So I started my orientation at Wal-Mart today.  The people all seem really nice, the pay is nice and comfortably over minimum wage (I just graduated high school so that's great), and I actually get medical and dental benefits if I stay for six months full-time or a year part-time.  I have to say it seems like a pretty good deal so the question I want to raise is this:

Why do liberals/labor advocates/etc. have so much hostility towards Wal-Mart? 

Just saying it seems like they treat their employees pretty well.

All big companies seem nice in the orientation, believe me! 

I don't want to knock your new job.  Most of us need a job of some sort.  I will say that for a young, healthy person without a family to support and relatively free of debt, the wage is not so bad.  If you have three kids to raise, a mortgage to meet, a monthly car payment, a chronic medical condition, etc., etc., Wal-Mart pay becomes instantly insufficient. 

I will be interested in your point of view on working conditions at Wal-Mart.

All big companies seem nice in the orientation, believe me! 

I don't want to knock your new job.  Most of us need a job of some sort.  I will say that for a young, healthy person without a family to support and relatively free of debt, the wage is not so bad.  If you have three kids to raise, a mortgage to meet, a monthly car payment, a chronic medical condition, etc., etc., Wal-Mart pay becomes instantly insufficient. 

I will be interested in your point of view on working conditions at Wal-Mart.



But what alternative is there for a person in that situation?  I don't know of any retail stores that pay extremely well for positions like cashiering and stocking.  How would, say, a Target differ?

Costco should be a model for retail treatment of its employees.  It offers the highest wage structure in retail, and the best benefits, including shutting down for major holidays(paid). People who really laud family values should be happy with that, a holiday off to actually spend with your family.  The CEO's base salary is 350,000 and he doesn't milk the rest in perks.  In return their employee turnover is 1/5 of WalMart.

www.abcnews.go.com/2020/business/story?id=1362779

Don't even get me started on Wal-Mart.

Now the initial Wal-Mart started by Sam Walton I have respect and admiration for.  I believe that Walton was a good man, with a good heart and good intentions.  Never the less, when other people started looking into Wal-Mart and seeing huge financial opportunities it started to go down hill fast.  Today, it's downright horrible.

Reasons To Dislike Wal-Mart
A - Ever been to a town with a population less than 5,000 people and wonder why there is NOTHING to do and NOWHERE to go?  The answer is Wal-Mart.  No, it doesn't stand alone, other companies are to blame too but Wal-Mart is why there aren't any nickle and dime stores anymore.  Wal-Mart is why mom and pop shops closed down.  Wal-Mart is why you hear stories about why small towns used to have all sorts of neat stuff to do, and why now theres nothing more to do in the town than drive around.

B - It prys on the poverty of our country and caters to unethical and immoral behavior.  When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.  He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.  My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.

C - It's treatment of it's employees.  To them you aren't a human being, you're a tool for Wal-Mart.  They pay you $8 bucks an hour and all of a sudden think they own you.  If you're a good hard worker, it's a nightmare because you have to pick up other people's slack.  Other people who get paid more than you do.  When you go to leave the job, they give you this speech of how much you're letting down Wal-Mart and how good Wal-Mart was to  you.  Oh please, our economy may be down right now but once it's back up, $8 an hour jobs are a dime a dozen.  Wal-Mart is so filthy stinking rich, and the CEO's are making so much damn Money it's atrocious. 

Those are only a few reasons.  There are more.  I just haven't studied up enough to know what they are.

Don't even get me started on Wal-Mart.

Now the initial Wal-Mart started by Sam Walton I have respect and admiration for.  I believe that Walton was a good man, with a good heart and good intentions.   Never the less, when other people started looking into Wal-Mart and seeing huge financial opportunities it started to go down hill fast.   Today, it's downright horrible.

Reasons To Dislike Wal-Mart
A - Ever been to a town with a population less than 5,000 people and wonder why there is NOTHING to do and NOWHERE to go?  The answer is Wal-Mart.  No, it doesn't stand alone, other companies are to blame too but Wal-Mart is why there aren't any nickle and dime stores anymore.  Wal-Mart is why mom and pop shops closed down.   Wal-Mart is why you hear stories about why small towns used to have all sorts of neat stuff to do, and why now theres nothing more to do in the town than drive around.

