Do you shop at Walmart?

[PredFan]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

 

[Koios]

The unions only interest in Walmart is the great untapped source of income from collecting union dues from it's employees should they be able to unionize. Aside from that, the union could give a rat's ass about Walmart employees.

That's simply wrong. Of course they want membership to grow and to raise more operating capital. But they also want more leverage and influence that comes with it and which is used to get workers more pay and benefits as well as improved job security.

 

[PredFan]

The unions only interest in Walmart is the great untapped source of income from collecting union dues from it's employees should they be able to unionize. Aside from that, the union could give a rat's ass about Walmart employees.

That's simply wrong. Of course they want membership to grow and raise more operating capital. But they also want more leverage and influence that comes with it and which is used to get workers more pay and benefits as well as improved job security.

he's correct, you are naive.

 

[Koios]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

But you're there by choice. You are not there by contractual obligation.

 

[Foxfyre]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

Sure they do. You get an employee handbook and sign that it was received by you. You sign that everything in your employment application is truthful. Ink matters, especially to employers.

But no one in America is indentured. Period.

Some jobs come with personnel handbooks. Some don't. Signing a personnel application is NOT an employee/employer agreement and some place don't require written applications at all. In our business we received lots and lots of resumes and I sometimes hired from those and sometimes I just talked with the person, got the names of their former employers, and after checking them out hired them. Sometimes you just know you don't even need to check them out. My two very best employees I got that way. And I have been hired on the spot in just that way.

But you are correct. As long as we are a free country, nobody is required to work for anybody and also nobody is guaranteed a perfect job that they provides everything they want and that they love in every aspect.

 

[Koios]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

Sure they do. You get an employee handbook and sign that it was received by you. You sign that everything in your employment application is truthful. Ink matters, especially to employers.

But no one in America is indentured. Period.

Some jobs come with personnel handbooks. Some don't. Signing a personnel application is NOT an employee/employer agreement and some place don't require written applications at all. In our business we received lots and lots of resumes and I sometimes hired from those and sometimes I just talked with the person, got the names of their former employers, and after checking them out hired them. Sometimes you just know you don't even need to check them out. My two very best employees I got that way. And I have been hired on the spot in just that way.

But you are correct. As long as we are a free country, nobody is required to work for anybody and also nobody is guaranteed a perfect job that they provides everything they want and that they love in every aspect.

But the society can only sustain itself if the wages you pay enable a person to live and consume at a base level: clothing, food, toaster, etc. Certainly your business depends on wage earners who make decent livings.

 

[PredFan]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

But you're there by choice. You are not there by contractual obligation.

Not really, someone has to work. If it wasn't me, it's only by virtue of the fact that I am the manager and the most senior. I think the point of this line of discussion is that when you get hired you agree, and sign on, to terms.

 

[PredFan]

Sure they do. You get an employee handbook and sign that it was received by you. You sign that everything in your employment application is truthful. Ink matters, especially to employers.

But no one in America is indentured. Period.

Some jobs come with personnel handbooks. Some don't. Signing a personnel application is NOT an employee/employer agreement and some place don't require written applications at all. In our business we received lots and lots of resumes and I sometimes hired from those and sometimes I just talked with the person, got the names of their former employers, and after checking them out hired them. Sometimes you just know you don't even need to check them out. My two very best employees I got that way. And I have been hired on the spot in just that way.

But you are correct. As long as we are a free country, nobody is required to work for anybody and also nobody is guaranteed a perfect job that they provides everything they want and that they love in every aspect.

But the society can only sustain itself if the wages you pay enable a person to live and consume at a base level: clothing, food, toaster, etc. Certainly your business depends on wage earners who make decent livings.

If anyone who works at Walmart is unable to afford those basic items, it IS NOT the fault of Walmart.

 

[PredFan]

I've said this before but it needs to be reiterated.
If you work at Walmart and are not in management, then it's time for you to admit you have made some poor life choices. YOU made the choices, not Walmart. Stop blaming Walmart for your mistakes and stop asking Walmart to subsidize them.

