WalMart - Store closing over unionising, Boycott called

[Reverend Blair]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

One drug store shut down in Thompson when Wal-Mart came in. Two or three (one might have disappeared anyway) locally-owned businesses in Battleford closed when Wal-Mart showed up, including the only independent photofinisher in town.

 

[tibear]

RB,

Your telling the only reason this drug store shut down was because Walmart came to town. Plllleeeeaaassse. There are many other drug stores in Thompson, Walmart may have the last straw but by no means are they the sole reason for any stores closing.

As for North Battleford there are also plenty of competition for WalMart in every part of their business.

 

[zenfisher]

When I was in Dryden in 1999, a lot of souvenir shops, drugstores, small little Mom and Pop stores were closing down. Okay ..maybe not ALL...just the ones that have to compete with them directly.

Take a drive out to Selkirk....then take a drive out six months from now...tell me what you see. They just opened a Walmart out there. Count the bigger chains, count the small stores that have to compete directly with Walmart.Count the going out of business banners. Notice the difference after six months.

The alternative is often to drive to the next town or city. That really isn't much of a choice.

 

[tibear]

zenfisher,

Your telling me that Safeway is going to close in Selkirk?? Why blame Walmart? When Safeway moved to Selkirk did other smaller stores close? Probably. Does that make Safeway evil? No.

Don't try to paint a different picture than the one that exists.

Again, if you don't like WalMarts retail practices, "DON'T SHOP THERE."

 

[TenPenny]

Walmart is just another big chain. Yes, I've shopped there, why, in the last year I've probably spent $75. there. But I shop at other big chains, too. Like Sears, and Canadian Tire.

There are alway alternatives to Walmart if you want them. On the other hand, if you're looking for some grossly overweight, under-brained people in t shirts, it's the place to go.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

I already don't shop there, tibear. Are you angry that we are discussing a foreign-owned chain-store? Would you like us to stop? Too bad, l'il buddy.

The drugstore I mentioned was a going concern before Wal-Mart came to Thompson. Same goes for the two businesses I mentioned in Battleford and, to be fair, I did mention that the third may not have made it anyway.

You are trying to twist things though, tibear. Zen and I mention small businesses and you equate that to Safeway. Last time I checked Safeway wasn;t exactly a mom and pop operation.

When did the Wal-Mart open in Selkirk, Zen? Where is it. I'll bet that little photofinisher in the mall will get done in by that. He'd just bought some digital Agfa equipment the last time I was out there.

 

[zenfisher]

Please ...Safeway and Walmart are not direct competitors. When was the last time you purchased a car battery at Safeway? Safeway moved in just shortly before I left Canada, However when I visited my folks in 02 I did not notice any closures. Safeway is also a unionized store. It isn't the greatest union but it does provide some advantages.

SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES are different than huge multinational chains. These are the stores that are affected by Walmart.

If you had read my previous posts you would see that I agree with you at not shopping at Walmart if I don't like their practises. I'll state it again, it is not always an option.

 

[tibear]

My brother is a bakery manager at Safeway and they do see Walmart as their competitor.

 

[zenfisher]

They are a competitor, but not a direct competitor. At least not yet. Walmart is introducing stores that will sell groceries. In the near future they will be going head to head....Again Safeway is a multinational chain and is not the type of business that Walmart is destroying. Yet. Small businesses are the ones that are affected by the corporate practises of Walmart. You remember small businesses....The backbone of North America.

Rev ...I don't know when it opened I spoke with the folks on Saturday anfd they metioned one had opened up out there. The only time I have ever been into Walmart was to get photofinishing I needed to get done in a day. I had to go back four times to get it done right. I think the guy in the mall will do okay if he offers better printing. It is however a retirement community (basically) Price does become a big issue. He won't be able to compete with their price.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

He can always print the porn...he had quite the collection there when I was working on his old machines. Wal-Mart won't print anything like that apparently. Unfortunately you are right about Selkirk being a retirement community. That was quite apparent in the aforementioned porn collection.

 

[Karlin]

Re: RE: WalMart - Store closing over unionising, Boycott ca

Zen,

Can you name me a town where Walmart is the only business in town. There's always an alternative.

Well not quite, but here in the Kootenay region of B.C. we have a new WalMart in Trail, and one in Nelson. These are not 'small towns' I guess, but even so these two huge WalMart stores affect a wide area including Salmo and Castlegaar too.

For sure, the choices and number of local owner/retailers who would get to display the flavour of our unique region are no longer in business. This is a big thing, as local carvers and gem collectors and artists would always sell their crafts and valuables in these local stores. The furniture in people's homes used to be " local-weird " style. WalMart just doesn't pander to that.

Karlin

PS - thanks for all the votes for boycott eh?

 

[justfred]

Dear Peapod- Your quote, "It's union busting." I am hoping that you are not saying that as if it were a bad thing. What is wrong with a business not having a union? I guess that if a business is unionized, the business could say "It's business busting." :lol:

 

[missile]

I'm going way out on a limb here,but I don't think you were ever a union member. Obviously,Walmart employees had the right to organize and form a union & Walmart has the right to close said store. So, in this case,2 rights make one grievous wrong.

 

[no1important]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...u=/cpress/20050225/ca_pr_on_bu/wal_mart_union

Man they are low lifes.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

Yup.

 

[justfred]

Re: RE: WalMart - Store clos

What is wrong with employers saying that the union is a bad thing? Cannot the union say that employers are a bad thing. The door should be able to swing both ways.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

Not really, Fred. The union is there to ensure that the workers get a fair shake. It represents people, usually people who live in the community.

The employer is there to earn as much profit as possible. Especially in the case of employers like Wal-Mart, that profit often comes to the overall detriment of the community.

 

[justfred]

I have to disagree with you on the union insuring that the workers get a fair shake. I think that the union is there only to make sure that they get paid their dues. A lot of people have been sent down the river by their union. I would ask that you speak to the workers at Gainers in Edmonton. The owner said that if you strike, I will shut the plant down, the union said strike, the plant shut down. The workers are still waiting for their jobs back, no offers from the union.
The union were negotiating at the same time with a new plant in Winnipeg area and did not care about the workers in Edmonton. For all we know, there is a possibility that the owner paid the union some money to get them to tell their workers to strike. Anything is possible.

Maybe you should be picketing your local Wal-Mart store to make sure that no one shops there. If profit is a bad thing, then maybe you should also make sure that all the stores in your town or city, reduce their prices so they do not make any profit.

 

[no1important]

RE: WalMart - Store clos

Well Alberta has anti union, pro employer labour laws.

 

[tibear]

Here something that is interesting. The list of the top 50 companies in Canada as compiled by ROB has Walmart on the list: http://ctv.workopolis.com/servlet/News/robmag/20011228/RO01BEST1

In fact Walmart placed 9th on the list.