And it's very negative too. Walmart is just A STORE! It happens to be the biggest store, but its no worse then when Kmart was much bigger then it is now. Hey...by the way....MOST stuff here in the states,,,,sold in Walmart or Target or wherever was probably made in China. Walmart did not pioneer that process.:P
I am assuming that you have seen it? It isnt just how they treat their foreign workers, but how they treat thier North-American ones as well.
They spend all this time and money on market research. They know where and how close together to make the store sell. Every store makes well over a million dollars in sales a year.
The only store that they closed, was one in Quebec. They said that it was no longer profitable. The real reason is that people were able to start a union in that aparticualr store.
Does
The only store that they closed, was one in Quebec. They said that it was no longer profitable. The real reason is that people were able to start a union in that aparticualr store. Doesnt that seem odd?
In defense of WalMart, it is certainly quite possible that the workers becoming unionized and demanding more could make a store not profitable. It's debateably what is causing the headaches some of our domestic auto producers are having.
Meanwhile, my Honda was built by Americans in East Liberty Ohio by non-unionized workers. It's better quality, higher resale value, more dependable then the Ford built in Mexico, and the Honda workers are better paid and quite happy. Just a mini-rant against unions... I simply don't think they serve a purpose anymore.
Besides, WalMart is obligated to no one to even give a reason for closing a store. What difference would it make if they simply came out and said "we didn't want a store with a union?"
That said, in offense of WalMart, the problem I have is they sell inferior products. Even the brand names often make lower quality products to satisfy WalMart's price demands or risk getting locked out of the largest retailer in the country. As an example, Sears sells Levi Strauss jeans, but WalMart sells Levi Strauss "Signature Series". An unsuspecting customer might think he's getting the same product for less... or hey! "Signature Series!" Maybe it's even better! But those jeans are lower quality for volume retailers like WalMart.
Every once in a while Sam's Club will have $25 Rebocks. For some reason they don't last as long as the $35 pair I got at the Rebock outlet store... about half as long.
Electronics are the same way.
Yes, some of the products are the same thing, and might sell for cheaper, but they are subsidized by all the lower priced crap that is actually making Walmart a larger profit. I am a member of Sam's club, and bought several cheap HP PSC printers there... they all broke or were not functioning 100% correctly within a year after purchase. I only have one left and it won't scan anymore. So I spent twice as much on a Cannon printer from Newegg that's been running great. From now on, at Sam's, I will stick to things where quality either doesn't matter, or when I know it to be a like product.. things like books and PS2 games.
So I have a feeling we'll be seeing the same thing. A DVD ROM drive that only works until the warranty expires, cheap fans that will give out before a year is up (possibly ruining other components). Repackaged IBM "Deathstar" drives WalMart got for next to nothing. Power supplies that will cause major headaches when the user can't figure out why his computer randomly locks up.
And like many others what I've noticed is that, for many things, buying the more expensive product saves you money in the long run... so WalMart really is taking advantage of the people who don't know any better.
Besides, WalMart is obligated to no one to even give a reason for closing a store. What difference would it make if they simply came out and said "we didn't want a store with a union?"
The difference is simply that it shows that they're assholes who are happy to screw over their employees. Which, in turn, might mean nothing to some (possibly most), but to others (like me) it means they won't get my money.
And that is the wonder of the American/Capitalism system, If Walmart was truly screwing everyone then people would not go there. The basic lower middle-class family loves walmart because it saves them so much money, if they shop correctly. I personally like being able to go to Walmart get a 1/2 Gallon of Milk(Organic), a quart of Oil and a t-shirt or PS2 game. It saves me time and money. Their product is not very good but you get what you pay for if you don't like it go somewhere else(which is what my wi
It's not screwing their employees--they are quite free to work somewhere else. If anything, unions screw employers because they provide (or attempt to provide) a monopoly on labour.
I am a unionised employee and I work in the entertainment industry. I know first hand the diffference between one building that is union and the other that isnt.
The union is there to protect the rights of the workers. Its also there so that the employer needs only to deal with a union rep, not 1000 employees.
If a company goes union, there is a reason for that. The employees feel that there is a reason. There must be so,ething wrong with management, if they feel the need.
Accroding to the video that I
Besides, WalMart is obligated to no one to even give a reason for closing a store. What difference would it make if they simply came out and said "we didn't want a store with a union?"
Concidering all the pro-union laws in the province of Quebec, i'm not sure that they legally have the right to close a store for that reason.
There's no such thing as illegally closing a store! Government has no right to force a retailer to keep a store open!
