Wal-Mart Tweaks Pay, Touts Benefits

[wicket]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040604/bs_nm/retail_walmart_annual_dc_2

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - news) on Friday promised to give raises to some of its workers and called on employees to counter critics who say the world's biggest retailer mistreats its staff.

Chief Executive Officer Lee Scott said Wal-Mart would establish new pay classes in hopes of helping the retailer compete for workers. He gave few details, but said no one would take a pay cut as a result of the new structure, and some employees would be paid more.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, whose roughly 1.3 million U.S. employees make it the largest private-sector employer, has been called the most sued company in America and faces dozens of cases alleging wage-and-hour violations.

A lawsuit in California that could become the largest ever class-action suit charges Wal-Mart with sex discrimination and unequal pay. Other cases allege the retailer forces employees to work off-the-clock.

[central scrutinizer]

1. why not ask their workers

to promise to not sign up for public assistance, apply for reduced school lunches,etc. to show that this company is not a parasite.

[VolcanoJen]

5. Yes, and they can't sign up for Bankruptcy Court either.

I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart in over four years... they are the Poster Child for "Bad Business."

[denverbill]

2. Blah, blah. Tell us when you start paying for health insurance.

Maybe I'll be more impressed then.

You are the biggest employer in the country and most of your employees probably qualify for food stamps. Not only that, but your high pressure tactics have bankrupted dozens if not hundreds of manufacturers and other businesses. You are the Standard Oil of retailing. We need a new Teddy Roosevelt to take you down.

[salin]

9. Wonder if their "Peasant Insurance" plan is still general policy

where they take out life insurance on low level employees (reportedly some don't know what they are signing) - with the company as the beneficiary (Walmart gets a payoff, when employees die) - and the $ goes into a fund to help pay for the costs of executive benefits.

[denverbill]

10. And people wonder why they hire 85 year old 'greeters'.

No doubt they qualify for low-cost 'group' rates too.

[Beatrix]

3. What does "coached" mean?

I was at a wal mart the other day and I saw a sign in the back room. It said don't leave carts and if you were caught you would be "coached".

[CO Liberal]

6. "Coached" Means...

...you'll be run over by one of the many motor homes that park overnight in the Wal-Mart lot.

:-)

[pinniped]

18. Maybe they will put you in the center of one of those "pep rallys".

I dunno.

[jmowreader]

20. "Coached" is Wal-Mart speak for "written up"

If you get "coached" often enough, you get a termination coaching.

[wicket]

21. it's so Orwellian of them

[WI_DEM]

4. I absolutely hate Walmart

They treat employees badly and yet in their advertising try to make it seem like they are "all one big happy family". They have done a great deal to destroy small town America and drive mom and dad businesses out. I never go to Walmart.

[dryan]

7. Trying to stem the tide

Walmart has received (deservedly so in my opinion) at lot of bad publicity lately. They also know that the company is being targeted by a lot of labor organizations,namely the Commercial and Grocery Workers union. Also, several well-known non-profits have criticized Walmart and even returned money from them. Last year, Business & Professional Women/USA passed a resolution overwhelmingly condemning Walmart and returned a large sponsorship check to them. Walmart for years had given a group a cash sponsorship of several thousand dollars.

[Baltimoreboy]

26. Shoppers had a big hand in that

No one MADE them shop at Wal-Mart. I don't shop there. But the prices are better and that is enough for many people.

[Raster]

8. in addition to the horrendous way they treat their employees...

...bottom line: you spend a dollar in walmart, a portion of that dollar WILL go toward $hrubco's re-selection. Period.

[saigon68]

12. I won't BUY SQUAT at Walmart --NADA ---ZIP ---ZERO

Our union construction trades are totally shut out by these Corporate Hooligans.

When ever I see a full parking lot at their stores I just wince

[Frodo]

11. Holy Cow! 1.3 MILLION employees?

That means roughly 1% of all employed people in the COUNTRY work for Wal-Mart???

No wonder so many of the Walton clan on the "riches" list.

[bleedingheart]

13. getting rich while their workers struggle

but then again...that's success in the USA.

[Raster]

14. and remember, a large portion of all walmart stock...

...is owned by four (or five?) of the wealthiest people on the planet, the heirs of ol' sammy boy. Each is worth an approximatete 15-20 BILLION buckaroonies...

we can't pay our employees a living wage or cover heathcare, 'cause it would cut into our profits... but we'll be donating big bucks to right-wing pet projects, including the $hrubco reselection...

[wicket]

17. pieces of shit

That's what they are. They get rich off of other people's misery, from the products they sell to the people they employ to the taxpayers who inadvertently end up supporting them.

[bleedingheart]

19. The Robber Barons of the 21st Century

...move over Carnegie, Frick and Rockefeller...here come the Waltons...

[madrchsod]

23. i think their worth each is about 35 billion

you can get grossly rich on the back of 7 dollar an hour labor

[Sandpiper]

24. The Walton Family Fortune

Was divided equally among Sam Walton's widow and four children. They are each worth $20 billion and account for five of the ten richest people in the United States and the world.

They also donate heavily to the GOP. :puke:

Edited to update numbers. They've all gotten $2.5 billion richer in the past year or two.

http://www.forbes.com/maserati/billionaires2004/bill04land.html

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. I think you mean the "Walton KKKLAN".

[Lugnut]

16. They can put lipstick on the pig

But it's still a sow. My apologies to hogs everywhere.

[lakeguy]

22. A new Wal-Mart just opened here in MN

and there were about 300 protesters in attendance. The carpenter's union had a large bus with a sound system parked right outside so it was really loud. At one point we all marched through walmart chanting so loud that we drowned out their PA system. Too bad the local news decided to ignore it, bastards!:mad:

[Fitzovich]

25. Great Job!

Thank You

[wicket]

27. awesome!

we need more activism like that! :)

[Lou_C]

28. I guess their wages will be a few pennies about min. wage now

:shrug:

Plus they will be given one of those prescription drug card like the one that Bush gave seniors for a whole $.10 cents off.