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400 jobs; 10,000 applicants

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by deskslave, Jan 11, 2008.

  1. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    I never do understand why some people get so angry talking about Wal-Mart.

    It's not the greatest store in the world. But I do like that I can buy organic milk and free range eggs there (since the local Farmer's Market isn't open when I get out of the office at 1 a.m.).
     
  2. zeke12

    zeke12 Guest

    Fuck Wal-Mart.
     
  3. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    After my experience today, I'd like to add "Fuckabuncha Best Buy."
     
  4. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Yes, the Laurie family. Which makes its money from . . . ?
     
  5. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    1) Please substantiate ONE thing, instead of just throwing out assertions. You do this over and over again. Give supporting evidence.

    2) Even so, labor unions are not some magical carpet that makes people's lives better. Wal-Mart has absolutely no obligation to support unionization. And unions can't work in that industry, because Wal-Mart workers are largely unskilled. In order to collectively bargain, you need leverage. Why can't people understand this? Labor unions have died in this country because of this. They have taken countless industries with them, and sent their jobs overseas, because they have tried to dictate terms of employment without the leverage to do so. So employers have told them to fuck off and taken the jobs to people all too happy to accept them. I'm sorry JR, but a cashier at Wal-Mart is easily replaceable. Creating a labor union doesn't change that. Why in the world would Wal-Mart deal with that union when it can just go out and hire one of the 9,999 other people all too eager to have the job?

    Collective bargaining is ONLY effective when you are highly-skilled and not easily replaceable. It's why professional athletes can collectively bargain succesfully. They have leverage. Management can't tell them to fuck off, because there isn't a ready supply of replacements who can do the job as well. 99 percent of the industries that have tried to unionize don't fit that description. The workers can be replaced and as a result they have no leverage. And without leverage you have no bargaining power. It's why unionization is so anachronistic. There was a time when between 35 and 40 percent of all people on private payrolls belonged to a union. Today it is 7 percent and falling. Worse, though, unions aren't just dying. They are killing off jobs. Between the early 80s and today we lost about 3.5 million UNIONIZED manufacturing jobs in this country. That was a 65 percent loss. During the same period, the number of non-unionized manufacturing jobs increased by more than 50,000. We live in a global economy, and in that economy, American labor unions have been a burdon that have hurt American workers. It's why when WalMart comes to the table with 400 crappy jobs in some small town, they get 10,000 applicants without even placing an ad.
     
  6. I agree with Ragu in the point that Wal-Mart isn't much worse than all the other companies that have shipped jobs overseas. But I refuse to give them credit for it because if they could somehow outsource retail jobs they would. Since they can't pay a bunch of foreigners paltry wages to greet customers, they pay Americans paltry wages - and let the U.S. government subsidize it.
     
  7. three_bags_full

    three_bags_full Well-Known Member

    If someone agrees to work for those wages and benefits, then they are fair.

    If you want to sell your home for 200K, but only get 100K, then it's only worth 100K.
     
  8. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    That's an especially callous viewpoint to have given the profession in which you used to work.
     
  9. "Once you got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
     
  10. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    I think you're extrapolating again. This thread isn't on the "Journalism topics only" board.

    But I'll indulge you, and note that I would guess that those who leave the newspaper business do so partly because they have realized that conditions are not fair. Ditto for employees of any company who manage to move on.
     
  11. pallister

    pallister Guest

    Holy fuck are some of you ignorant.

    I suppose it would be better for these people to not have jobs than to work at Wal-Mart.

    And TP, with all due respect, talking shit like that about Sam Walton makes you look like the most ignorant of all. And to another of your points -- that the powers that be at Wal-Mart want people dependent on the government. Well, if that's the case, the lefties around here have something in common with their corporate bogeyman.

    I'm guessing I have known more people employed by Wal-Mart than any person on this board. Is any giant corporation perfect? Hell no. But I've actually seen the good Wal-Mart can do -- for people of all income levels. Just because you read a few things you agree with from sources who likely have their own biases and agendas doesn't mean you know what the fuck you're talking about.

    But everyone around here's an expert.
     
  12. speaking of not backing up an argument w/ facts ...
     
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