Moreover, there's no such thing as an illegal "reason", only an act can be illegal. You can't perform a legal act and be punished because your "reason" was illegal. Either the act was legal or it wasn't, and closing a store is not illegal.
Now, "immoral reason" would point out what bastards the people who run Walmart are, but it's still not illegal.
Moreover, there's no such thing as an illegal "reason", only an act can be illegal.
So a guy in Austin plowed into a crowd on 6th street. He ended up killing a few people. The "reason" he killed people was that he was old and fell asleep. Another person crashed into a McDonald's. He killed people. The "reason" he killed people was that he thought his wife was in there and he wanted her dead.
Because of the "reason" the two acts of driving cars into crowds were different, the first was declared to be a
I have bought plenty of stuff from walmart and sams and had it last and last. What in heck are you doing to your printers to kill them in a year?? I have a Simpletech USB drive I bought many years ago that still works fine. I have many other things I have bought there: clothes, a graphics card, a camera and many other things that are still going strong long after I thought they would. If you take care of your things, then they will last. If you just beat em around, well...to each his own. Only thing I r
Every once in a while Sam's Club will have $25 Rebocks. For some reason they don't last as long as the $35 pair I got at the Rebock outlet store... about half as long.
News for you: Many brands make a special, lower quality "outlet store" line too. They may be better quality than the chain store line but they're all part of the "Milk the brand name" marketing scam.
The reason non-union automakers pay so well is because theirs is a traditionally unionized industry, and they know if they're not competitive, the workers will likely vote in a union. So it's thanks to the unions that they have decent jobs.
In defense of WalMart, it is certainly quite possible that the workers becoming unionized and demanding more could make a store not profitable. It's debateably what is causing the headaches some of our domestic auto producers are having.
This is total crap. Wal-Mart closed the store mere DAYS after it unionized, months after the CEO made statems saying he would never allow a Wal-mart to unionize. Since then, Wal-mart has had to accept unionization in Canada and elsewhere, where their strongarm tactics (death
Just a mini-rant against unions... I simply don't think they serve a purpose anymore.
I think that unions are usually bad for the workers. However, they are worse for the employers. The fear of unions is a motivation for corporations to treat their employees well, lest a union start. So I'd put it in the category of "necessary evil" since corporations are more evil.
Only a million? Phht, that's pathetic. I work at a store that runs $120 million in sales per year, and we are only "in the top 20". Oh, and I am a "North-American" worker, and have no problems with the treatment. (Actually, I think I am treated pretty well, and I am only an hourly associate). Sheesh, everybody complains how badly Wal-Mart Associates are treated. I'll let you in on a secret, they aren't holding a gun to my head. If I wanted to quit, I could.
I know plenty of people who work for Walmart who have NO complaints. The "stories" I have seen I have not seen PROOF! It may be ONE store that has an issue. You CAN'T paint the whole company as bad just because one store manager is an asshole.
"You might want to watch 'the high cost, of the low price of Walmart'."
I don't think I want to watch a documentary recommended by someone who can't grasp basic spelling and grammar. Note the misplaced comma, the lack of capitalization, and the use of single quotes instead of italics. Not to mention the fact that you spelled the name of the company wrong.
This linkie [manchestergalleries.org] shows ClothKits, a 70's UK phenom. The very word strikes fear into me, bringing back memories of scarily ornate padded waistcoats.
I suspect kids today would throw themselves off tall buildings rather than wear that stuff.
Wallmart is not moving the labor back inside it's store. All a customer does when he "builds" a computer is select a few major parts. "Build" is not the right word. "Custom Asembly" might be better. Nobody will be folding sheet metal, spot welding, soldering or stack disk platters in the store. This is smart for Walmart. It lets them offer a wide range of configurations with a smaller inventory.
the interresting part will be to see what software they buy if they have to pay and nothing comes bundled.
How odd... (Score:5, Funny)
Now, they're shipping the labour back here.
Perhaps in future, Wal-Mart will offer sew-it-yourself clothing as well? They could market it as a sweat shop tourist attraction!
Re:How odd... (Score:4, Funny)
I don't believe they have any sweatshop-related marketing for them, though.
Re:How odd... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:How odd... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:How odd... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:How odd... (Score:5, Informative)
In defense of WalMart, it is certainly quite possible that the workers becoming unionized and demanding more could make a store not profitable. It's debateably what is causing the headaches some of our domestic auto producers are having.
Meanwhile, my Honda was built by Americans in East Liberty Ohio by non-unionized workers. It's better quality, higher resale value, more dependable then the Ford built in Mexico, and the Honda workers are better paid and quite happy. Just a mini-rant against unions... I simply don't think they serve a purpose anymore.