B - It prys on the poverty of our country and caters to unethical and immoral behavior.   When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.

C - It's treatment of it's employees.   To them you aren't a human being, you're a tool for Wal-Mart.  They pay you $8 bucks an hour and all of a sudden think they own you.  If you're a good hard worker, it's a nightmare because you have to pick up other people's slack.  Other people who get paid more than you do.   When you go to leave the job, they give you this speech of how much you're letting down Wal-Mart and how good Wal-Mart was to  you.  Oh please, our economy may be down right now but once it's back up, $8 an hour jobs are a dime a dozen.  Wal-Mart is so filthy stinking rich, and the CEO's are making so much damn Money it's atrocious.   

Those are only a few reasons.  There are more.  I just haven't studied up enough to know what they are.



AMEN! I couldn't have said it better. I have a friend that works there...and they do treat their employees really crappy.

Several additional points:

WalMart has forced - literally forced - suppliers to shut down their US based operations and move to China or lose their contract.

They have been known to force workers to work "off the clock" (like, for free).

Don't even mention unions at WalMart.

We boycotted Walmart a long time ago.  The main reason is that the majority of their products are packaged or made in China, from frozen vegetables to dog treats.  Of course there are exceptions.  However, due to the severe lack of quality control in the Asian factories as well as the lack of concern for many of the factory's workers health, I refuse to shop at Walmart.  I also refuse to buy anything made in China anywhere, it's provong to be a bit of a challenge.

Don't even get me started on Wal-Mart.

Now the initial Wal-Mart started by Sam Walton I have respect and admiration for.  I believe that Walton was a good man, with a good heart and good intentions.   Never the less, when other people started looking into Wal-Mart and seeing huge financial opportunities it started to go down hill fast.   Today, it's downright horrible.

Reasons To Dislike Wal-Mart
A - Ever been to a town with a population less than 5,000 people and wonder why there is NOTHING to do and NOWHERE to go?  The answer is Wal-Mart.  No, it doesn't stand alone, other companies are to blame too but Wal-Mart is why there aren't any nickle and dime stores anymore.  Wal-Mart is why mom and pop shops closed down.   Wal-Mart is why you hear stories about why small towns used to have all sorts of neat stuff to do, and why now theres nothing more to do in the town than drive around.

B - It prys on the poverty of our country and caters to unethical and immoral behavior.   When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.

C - It's treatment of it's employees.   To them you aren't a human being, you're a tool for Wal-Mart.  They pay you $8 bucks an hour and all of a sudden think they own you.  If you're a good hard worker, it's a nightmare because you have to pick up other people's slack.  Other people who get paid more than you do.   When you go to leave the job, they give you this speech of how much you're letting down Wal-Mart and how good Wal-Mart was to  you.  Oh please, our economy may be down right now but once it's back up, $8 an hour jobs are a dime a dozen.  Wal-Mart is so filthy stinking rich, and the CEO's are making so much damn Money it's atrocious.   

Those are only a few reasons.  There are more.  I just haven't studied up enough to know what they are.



http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/happy/applause.gif



I couldn't have said it better myself and there are so many more reasons.

I have NEVER bought ANYTHING from Walmart and I never will.



Cat

I worked with a guy whose girlfriend worked as a floor manager for Wal-Mart.  They had a regional meeting that was required for floor managers and they were told that if they wanted to sit they should bring there own chairs.  :o

When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.


Your boss had the correct action for flawed reasons. The reason he didn't do anything about it is that WM's AP/LP people must have continuous eye contact of a suspect. A false stop is grounds for termination. Your boss (or you) would have been fired had you stopped this person and they managed to ditch the merchandise before the stop.

I don't shop for games at Walmart because a) their prices are no better than anyone else and b) I hate tracking down an employee to open the case so I can look at the game. Best Buy or Gamestop are much better in that area.

