 to another record high of 32.93 million, while unemployment stayed at 1.29 million.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51543521?

A very sobering reminder of just how lousy the reality of economics has been for the working class.

Squirrels eating engine wires and hoses

Help!

My wife's Nissan Rogue has been recently attacked by a squirrel (we think) building a nest in the engine compartment. So far we are out $2200.00 and more to come today after the second round last night.

I sprayed an animal repellant called Bobbex-R on the engine last night, but this morning there was another batch of leaves on top of the engine, wires chewed, check engine light on and hose to windshield washer reservoir detached.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated as I can't do $2K per day in repairs.

Robert Reich on Universal Basic Income

Thank You for The Hearts

both earlier and most recent. They were unnecessary but nonetheless most appreciated.

Thanks for the Hearts

They were certainly not necessary, but nonetheless much appreciated!

Email from Yang Campaign following decision to suspend campaign

Thank you for your incredible support these past months. You all have uplifted me and inspired me and Evelyn and this campaign at every turn. Your passion and energy. Your donations and hundreds of thousands of hours of calling and volunteering. Your enthusiasm, dedication and commitment.

We have accomplished so much together. We have brought a message of Humanity First and a vision of an economy and society that works for us and our families to millions of our fellow Americans.

We went from a mailing list that started with just my Gmail contact list to receiving donations from over 430,000 people and support from millions more across the country.

One of the things I’m most proud of -- we gave $1,000 a month for a year to 13 families across the country.

We highlighted the real problems in our communities as our economy is being transformed before our eyes by technology and automation. We stood on the debate stage and shifted our national conversation to include the fourth industrial revolution, a topic no one wanted to touch.

Our signature proposal, Universal Basic Income, has become part of the mainstream conversation. We increased the popular support for Universal Basic Income to 66% of Democrats and 72% among voters 18-34.

And without a doubt, we accelerated the eradication of poverty in our society by years, perhaps even generations,

And that is thanks to all of YOU!

Though thousands of voters came out for our campaign tonight in New Hampshire, it is not the outcome we fought so hard for. It is bitterly disappointing for many of us.

But it should not be.

Every single day I’ve had supporters say to me:

“Your campaign helped me out of a depression. Thank you.”

“Working on this campaign has made me a better human being.”

“I met my significant other because of you.”

“Your campaign brought my family together. Your campaign got me excited about politics for the first time.”

These are all things that people have said to me in the past days. I’m incredibly proud of this campaign. We have touched and improved millions of lives and moved this country we love so much in the right direction.

And while there is great work left to be done, I am the MATH guy. And it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race. I am not someone who wants to accept donations and support in a race that we will not win.

And so tonight, I am suspending my campaign for president.

This is not an easy decision. Endings are hard and I’ve always intended to stay in this race until the very end. But I have been convinced that the message of this campaign will not be strengthened by my staying in this race any longer.

Endings are hard. But this is not an ending.

This is a beginning.

This is the starting line. This campaign has awakened something fundamental in this country and ourselves.

We’ve outlasted over a dozen senators, governors, and members of Congress and become the most exciting force in this entire race.

The Yang Gang has fundamentally shifted the direction of this country and transformed our politics, and we are only continuing to grow.

My goal when I first started was always to solve the problems that got Donald Trump elected. And I know in order to do that, I will support whoever is the Democratic nominee. That said, I hope this campaign can be a message, and word of caution, to all of my Democratic colleagues.

Donald Trump is not the cause of all of our problems. He is a symptom. We must cure the disease that got him elected, and in order to do that we must address the real problems that affect our people and offer solutions to actually solve them.

Those solutions are bold, and many think they are crazy. But I hope my campaign has made it a little less crazy to think we can lead our country to eradicate poverty. In fact, five candidates in this field have already supported it or expressed openness to supporting Universal Basic Income.

I stand before you today and say that while we did not win this election, we are just getting started.

This is the beginning.

This movement is the future of American politics.

This movement is the future of the Democratic party.

This wave is just beginning and it will continue to build until we rewrite the rules of this economy to work for us, the people of this country.

Thank you to each and every person who made this campaign possible, I love and appreciate you. Being your candidate has been the privilege of my life. We will continue to do the work and move this country forward.

Thank you all. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

-Andrew

American Factory

Watched it last night on Netflix and recommend it to everyone.

How a beloved organic grocery chain collapsed

New York (CNN Business)In 2016, a homegrown grocery chain hit the big time.

Kroger, America's largest supermarket chain, took a majority stake in Lucky's Market, a Boulder, Colorado, grocer known for its farmers-market-style stores that aimed to make natural foods more affordable. Lucky's tagline: "Organic for the 99%."

The partnership seemed to make sense for both companies: Lucky's, which had 17 stores dotting college towns from Colorado into the Midwest, would receive a cash infusion to help it expand. Kroger would get an inside look at a trendy grocer to firm up its position in natural and organic foods and to woo new shoppers.

"We expect to learn a lot from each other," Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said at the time.

But less than four years into the deal, the partnership is over. Lucky's, a grocer with a loyal base of shoppers has collapsed, thousands of workers' jobs are up in the air and suppliers have been bruised by the loss of a valuable customer.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/07/business/luckys-market-bankruptcy-kroger-organic-grocery/index.html