From Wall Street Journal:Wal-Mart Stores Inc. remains a pariah to U.S. labor unions and urban activists who continue to hold the world's largest retailer to a different standard than rival Target Corp. as they block its plans to expand into the nation's biggest cities.
Hoping to improve its reputation, Wal-Mart in recent years has boosted employee health benefits, launched programs to reduce its environmental impacts, and paid hundreds of millions to settle lawsuits alleging that its workers were denied lunch and bathroom breaks.
Yet the Bentonville, Ark., retailer continues to serve as the archenemy of labor unions and urban foes, who believe that if they can make Wal-Mart change its practices, smaller retailers will more readily follow suit.
Wal-Mart executives maintain they are making headway against what they regard as outdated and inaccurate perceptions by arguing that the company can generate new construction and retail jobs at a time when cities desperately need the economic boost.
Target by contrast opened in Harlem in July with a red carpet gala attended by Jerry Seinfeld and New York politicians—and little hand-wringing about the consequences for shopkeepers or union cashiers.
"I know they are going to hurt me," said Anthony Ciarletta, owner of the 85-year-old Leto-Ascione Pharmacy two blocks away from the Harlem Target. Mr. Ciarletta said no politicians had bothered to check if he was worried about Target.
The disparate treatment has even begun to rankle a few labor organizers, who note that Target's wages and benefits mirror Wal-Mart's.
By most objective standards, Wal-Mart's compensation is quite similar to its publicly traded retail competitors, and sometimes better. It now offers a more generous health care plan than the retail average; nearly 80% of Wal-Mart's U.S. workers are eligible for health coverage, compared to just 58% for the retail sector as a whole according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Target declines to disclose its pay, but workers in Chicago said wages for entry level jobs, such as cashiers and inventory stockers, start at the state's minimum of $8.25 an hour. That is lower than the $8.75 hourly wage that Wal-Mart has pledged to pay to start in the city, according to local politicians.
25 comments:
They both of had more of their fare share of outsourcing and destroying manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and are one of the largest reasons why China had boomed in the 90's.
We boycott both and always will.
Fuck Walmart, fuck the Walton family, and fuck Arkansas.
The unions are scared of Walamrt as it has a greater hiring standard and most of the union workers don't speak English or poorly educated.
nothing but mongoloids work in these stores..ignorant, uneducated, could give a god dam about there job employees.
Consider the source. The Journal is now just an uber-conservative rag in the back-pocket of big business - the bigger, the better.
Wal-Mart treats its employees far worse than Target and Costco. For the real scoop check out
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/
Big deal that they offered $8.75 in Chicago - that's just to get a foot in the door! Wow - $.50 above minimum - that a whole $20.00 extra a week! BFD!
I'd rather have a Walmart Store in the old Caldor in Flushing than the Asian Mall that is coming.
And I don't give a crap about the unions. I doubt that the new mall with be hiring only union employees.
"Walamrt has a greater hiring standard"
WTF Have you ever BEEN in A WALAMART?
And I'm sure all of you support the growth of Target in NYC?
The anonymous person who said they rather have a Walmart in the old Caldor, um are you truly going to shop there or is this more racist BS from a left winger?
Walmart, Target, BJ's No difference They all blow
To anon no, 4: you certainly sound like you have a few diplomas hanging on your wall.
Walmart developed an image of being rural and embracing traditional values. This has been exploited by its detractors despite Sam Walton having died in 1992 and the last Walton to have been CEO was in 2005.
As anon. number 2 here shows, urban elites hate the success of something that didn't originate with them. New York's own big names in retail have either died or are near bankruptcy.
Frankly, New York needs Walmart more than Walmart needs New York.
"Frankly, New York needs Walmart more than Walmart needs New York."
Excuse me but are you stupid? NY absolutely does NOT need Walmart. Poverty wages and no chance for local producers to be included in the marketplace is NOT what New York needs. Walmart is practically salivating at the chance to get into the NYC market. But it won't because it continuously disregards its workers well being.
Say NO to poverty wages.
P.S. Target isn't much better.
DO NOT SHOP AT WALMART!!!!
The Walton family is one of those behind trying to privatize our schools and break the teachers' unions. First our union, then others to follow. These guys want to shrivel up the middle class and have two groups of people left: them(rich) and us(poor).