LoOW: good luck working at WM. I'd read up on every store rule, as well as be initmately familiar with all state and federal labor laws that apply to you.

I personally detest WM from a consumer standpoint. Getting in the store is a nightmare at peak times, their grocery prices are usually higher than stores that are closer, many of their non-food items are Chinese crap, and even if I find something I need, ringing it up takes an hour at best since they'll only have 4 of their 40 registers open.

Ant

Several additional points:

WalMart has forced - literally forced - suppliers to shut down their US based operations and move to China or lose their contract.

They have been known to force workers to work "off the clock" (like, for free).

Don't even mention unions at WalMart.


Don Carlos, thanks for adding that information.  How could I have forgotten the forced, "work off the clock" time?  I saw a lot of that at Wal-Mart when I worked there and a lot of that through observation of friends who work there.

I remember when I worked at Wal-Mart my boss would say to me, "Hey come see me after you clock out" and I'd say, "what is this about?".  He'd say, "Go clock out first and I'll tell you".  I'd come back thinking I was going to be in trouble or maybe something of the sort and he'd send me up a ladder to put files away or go out into the parking lot to help put away the Spring items they have on display outside.

Ah, I am so hypocritical though.  I often find myself developing pictures, buying cameras and doing a little other shopping at Wal-Mart from time to time.  To know that I'm putting my money into the hands of Wal-Mart greedy executive CEO's, damn economy. 

Costco should be a model for retail treatment of its employees.  It offers the highest wage structure in retail, and the best benefits, including shutting down for major holidays(paid). People who really laud family values should be happy with that, a holiday off to actually spend with your family.  The CEO's base salary is 350,000 and he doesn't milk the rest in perks.  In return their employee turnover is 1/5 of WalMart.

www.abcnews.go.com/2020/business/story?id=1362779




Don't even get me started on Wal-Mart.

Now the initial Wal-Mart started by Sam Walton I have respect and admiration for.  I believe that Walton was a good man, with a good heart and good intentions.   Never the less, when other people started looking into Wal-Mart and seeing huge financial opportunities it started to go down hill fast.   Today, it's downright horrible.

Reasons To Dislike Wal-Mart
A - Ever been to a town with a population less than 5,000 people and wonder why there is NOTHING to do and NOWHERE to go?  The answer is Wal-Mart.  No, it doesn't stand alone, other companies are to blame too but Wal-Mart is why there aren't any nickle and dime stores anymore.  Wal-Mart is why mom and pop shops closed down.   Wal-Mart is why you hear stories about why small towns used to have all sorts of neat stuff to do, and why now theres nothing more to do in the town than drive around.

B - It prys on the poverty of our country and caters to unethical and immoral behavior.   When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.

C - It's treatment of it's employees.   To them you aren't a human being, you're a tool for Wal-Mart.  They pay you $8 bucks an hour and all of a sudden think they own you.  If you're a good hard worker, it's a nightmare because you have to pick up other people's slack.  Other people who get paid more than you do.   When you go to leave the job, they give you this speech of how much you're letting down Wal-Mart and how good Wal-Mart was to  you.  Oh please, our economy may be down right now but once it's back up, $8 an hour jobs are a dime a dozen.  Wal-Mart is so filthy stinking rich, and the CEO's are making so much damn Money it's atrocious.  

Those are only a few reasons.  There are more.  I just haven't studied up enough to know what they are.



Win.


Win.

Your boss had the correct action for flawed reasons. The reason he didn't do anything about it is that WM's AP/LP people must have continuous eye contact of a suspect. A false stop is grounds for termination. Your boss (or you) would have been fired had you stopped this person and they managed to ditch the merchandise before the stop.

I don't shop for games at Walmart because a) their prices are no better than anyone else and b) I hate tracking down an employee to open the case so I can look at the game. Best Buy or Gamestop are much better in that area.

LoOW: good luck working at WM. I'd read up on every store rule, as well as be initmately familiar with all state and federal labor laws that apply to you.

I personally detest WM from a consumer standpoint. Getting in the store is a nightmare at peak times, their grocery prices are usually higher than stores that are closer, many of their non-food items are Chinese crap, and even if I find something I need, ringing it up takes an hour at best since they'll only have 4 of their 40 registers open.

