WalMart - Store closing over unionising, Boycott called

Will you join me in a boycott of WalMart?

  • Does WalMart get its market dominance fairly?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1

missile

House Member
Dec 1, 2004
4,846
17
38
Saint John N.B.
The stores do serve a purpose.Where else can the working poor shop? And they do hire a lot of those who are unemployable at most other places[i.e. the handicapped]. My argument with the store is well known and I still believe that union members who make a decent wage should spend their dollars at stores that have unionized or,at least,are union friendly.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

Fred, without unions you would be working six days a week, getting one week a year vacation (if that), be working in dangerous conditions, and be paid far less than you presently are.

People died to bring you what you have today. Do you understand that?
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
RB,

Do you remember the whole debate regarding the expansion of the Red River floodway and how the NDP tried to get a rule implemented that every single worker had to be part of the union?

Do you remember the employees of the heavy construction industry that came forward and protested. There are some situations where unions have worked very well and others where unions have hindered a company by protecting lazy employees at the expense of much better employees who become so frustrated with the union environment that they leave for workplaces without unions. That way they aren't hampered by seniority and other factors.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

I remember that very well, tibear. If you go and find the real facts instead of presenting the over-simplified, largely inaccurate, Winnipeg Sun version of events, I'll even discuss it with you.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
RB,

So if Walmart is such a horrible company why would it have a ranking of 9th in Canada. One of the biggest factors in the ranking is employee satisfaction.

How is this possible???
 

zenfisher

House Member
Sep 12, 2004
2,829
0
36
Seattle
They offered profit sharing to full and part time. It doesn't say how much of the profit sharing was included. The CEO was allowed to present their "philosophy" which counted as a a small part of the rating.

I have further questions...How many of the 50,000 employees were asked? Did management get to select who participated? Did the survey take into account the overall affect upon the community ? Was the survey conducted in all Walmarts? If not , what was the median income of the communities surrounding the stores that participated? How much of the income earned was reinvested in the communities?

The site ( Iadmit I didn't study it real closely) didn't appear to take these factors into account.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
I'm not sure about all of your questions, but I think it does take a cross-section of the company employees from all of the Walmarts across Canada.

I don't believe it takes account of the affect on the community.

I believe their gauge is how well the company does with regard to profit and how the employees are treated, with respect to salary, benefits, opportunity, etc.

I know that the Walmart store in our area has a huge board promoting the various charities that it is sponsoring in the direct area. It also welcomes anyone to come forward with potential charity ideas.
 

jarusoba

New Member
Nov 14, 2004
4
0
1
Unions are the worst thing that a country has. Workers who belong to union are typically higher paid, more lazy, and less efficient than those who do not. Why? They don't have to work hard. The union protects them. Just like the citizens of the old style Communist countries. In these countries, people don't have incentive to work hard. The whole country rots and economy suffers. So in turn everybody suffers. If Canada banned union, this country would prosper. However this is never going to happen because most Canadians have this socialistic ideology. Most Canadians haven't seen the world. They might think differently if they know better. They're like a frog born in a deep well. All it sees when it looks up is a little part of the sky and it thinks this is the whole world. Canada should learn from the countries in SE Asia, or even Communist China, which is more capitalistic than Canada. The least socialistic province Alberta has always been performing better than the rest.
 

Vanni Fucci

Senate Member
Dec 26, 2004
5,239
17
38
8th Circle, 7th Bolgia
the-brights.net
Re: RE: WalMart - Store closing over unionising, Boycott ca

jarusoba said:
The least socialistic province Alberta has always been performing better than the rest.

I would guess that you think this has less to do with the oil revenues your province sits greedily upon, and more to do with how hard y'all work... :lol:

I agree that unionized workers can be lazy and the union will support them...for awhile...but really the only condemning thing I have to say about unions is that when lay-off time comes, seniority takes precedence over performance...
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

That happens with large corporations too though, Vanni. I've seen it in action..straight seniority for lay-offs and/or promotions and never been a union in place.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
RB,

That may happen with large corporations but it is the exception. Most non-unionized shops simply use performance criteria when determining layoffs. Sometimes instead of individual employees they may close entire divisions of a company instead.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

It's been the rule at two major corporations that I've worked at. One of those also had a policy of screwing you out of your bonus. Many places base raises, promotions, and lay-offs on who is friends with the boss.

I had one regional who based everything on breast size. I lost some of my best lab people (hired before this idiot showed up) because of it.

Yeah, I've seen exactly how the corporate world works without unions in place...nepotism and back room deals and old boys clubs. It's got f*ck all to do with skill or ability.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
You know all of this for a fact do you??

Did the regional director ask for breast size during the interview process or was it simply a "feeling out" process??

If a person hired strictly based on breast size rather than ability, I would suspect they wouldn't be around very long.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
So it was documented that the coporate standard for hiring or promotions was strictly on breast size.

Simply because it was your perception doesn't make it fact.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

Actually it was documented that he was hiring and promoting women based on their looks. He wasn't let go though, they kept him for years and he kept doing it in spite of an official reprimand. The reprimand meant nothing because he had friends in high places.

Nothing was done until the company changed hands. Then he was layed off (not fired) to provide a job for somebody who was tight with the new bosses and was losing his position due to the restructuring.
 

tibear

Electoral Member
Jan 25, 2005
854
0
16
Yes, unfortunately, it does happen.

Like most things, there are situations where unions serve a useful purpose and other situations where they are bad for a company.

On this point we can probably agree.

However, I don't think you've ever answered the question regarding how Walmart can be rated the 9th best employer in the country. With all of the complaints that you and others have made against the company and how it treats it employees, wouldn't you think that the employees would hate working for Walmart??
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
RE: WalMart - Store clos

It all depends on the criteria and how intimidated the staff feel, Tibear. Here's an example....

The company where Mrs. Rev works recently hired a consultant because of high staff turn-over and poor employee relations. Everybody who was critical of the management in an "anonymous" questionaire they were given suddenly began having a very hard time at work...no raises, a lot of hassles over minor issues, being moved up the lay-off list...things like that. Those that knew how anonymous these things really are there answered appropriately and didn't experience those problems.

Wal-Mart has a long history of similar actions. Part of what they got in trouble for in Quebec was trying to intimidate employees who were trying to unionize. There is a very good chance that the Wal-Mart employees who filled out the survey weren't willing to say too many bad things because of intimidation.