Wal-Mart’s Low-Wage Jobs Not Worthy of Praise

[iwishiwas]

Yet the WH invites them in for praise.


http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/07/20/wal-marts-low-wage-jobs-not-worthy-of-praise/#more-56119

Wal-Mart’s Low-Wage Jobs Not Worthy of Praise


by Mike Hall, Jul 20, 2011
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Representatives from Wal-Mart and other retailers attended a White House event today to recognize grocery chains and other corporations for expanding their businesses into underserved areas.

But, say AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) President Joe Hansen in a joint statement, including Wal-Mart in the event undercuts the message of the need for good jobs that can rebuild our middle class.
.......................

According to the campaign, Making Change at Wal-Mart, even with the company’s self-touted health care plan, many workers–whose average hourly wage is $8.81 an hour—can’t afford it and and a significant number of Wal-Mart workers rely on taxpayer-subsidized health care. In Massachusetts for example, 42 percent of Wal-Mart associates in 2009 relied on public health care.

Trumka and Hansen say:

There is no economic justification that our nation’s largest private employer should pay wages so low that any of its employees qualify for public assistance.

[xchrom]

1. ...

:mad: great example of what's fuckin wrong w/ our elites. nt

[Brickbat]

2. Shameful. K&R.

[HopeHoops]

3. "associates" - WalMart code word for "peons"

Fuck WalMart.

[dkf]

4. We've got very high unemployment among the least educated.

That does not produce upward wage pressure on Walmart jobs. And we don't produce anymore, we just sell what others produce. So if we don't have Walmart jobs what is left?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Exactly

The American Dream is dead. For some, it'e Walmart or nothing.

What a country.

[Cannikin]

6. Wal Mart educates you on the job.

Like their computer course on how to respond to anyone who speaks to you of unionizing, and how to report them to the company.

[Recursion]

7. This is about food deserts

In the real world we recognize when organizations do good things, even if other things they do are bad. Wal~Mart is moving in to areas that haven't had grocery stores available for decades, which is a Good Thing.