Did you get a big ole tattoo on your neck that says "Fuck You"?
Do you believe that grammar is racist and refuse to stop talking like your standing in the ghetto?
Do you lack education because you had the first of your 9 kids when you were 15?
Do you lack job experience except for working 10 years in a prison laundry?
Do you just seem to have trouble getting up in time for work?
Do you like to just not show up for work some days?

None of this is Walmart's fault but Walmart is probably one of the few companies that would tolerate some of this behavior, the trade off is that you don't get paid squat. Don't expect sympathy when you go on strike to try to get wages the same as people who made something of their lives.

If you are working at Walmart and you cannot afford the basics of life it is NOT Walmart's fault. If you cannot stay within a budget, get a 2nd job. Here's a clue; you work at Walmart, they don't pay well.

 

[Foxfyre]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

Yes, we have taken the holiday and weekend shifts too in order to allow our people to be at home., And now both our kids are in supervisory positions and unless there is a compelling reason not to, they often agree to be the one on call so their staff can take off with the family or whatever. But sometimes businesses do need or want to be open on a holiday because it is necessary--police, hospitals etc.--or because it is profitable: the local 7/11 that does really well when other businesses or closed or Wal-mart or other businesses who have to make their big bucks during the holiday season or they don't do well at all.

Cecile and I almost had a friendly disagreement about who works for whose benefit. And I still say that yes, it benefits the employer to have a happy work force; it benefits the employee to have a happy and accommodating employer; it benefits both to have happy customers and it benefits the customer to provide products they want in a pleasant environment. But we should not kid ourselves that ANY of these folks aren't doing what they do for their own benefit. But in their doing that, there is nevertheless mutual benefit to all.

 

[Koios]

Some jobs come with personnel handbooks. Some don't. Signing a personnel application is NOT an employee/employer agreement and some place don't require written applications at all. In our business we received lots and lots of resumes and I sometimes hired from those and sometimes I just talked with the person, got the names of their former employers, and after checking them out hired them. Sometimes you just know you don't even need to check them out. My two very best employees I got that way. And I have been hired on the spot in just that way.

But you are correct. As long as we are a free country, nobody is required to work for anybody and also nobody is guaranteed a perfect job that they provides everything they want and that they love in every aspect.

But the society can only sustain itself if the wages you pay enable a person to live and consume at a base level: clothing, food, toaster, etc. Certainly your business depends on wage earners who make decent livings.

If anyone who works at Walmart is unable to afford those basic items, it IS NOT the fault of Walmart.

I agree. It's our fault. We fear that decent wages will cost us more at the checkout stand and thus tolerate a minimum wage, inflation adjusted, that's half of what it was in the 70s.

 

[Papageorgio]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

But you're there by choice. You are not there by contractual obligation.

But his contract tells him someone HAS to be there. He even stated SOMEONE HAS TO WORK.

This is my first Thanksgiving off in 11 years. Some jobs you get, you simply have no choice, especially the owners.

 

[Papageorgio]

Employment agreements don't have to be signed. You and your employer agree on what your job will be and the employer expectations, what your hours will be, when you start, what your starting wage and any benefits will be, etc. And there will be an agreement in advance if weekend and holiday work is expected. This Thanksgiving many government employees, UPS and FedEx employees, hospital personnel, a skeleton staff on the local newspapers, many retailers, casinos, restaurant workers, ships crews and various and other assorted workers are on the job as we speak. Most don't have to work EVERY weekend unless that is what they wanted; most don't have to work EVERY holiday.

And the pumpkin pies are about ready to come out of the oven and I need to get the turkey in. Sometimes I envy those who work on the Holidays and then have an excuse not to do all the traditional stuff we who are at home have to do.

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

Yes, we have taken the holiday and weekend shifts too in order to allow our people to be at home., And now both our kids are in supervisory positions and unless there is a compelling reason not to, they often agree to be the one on call so their staff can take off with the family or whatever. But sometimes businesses do need or want to be open on a holiday because it is necessary--police, hospitals etc.--or because it is profitable: the local 7/11 that does really well when other businesses or closed or Wal-mart or other businesses who have to make their big bucks during the holiday season or they don't do well at all.