Ant


I would have respected that more, had that been his reasoning behind his action.  Yet it wasn't, and I don't respect that.

Secondly, speaking of how long it takes to get out of Wal-Mart my dad often says, "Wal-Mart, One hour Photo's and One hour check outs".

B - It prys on the poverty of our country and caters to unethical and immoral behavior.   When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.





sounds like your manager was an idiot and should have been reported to his boss.

I worked with a guy whose girlfriend worked as a floor manager for Wal-Mart.  They had a regional meeting that was required for floor managers and they were told that if they wanted to sit they should bring there own chairs.   :o


that's funny!

"Walmart: the High Cost of Low Prices" is a good starting point for discovering the insanity that is Walmart management.

Your boss had the correct action for flawed reasons. The reason he didn't do anything about it is that WM's AP/LP people must have continuous eye contact of a suspect. A false stop is grounds for termination. Your boss (or you) would have been fired had you stopped this person and they managed to ditch the merchandise before the stop.


Ant


this is true...not only do you have to have a continuous watch on the person you cannot stop them until they get outside...because they can always say they intended to pay for the items but you stopped them before they got to the check out.... once you catch them outside with the merchanside and no receipt you can prosecute but really... for two video its not really worth the hassle....



I don't shop for games at Walmart because a) their prices are no better than anyone else and b) I hate tracking down an employee to open the case so I can look at the game. Best Buy or Gamestop are much better in that area.



I'm with you here....finding help in walmart is like looking for waldo in the extreme waldo books... impossible...

The walmart is about 40 miles from me...there is a best buy across the street... usually just check the prices of what I want to buy online at walmart.com and then tell the best buy guy its cheaper there and he gives me a discount... WIN!!!






LoOW: good luck working at WM. I'd read up on every store rule, as well as be initmately familiar with all state and federal labor laws that apply to you.





this is good advice

hmmm how come no one mentioned the treatment of employees....like the person who was trampled on Black Thursday but the store opened anyway....


or the woman who is in the hospital or died or something but walmart won't pay the benefits out to the family.... I don't recall the whole story but someone here does... I heard about it about two years ago if that helps narrow it down....

dang... I forgot.... congrats on your new job.... hope everyones griping doesn't make you feel bad....new jobs are exciting... obviously plenty of people like wal-mart or it wouldn't take so long to check....so feel good that you got a decent paying job in this economy...

or the woman who is in the hospital or died or something but walmart won't pay the benefits out to the family.... I don't recall the whole story but someone here does... I heard about it about two years ago if that helps narrow it down....


You're talking about Deborah Shank.  She got pummeled by a semi-truck or something and got a settlement out of it.  Wal-Mart's health plan sued for that settlement to recoup the money they lost when they paid her medical bills and they WON.  It was entirely legal, but not really...well, NICE.

Here's an article about it.  I think they finally decided not to take the money because they looked like bastards and Deborah pretty much needs round the clock care for basic necessities.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119551952474798582.html

sounds like your manager was an idiot and should have been reported to his boss.


His boss is probably the one that told him that in the first place!

Thanks Q!


this is true...not only do you have to have a continuous watch on the person you cannot stop them until they get outside...because they can always say they intended to pay for the items but you stopped them before they got to the check out.... once you catch them outside with the merchanside and no receipt you can prosecute but really... for two video its not really worth the hassle....

Is that WM policy or local law?

One of my first jobs was working in the shoe dept at K-mart. Straighten up the shoes, put out new product, unbox new shoes - took maybe 2 hours out of my 3 hour shift. In the downtime, I would sit up in the observation booth and look through the 2-way mirror.

One day, I saw some kids come into the shoe dept. One put on a new pair of shoes, ripped off the tags, put his old ones on the shelf, and walked out of the shoe dept. I believe they were stopped before they left the store. After I got done with that, I was walking to the mensroom and saw a kid come out in a heavy coat (odd since it was summer). He sees my nametag/uniform and ducks away from me. I go in the mensroom and in the trash are several empty walkman and headphone packages. I run out, and tell LP that I got another one. Two shoplifters busted in less than 15 minutes.