Do not shop in their stores. Spread the word.
"The anonymous person who said they rather have a Walmart in the old Caldor, um are you truly going to shop there or is this more racist BS from a left winger?"
Sounds like an overly liberal shit-head to me.
If not shopping at an Asian Mall makes me a racist, so be it.
The disparate treatment has even begun to rankle a few labor organizers, who note that Target's wages and benefits mirror Wal-Mart's.
Rumor I've heard is that Target plays the game better than Wal-Mart. Target has made the necessary "contributions" to NYC politicians, and other such "payoffs".
The Walton family is one of those behind trying to privatize our schools and break the teachers' unions.
And that's a bad thing?
As anon. number 2 here shows, urban elites hate the success of something that didn't originate with them.
"Urban elites" also don't like shopping at places such as Wal-Mart and Target, because they don't like getting in close proximity to lower income Wal-Mart and Target shoppers.
That's why they prefer buying their groceries at Whole Foods - the higher prices keep out the unwashed masses.
In case anyone hasn't noticed, we are in a recession. People are out of work. If a Walmart came to the boroughs, it would create jobs. I don't think people are seeing the bigger picture. What happened to free enterprise? I'm sure if Walmart played ball and paid off the politicians, we'd have a Walmart in every borough.
(1) No one is choosing to shop at Bloomingdale's (or Macy's, JC Penney, etc.) or over Wal-Mart because the former group is stocking "local producers" in categories where Wal-Mart is not.
(2) Wal-Mart is free to pay the minimum wage if they choose, if you have a problem with that, get a higher minimum wage law passed for everyone.
"Frankly, New York needs Walmart more than Walmart needs New York."
Hey DICKHEAD. NY needs more Union Square Green Markets.
PERIOD.
"if you have a problem with that, get a higher minimum wage law passed for everyone."
Who are you to dictate how someone should protest walmart's policies? If we have a problem with them we are free to protest walmart.
"People are out of work. If a Walmart came to the boroughs, it would create jobs."
It would create jobs at the expense of other jobs and businesses. NO net gain, just a shift of jobs to a company that makes sure it keeps its workers at the bottom.
"Urban elites" also don't like shopping at places such as Wal-Mart and Target, because they don't like getting in close proximity to lower income Wal-Mart and Target shoppers.
That's why they prefer buying their groceries at Whole Foods - the higher prices keep out the unwashed masses.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
So you dont know what your talking about at all. Whole Foods which I usually avoid and go to smaller stores actually is not expensive if you buy what Whole Foods has on sale and that is a lot of different foods, then its less expensive than Key Foods or many other places.
Also Whole Foods is owned by Randian monopoly thinking right winger.
Avoid Target and Wall Mart especially since they are not even cheaper for most items anyways besides the bad labor practices.
Yes the labor practices are bad at both companies, but shame on the employees for not having the initiative to unionize and fight for better. There was a labor movement in this country for a reason, and many people fought for the right to unionize and we have lost the importance of that in our society. People are more often than not unwilling to sacrifice or fight for their own collective interests.
I'd rather have a Walmart Store in the old Caldor in Flushing than the Asian Mall that is coming.
I am certain the new Asian Mall will be non-union, most likely employees being paid off the books and good possibility that many employees will be illegal.
where are the unions on that? Why go after Walmart, at least they offer low prices that even Target cannot match. PS Target is also a great store and glad they are in NYC, there is room for Walmart if they can find the right space - watch them hire 1000s when they do. At least a Walmart job pays the same better than welfare - so give these folks a housing allowance!
In case anyone hasn't noticed, we are in a recession. People are out of work. If a Walmart came to the boroughs, it would create jobs. I don't think people are seeing the bigger picture. What happened to free enterprise?
There you go - your absolutely right. Remember Fresh Direct and the unions representing their workers? The feds found out hundreds of their members were illegal - so the union and the employer are in bed with each other and the unions exploiting their own members with the POLS all up in arms that these people were simply earning a living? Well why don't they earn a living in Ecuador or Columbia or Mexico in stead of stealing jobs from unemployed Americans?
Allow Walmart to creat jobs for crying out loud - what's wrong with everyone - too liberal I suspect!
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