Cecile and I almost had a friendly disagreement about who works for whose benefit. And I still say that yes, it benefits the employer to have a happy work force; it benefits the employee to have a happy and accommodating employer; it benefits both to have happy customers and it benefits the customer to provide products they want in a pleasant environment. But we should not kid ourselves that ANY of these folks aren't doing what they do for their own benefit. But in their doing that, there is nevertheless mutual benefit to all.

Yep, it is all for mutual benefit, for 11 years I have worked every holiday, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, the 4th, Labor, New Years Day and so on. Why? For my employees to spend time with their families. I felt they needed that time, I felt it would benefit my business, it was a mutual relationship that benefited all and I made a sacrifice for the sake of happy employees. I made very little those days, yet I was under contract to be open. So I sucked it up and lived with it. No big deal to me, a big deal to my employees.

 

[Foxfyre]

I work at a hospital as a subcontractor of sorts. I am the boss who makes the schedule and I am working today along with minimal staff. I have a lot of young employees who have young families and I am working so that one more of them gets to spend time with his family. Someone has to work because in healthcare, the doors never close. In my line of work I could sit here all day and not have to do much but I culd also work emergency cases all day and even be here for up to 16 hours. I signed that "contract" when I came to work for this company and began collecting a paycheck.

But you're there by choice. You are not there by contractual obligation.

But his contract tells him someone HAS to be there. He even stated SOMEONE HAS TO WORK.

This is my first Thanksgiving off in 11 years. Some jobs you get, you simply have no choice, especially the owners.

That's true. My first hospital job I agreed to work every other weekend--hours were shorter but I had to be there. And I agreed to work every other Thanksgiving, every other Christmas, etc. too because though hours were shorter, somebody had to be there. But. . . .nobody forced me to take the job. I did so willingly and therefore agreed to what was required for that job.

 

[Nosmo King]

If WalMart had issued a statement like this:

"We at WalMart, the World's Largest Retailer, value our Walton Family and the families of all the little people who make the Walton Family fortune grow exponentially. In that spirit, we are going to grant a paid holiday to all our employees so they too may enjoy their own little family. But watch for Door Buster Specials come Friday morning! We're here to make sure you spend and think about spending and care about little else right up to and including Christmas Day!"


The American consumer would understand because they recognize the words "Door Buster Special" The modern American Conservative would understand because they recognize the words "Walton Family fortune" and would fight every person on Social Security to make sure that family fortune is untouched by civic obligation. The American Liberals would understand because finally the WalMart workers will get what they deserve; a day off with pay to spend with their family.

Maybe rather than champion American consumerism over the meaning of Thanksgiving, the contemporary American Conservative could hold on to a shred of credibility when the "War on Christmas" threads start popping up. I understand the values the contemporary American Conservative holds most dear. It ain't family or tradition, it's cash flow. Now, when they start bitching about "Happy Holidays" and "Winter Festivals" won't it be tough for them to keep a straight face, given the shallowness of their regard for families on Thanksgiving Day?

 

[thereisnospoon]

The irony of that purely rhetorical horseshit reply is surely not lost on me. How about you?

I doubt you'd recognize irony if it crawled up your ass. God knows, your posts show you're not very perceptive.

Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. Did your parents drop you as an infant or do you fall down much?

Now then Ms. Perception, did you notice that my response was a question? It had a question mark even, thus eliminating any potential confusion that it was merely rhetorical.

But I guess even god's gift to perception can overlook a bit of punctuation now and then. No need to let it bother you.

So once again: what other commodities have price minimums? Can you name one? (note question marks)

Whether you like it or not, the reality is when unemployment is high, there are more workers available than jobs. Large supply, small demand. Hence the cost of labor is lower for the business.
When the opposite occurs the labor rates increase.
It's very simple. When a thing is subject to the laws of supply and demand, it is a commodity. End of argument.