That would never fly today in a retail store, but it sure was fun. It was also cool knowing that I had caught two more shoplifters than the LP guy had in his six months there!

In VA, concealing merchandise and altering prices or removing tags is shoplifiting - you don't have to be out of the store to get busted:

http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-103.html

Ant

In VA, concealing merchandise and altering prices or removing tags is shoplifiting - you don't have to be out of the store to get busted:

http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-103.html

Ant


We REALLY need that law here.

Thanks Q!

Is that WM policy or local law?

One of my first jobs was working in the shoe dept at K-mart. Straighten up the shoes, put out new product, unbox new shoes - took maybe 2 hours out of my 3 hour shift. In the downtime, I would sit up in the observation booth and look through the 2-way mirror.

One day, I saw some kids come into the shoe dept. One put on a new pair of shoes, ripped off the tags, put his old ones on the shelf, and walked out of the shoe dept. I believe they were stopped before they left the store. After I got done with that, I was walking to the mensroom and saw a kid come out in a heavy coat (odd since it was summer). He sees my nametag/uniform and ducks away from me. I go in the mensroom and in the trash are several empty walkman and headphone packages. I run out, and tell LP that I got another one. Two shoplifters busted in less than 15 minutes.

That would never fly today in a retail store, but it sure was fun. It was also cool knowing that I had caught two more shoplifters than the LP guy had in his six months there!

In VA, concealing merchandise and altering prices or removing tags is shoplifiting - you don't have to be out of the store to get busted:

http://law.justia.com/virginia/codes/toc1802000/18.2-103.html

Ant


CA. law...don't know about the other states. in Ca if you get caught shoplifting inside a store just say you planned on paying for the item an were just holding in your shirt until you got to the register...if you don't have priors for shoplifting they can't prove otherwise....

I think it has to do with proving intent...in the case of the shoes it was quite obvious that he intended to steal the shoes because he ripped off the merchandise tag and reshelved his old shoes...no way to mistake intent there... but in the other on... we might be able to get him for attempt shoplifting but you'd have to prove that he was responsible for discarding the merchandise... any good attorney could reasonably make the claim anyone could have dropped those items in the restroom before their client entered and it would burden would be on the prosecutor to prove otherwise...

When I worked at Toys R us I saw a guy stash a texas instruments learning toy down the back of his shirt... I took off my orange vest and stashed it in on a shelf and started following the dude.... I almost had him.... but just as we got to the registers one of the employees saw me and asked why I was out of uniform.... he heard and quickly pulled the item out of his shirt and left it on a counter..... I almost had him...

Good work Ant it is fun when you catch them~

also...TQ's legal advice for the day..if you ever plan to shoplift and do get caught (and decide to confess)...tell them when you were in the store you saw the item and decided you had to have it....never, ever tell them you wanted something and decided to go in that store and take it.... that forethought and planning upgrade the crime from a simple theft to burglary (ie entering a structure with the intent to commit a crime)

Why do liberals/labor advocates/etc. have so much hostility towards Wal-Mart? 

Just saying it seems like they treat their employees pretty well.


I dunno, I can't speak for the left :)  As a capitalist, I've got mixed feelings about how they treat their suppliers: The story of the One-Gallon Jar of Vlasic Pickles is the texbook example.  Once you start dealing with them, you'll make boatloads of money over the short term (anyone check out a stock chart of Green Mountain Coffee lately?  Holy crap!), but over the long term, Wal-Mart will be your only customer, at least, the only customer that matters.  If you cash out before they take you out, take the money and run; you can always start another business later.

Also, as a capitalist, I ain't real fond of the way they treat the taxpayers.  Suppose you're the Mayor of Outer Rustbucketstan, Indiana.  Your city's tax base is eroding due to the decline of local manufacturing jobs.  So you need money, and your citizens need jobs.  Along comes Wal-Mart, promising 1000 jobs... but just like the Vlasic Pickles company, there's a catch.  You've gotta cut Wal-Mart some slack, or they'll go to Inner Rustbucketstan or some other town whose mayor is willing to play ball.  In order to get 1000 of your citizens off the welfare rolls, you've gotta give Wal-Mart a break on the property taxes on their new superstore or they'll just set up in the next town over.

