From the Murdoch Street Journal (formerly known as the Wall Street Journal):
“Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they’ll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies — including Wal-Mart. In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.According to about a dozen Wal-Mart employees who attended such meetings in seven states, Wal-Mart executives claim that employees at unionized stores would have to pay hefty union dues while getting nothing in return, and may have to go on strike without compensation. Also, unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise.
…
The Wal-Mart human-resources managers who run the meetings don’t specifically tell attendees how to vote in November’s election, but make it clear that voting for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in, according to Wal-Mart employees who attended gatherings in Maryland, Missouri and other states.”The meeting leader said, ‘I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won’t have a vote on whether you want a union,'” said a Wal-Mart customer-service supervisor from Missouri. “I am not a stupid person. They were telling me how to vote,” she said.”
Wow. Good to know, I guess.
Maybe it was just the local I was in, huh? I suppose that is possible. My Dad was represented well by the IBEW, but the teamsters local I was in was CRAP. I wasn’t given representation 2 jobs ago, and at the last place I worked– the SHOP STEWARD gave me the following line: “I’m not your personal errand boy.” I live in FARM COUNTRY and was traveling 80 miles ONE WAY for 9 years…and the thanks I got was just plain bull.
In my 30 years of work, I had never been treated like that. And it came back to haunt the company–with an overseas murder of their CEO. The company before mistreated me–and they moved– and have since gone under. The job before THAT was a chapter 7 bankruptcy 3 years after I left.
Like I say, it haunts them.
I am unable to hear on the phone. Nobody really wants to hire someone who cannot hear. But W-M did.
My current supervisor is wondering why the turnover is great in the department. You know why? It’s not because of the wages, or conditions. It’s HER. We’ve lost 6 people in 5 months since she took over. And she can’t understand why.
::sigh::
Chuck, sorry you had a bad experience, but I’ve never had that happen to me. My union’s repped me at meetings three times in the last 15 years, and while the increase is small (about 4%), I have no doubt I’d be seeing my wages CUT if not for them.
Also, I shop at Costco and pay LESS for groceries than I used to pay at Wal-Mart, and Costco is union.
Wow.
As a person who has been on BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE, I want to express my opinion.
I was a member of the Teamsters for 22 years, so don’t you dare think that I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Each month, our dues were 2.5x our hourly rate. For me, that was almost 40 bucks a month.
I read through the contracts, and the only “guarantee” was MAYBE 2% a year. That was “Iffy” at best. They didn’t step in when I was being unfairly treated. I went to them for representation at a meeting — did my guy show up? NO. What a crock of crap. I wound up being suspended for a NON-EXISTENT offense, they did not help whatsoever. That was at the LAST job, there was a different “offense” at a previous, and they did not step in THERE, either. So, 2% and non-helping bull– that’s REALLY worth $40.00 a month.
The crap about Wal-mart paying “little”…is just that, Crap! I KNOW what they pay me… it’s for sure not what I was earning at the last job, but neither is this job the same as the last job.I have options that I didn’t have at the last job. If I feel I’m being treated unfairly by my supervisor (and there was a recent incident in which I went to the store manager), I don’t have to call in the union. I can go right over the super’s head to the next person, without fear of reprisal.
When I get treated unfairly, it always comes back to haunt my employer. I mean ALWAYS.
EVERY JOB. I’m not giving details here, but if they are wanted, I can send them through Email.
Wal-mart is not the “Great Satan” that organized labor makes them out to be. On the contrary, the Labor Unions seem to fit that description. I’m not saying that Unions have done no good. I’m saying that we should have a choice…if it becomes a union shop, we should have the right to NOT JOIN.
I checked it out recently: My local grocery store (not union) vs. Walmart. Do you realize how much I saved on groceries? What costs 50 at the local grocery is almost 10 bucks less at Walmart.
So, I suggest that anyone who bad-mouths Walmart either doesn’t shop there, or is an idiot.
Long live Walmart — and 3 Cheers for the late Mr. Sam.