Besides, WalMart is obligated to no one to even give a reason for closing a store. What difference would it make if they simply came out and said "we didn't want a store with a union?"
That said, in offense of WalMart, the problem I have is they sell inferior products. Even the brand names often make lower quality products to satisfy WalMart's price demands or risk getting locked out of the largest retailer in the country. As an example, Sears sells Levi Strauss jeans, but WalMart sells Levi Strauss "Signature Series". An unsuspecting customer might think he's getting the same product for less... or hey! "Signature Series!" Maybe it's even better! But those jeans are lower quality for volume retailers like WalMart.
Every once in a while Sam's Club will have $25 Rebocks. For some reason they don't last as long as the $35 pair I got at the Rebock outlet store... about half as long.
Electronics are the same way.
Yes, some of the products are the same thing, and might sell for cheaper, but they are subsidized by all the lower priced crap that is actually making Walmart a larger profit. I am a member of Sam's club, and bought several cheap HP PSC printers there... they all broke or were not functioning 100% correctly within a year after purchase. I only have one left and it won't scan anymore. So I spent twice as much on a Cannon printer from Newegg that's been running great. From now on, at Sam's, I will stick to things where quality either doesn't matter, or when I know it to be a like product.. things like books and PS2 games.
So I have a feeling we'll be seeing the same thing. A DVD ROM drive that only works until the warranty expires, cheap fans that will give out before a year is up (possibly ruining other components). Repackaged IBM "Deathstar" drives WalMart got for next to nothing. Power supplies that will cause major headaches when the user can't figure out why his computer randomly locks up.
And like many others what I've noticed is that, for many things, buying the more expensive product saves you money in the long run... so WalMart really is taking advantage of the people who don't know any better.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Besides, WalMart is obligated to no one to even give a reason for closing a store. What difference would it make if they simply came out and said "we didn't want a store with a union?"
The difference is simply that it shows that they're assholes who are happy to screw over their employees. Which, in turn, might mean nothing to some (possibly most), but to others (like me) it means they won't get my money.
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Concidering all the pro-union laws in the province of Quebec, i'm not sure that they legally have the right to close a store for that reason.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
When the obvious reason is illegal.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Moreover, there's no such thing as an illegal "reason", only an act can be illegal. You can't perform a legal act and be punished because your "reason" was illegal. Either the act was legal or it wasn't, and closing a store is not illegal.
Now, "immoral reason" would point out what bastards the people who run Walmart are, but it's still not illegal.
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Care to give us some more of your brilliant legal insights?
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
So a guy in Austin plowed into a crowd on 6th street. He ended up killing a few people. The "reason" he killed people was that he was old and fell asleep. Another person crashed into a McDonald's. He killed people. The "reason" he killed people was that he thought his wife was in there and he wanted her dead.
Because of the "reason" the two acts of driving cars into crowds were different, the first was declared to be a
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Only thing I r
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
News for you: Many brands make a special, lower quality "outlet store" line too. They may be better quality than the chain store line but they're all part of the "Milk the brand name" marketing scam.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Unions (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
This is total crap. Wal-Mart closed the store mere DAYS after it unionized, months after the CEO made statems saying he would never allow a Wal-mart to unionize. Since then, Wal-mart has had to accept unionization in Canada and elsewhere, where their strongarm tactics (death
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
I think that unions are usually bad for the workers. However, they are worse for the employers. The fear of unions is a motivation for corporations to treat their employees well, lest a union start. So I'd put it in the category of "necessary evil" since corporations are more evil.
Re:How odd... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
I don't think I want to watch a documentary recommended by someone who can't grasp basic spelling and grammar. Note the misplaced comma, the lack of capitalization, and the use of single quotes instead of italics. Not to mention the fact that you spelled the name of the company wrong.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
My thoughts on Wal-Mart: The High Cost Of Low Price [moviesmademe.com].
fabric departments... (Score:2, Insightful)
Many years ago, when I was growing up, lots of Wal-Mart-like department stores had extensive fabric departments...
Re:fabric departments... (Score:2)
Never see many people in that section though...
Re:How odd... (Score:1)
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
This linkie [manchestergalleries.org] shows ClothKits, a 70's UK phenom. The very word strikes fear into me, bringing back memories of scarily ornate padded waistcoats.
I suspect kids today would throw themselves off tall buildings rather than wear that stuff.
Re:How odd... (Score:2)
the interresting part will be to see what software they buy if they have to pay and nothing comes bundled.
Re:How odd... (Score:1)