So you give 'em the tax break.  Wal-Mart's paying a better tax rate per square foot than the dozen or so small-time retailers on your main street, but they're paying, right?  And they've hired 1000 of your citizens, so how cool is that?  And they may have even helped re-elect you by providing funds to your campaign.  What could possibly go wrong?

Well, within a year or two, the small-time retailers are out of business - because of Wal-Mart's superior pricing.  Of the 1000 people who "got jobs" from Wal-Mart, another 500 are on welfare because the small businesses up-and-quit.  None of those small businesses are paying any property taxes, because their storefronts are empty.  And the rest of the Wal-Mart employees are kept working just long enough to qualify for unemployment or other state-sponsored medical benefits, and then "laid off".  Like clockwork.  Your taxpayers (whether through state or federal taxes) are effectively footing a good portion of the bill for the medical benefits for the Wal-Mart employees.  It's just that it doesn't come out of the municipal budget.

If you're the Mayor, that's still a pretty good deal - you get re-elected, everyone blames Wal-Mart (not you) for the loss of the downtown core, and most of the economic fallout is offloaded to the State and Federal governments, spread out amongst a broader base of taxpayers.  Customers of Wal-Mart benefit from the occasional bargain, and employees of Wal-Mart benefit from having a relatively stable source of cyclical employment.  But economically, it's basically a wash.  The only big winners are the local government (which stays in power) and Wal-Mart (which gets tax breaks which get made up for by higher taxes on the surviving local businesses and residents).

You're a free man.  Work for whomever you choose.  Even Wal-Mart.  (I'm a free man.  I shop wherever I choose.  Rarely - but not never - that also includes Wal-Mart.) 

My only gesture of economic protest is to use my credit card at Wal-Mart, but to use cash at local retailers.  The credit card company invisibly takes a slice of 1-3% on every transaction processed.  The numbers are typically ~1% for large retailers like Wal-Mart, and ~3% for small merchant accounts.  Wherever I vote with my dollars, the local merchants have a 4% profit margin advantage over their major competitor.  In low-margin businesses such as groceries and consumer staples, that's probably just about enough to offset the net government subsidy that Wal-Mart receives.

So your employer has a government subsidy, and there's no shame in it anymore, and as subsidies go, it's a pretty small one.  It's not like you're working for the IRS, General Dynamics, or General Motors.  Take the new job with a clean conscience, and when it's time to move on, move on with an equally clean conscience.

^ GM is figuring out what Wal-Mart got decades ago.  Capitalism sucks: It means you have to compete and you might lose.  Much better to call it capitalism, get the government in on the scheme, pocket the loot, and let the taxpayers pick up the tab!

FDR called that "fascism" back in 1938, but he was just a red-baiting class traitor anyway.
::)

When I worked at Wal-Mart I once saw a guy steal two video games out of there cases and put them into his pocket.  I went and told my boss what happened.   He told me that if the alarm system didn't go off, not to worry about it.  The alarm system didn't go off and the guy made it out with close to $100 worth of computer games.   My boss then pulled me into his office and told me that the reason why they won't go after him is because if they do, and the guy gets into trouble, he'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.  Furthermore he'll tell his friends, and they might not ever shop at Wal-Mart again.  If he has a family, they'll probably never shop at Wal-Mart again.    To hear a boss say that to me, is something I just can not respect.



I don't get the rationale.  I say bust the guy and get him convicted of larceny.  With a felony on his record and even the frikkin' fast food joints doing CORI checks nowadays, the only place he'll ever afford to shop is -- WAL-MART!

I know, if Wal-Mart will fund my campaign for congress, I'll introduce a bill to extradite all persons convicted of shoplifting at Wal-Mart to China to work in one of Wal-Mart's sweatshops!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/14/occasion14.gif