NYP reporter CHARLES PLATT went undercover in the American heartland this year going to work as an associate at Walmart and offers a different perspective on the retailing giant
including the following:
Walmartwatch.com, for instance, is partnered with the Service Employees International Union; Wakeupwalmart.com is entirely owned by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. For years, now, they've campaigned against Wal-Mart, for reasons that may have more to do with money than compassion for the working poor. If more than one million Wal-Mart employees in the United States could be induced to join a union, by my calculation they'd be compelled to pay more than half-billion dollars each year in dues.
Walmartwatch.com provides the local anti-Walmart group with much of it's ammunition as they seek to stop the retailer from locating a store in Warrenton. As to the treatment of employees at Walmart, Platt writes:
In fact, the deal at Walmart is better than at many other employers. The company states that its regular full-time hourly associates in the US average $10.86 per hour, while the mean hourly wage for retail sales associates in department stores generally is $8.67. The federal minimum wage is $6.55 per hour. Also every Wal-Mart employee gets a 10% store discount, while an additional 4% of wages go into profit-sharing and 401(k) plans.
As to the uproar over the impact Walmart has on small local business operations:
The argument, of course, is that smaller enterprises cannot compete. My outlook on this is hardcore: I think that many of the "mom-and-pop" stores so beloved by activists don't deserve to remain in business.
When I first ventured from New York City to the American heartland, I did my best to patronize quaint little places on Main Street and quickly discovered the penalties for doing so. At a small appliance store, I wasn't allowed to buy a microwave oven on display. I had to place an order and wait a couple of weeks for delivery.
At a stationery store where I tried to buy a file cabinet, I found the same problem. Think back, if you are old enough to do so, and you may recall that this is how small-town retailing used to function in the 1960s.
As a customer, I don't see why I should protect a business from the harsh realities of commerce if it can't maintain a good inventory at a competitive price. And as an employee, I see no advantage in working at a small place where I am subject to the quixotic moods of a sole proprietor, and can never appeal to his superior, because there isn't one.
I found all of this rather interesting considering this reporter didn't depend upon what is said about the company, he went to work for them to find out for himself.
Here's the link to the article:http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fly_on_the_wal_K8hD47GcZBkh1v3SjNYldI/5
Charles Platt, an embarrassment to Wal-Mart Defenders Everywhere from:The Writing On The Wal
ReplyDeleteToo true! Said it before and will keep saying it. The small stores around here have nothing to fear, if they are giving good service. I am not going to quit going to Custom Threads for my yarn. I know what I am paying when I walk into the shop. Not going to go to WalMart for my flower arrangements or to get my painting framed (or to buy my art work)! If you are a mean one who treats your customers like they should kiss you for opening your shop ON TIME or staying open on a Sunday, you really don't deserve my business. And no matter what the price Grovers (Utsingers) Coast to Coast (True Value) ALWAYS has my business because they have competent employees who like being there and LIKE helping you! WalMart is good to its employees (always can find one bad apple) and Fred Meyers can actually learn a thing or two from them.
ReplyDeleteThe rhetoric of the anti-everything crowd is becoming a din of nasal voiced whiners who live for the opportunity to say NO! Their latest, on the traffic, that will be caused by WalMart is ridiculous. What people going to be driving here from Hillsboro or Clatskanie to go to our WalMart instead of thier own (or in Longview)??? People over in Washington are already coming over here for shopping at Freds and Costco, one more store isn't going to do anything!
Really, these people are getting ridiculous. They should, at the very least, start bringing in viable options. Instead they keep saying they have to STOP all that is happening first or none of their friends want to play in our sandbox. Doesn't really sound like they have anybody, does it?
Shame on KAST for giving up its integrity as a news station to shamelessly promote Hazen and Samuelson. The ultimate was the 15 minutes of unpaid ads of Ann's whining pretending to be news this morning. I know they are paying for lots of ads but aren't you supposed to be a NEWS station? No one else will read this, but maybe Tom will.
ReplyDeleteActually Ann bought her radio advertising on our competitor. Following your logic I should have blasted her.
ReplyDeletetf
Integrity something missing from all the anti everything group. Thanks Tom, presently listening to the voting day commissioner statements. Vote "NO." I did.
ReplyDeleteOnce again gentle people we will see the facts do not matter. KAST, most people and even the Daily A can talk about reasons for having a Walmart r anything else oand it will make no difference to the anti everything gang. That gang will continue to blast every effort at progress that anyone and any government in Clatsop County tries to make (the only exception is that if the project stuffs money in their pockets). That is because the issue is not the project, the issue is power. Can the anti everything group bend the people in Clatsop County to their will? That is the question, nevermind facts.
ReplyDeleteThe recall people refused to meet those they wanted to recall. If they had their mis statementes could have bee refuted face to face.
ReplyDeleteThis debate was offered bu the Univercity Women political action committee who are controled by friends of the anti's.
Just ask yourselves..."Where's The Demand" for a Wal-MArt above all else.
ReplyDeleteIt's Martin Nygaard's money and truly he can do what he wants with it but, the real question is...Are we ready for it and can we support it without the loss of other businesses because of it, and just a lateral shift in jobs with no real gain?
On the other hand, maybe it's just time for a shift in business.
Personally, the thing that pisses me off about Freddy's is their propensity to channel us through that damned self-checkout section over personal contact at checkout and now Safeway?
The plus?
They are open after hours till what, 11:00PM?
It's never been about saving money really.
I love Ross's and they stay open till 9:00PM