 

[thereisnospoon]

But the society can only sustain itself if the wages you pay enable a person to live and consume at a base level: clothing, food, toaster, etc. Certainly your business depends on wage earners who make decent livings.

If anyone who works at Walmart is unable to afford those basic items, it IS NOT the fault of Walmart.

I agree. It's our fault. We fear that decent wages will cost us more at the checkout stand and thus tolerate a minimum wage, inflation adjusted, that's half of what it was in the 70s.

Once again. We are all responsible to ourselves. If one has the drive, they can reach their potential with the appropriate amount of effort.
Those that complain about being underpaid and do nothing about it, are their own worst enemies.

 

[Koios]

If anyone who works at Walmart is unable to afford those basic items, it IS NOT the fault of Walmart.

I agree. It's our fault. We fear that decent wages will cost us more at the checkout stand and thus tolerate a minimum wage, inflation adjusted, that's half of what it was in the 70s.

Once again. We are all responsible to ourselves. If one has the drive, they can reach their potential with the appropriate amount of effort.
Those that complain about being underpaid and do nothing about it, are their own worst enemies.

I've no problem with that. So if they're being responsible and wishing to provide for themselves and not have to supplement their earnings with government assistance such as childcare, EBT card for food, etc, then they should do what those good manufacturing workers did to climb out of poverty wages: organize and demand better pay.

 

[usmcstinger]

Just reading this at Huffpo and looking at the comments. Made me wonder if people who disapprove of Walmart still shop there.


Walmart's Internal Compensation Documents Reveal Systematic Limit On Advancement

No person is forced to work or shop at Walmart. If don't like working at Walmart, get another job, you idiot.
If you do not like how Walmart treats their employees, then don't shop there ass holes.

Sounds well thought out. If you live in a small town and Wal Mart is the only game in town, simply move your family, sell your house, pull your kids out of school, quit your church, say goodbye to your family and friends and get another job!

Don't Conservatives claim to LOVE family and family values? Tradition and continuity? If you work at Wal Mart and are called in to work on Thanksgiving evening, ruining your family celebration and removing you from the traditional get togethers, how family friendly is that?

Seems Conservatives don't give a rat's ass about family or tradition or continuity. What really matters to them is profit, screwing workers and demeaning their rights, applauding management and hoping that those poor old CEOs can retain their staggeringly high bonuses and staggeringly low tax rates. Yes sir! Family be damned if there's a profit to be made!

Excuses are the reason you have failed. You blame every one but yourself for your situation. The only one who can change your situation is you. Either change your situation or continue to wallow in your own self pity.

 

[Katzndogz]

If WalMart had issued a statement like this:

"We at WalMart, the World's Largest Retailer, value our Walton Family and the families of all the little people who make the Walton Family fortune grow exponentially. In that spirit, we are going to grant a paid holiday to all our employees so they too may enjoy their own little family. But watch for Door Buster Specials come Friday morning! We're here to make sure you spend and think about spending and care about little else right up to and including Christmas Day!"


The American consumer would understand because they recognize the words "Door Buster Special" The modern American Conservative would understand because they recognize the words "Walton Family fortune" and would fight every person on Social Security to make sure that family fortune is untouched by civic obligation. The American Liberals would understand because finally the WalMart workers will get what they deserve; a day off with pay to spend with their family.

Maybe rather than champion American consumerism over the meaning of Thanksgiving, the contemporary American Conservative could hold on to a shred of credibility when the "War on Christmas" threads start popping up. I understand the values the contemporary American Conservative holds most dear. It ain't family or tradition, it's cash flow. Now, when they start bitching about "Happy Holidays" and "Winter Festivals" won't it be tough for them to keep a straight face, given the shallowness of their regard for families on Thanksgiving Day?

How DARE WalMart basically force employees to stay home on what is essentially a religious holiday. They will lose opportunities for overtime pay, any any other benefit that comes with working. Paying them the pittance of a paid day off isn't worth basically forcing religion down their throats.