Walmart...The Empire Strikes Back
2007-02-07
Whenever someone asks me "why do you hate walmart?", I just say: "do you really want me to get into it?"...Im tired of explaining why I hate and boicott Walmart because the list of issues with that corporation is endless and it just keeps growing.
But it really makes me mad that people are so indifferent about it, so misinformed, so ignorant and so selfish. But again, ignorance is bliss and its OK to save some bucks right?.
Well, not today. Today I will explain a few of the issues that make Walmart one of the most unfair, human rights violating, exploiting companies in the world.
According to a recent report by the American's Rights at Work called "Walmart: Rolling back wages, workers rights and the american dream" (Nov. 2005) this multimillion company has done some of the following illegal practices by any standard of human rights:
- Locked workers inside the stores overnight.
- Encouraged workers to apply for medicaid (as low income workers in the US do)
- Has frequently faced lawsuits over non-paid overtime, making his employees to take breaks off-the clock
- Discriminate women and leave them out of promotion
- Has interefered with the democratic right of its workers to form a union.
- Only 45% of Walmart employees receive benefits. The others dont, their wages are way lower than the national average and they are well know for hiring undocumented workers and then having the INS (Immigration and naturalization services) come "pick them up".
Wake-Up-Walmart is another organization keeping the eye on this corporation, among their facts, which you can read in its entirety at www.wakeupwalmart.com are the following:
- Walmart employees earn far below poverty line.
- Walmart refuses to raise cents on its prices to raise its employees salaries. An average worker at this company makes 7 dlls an hour and the minimum hours an employee can work is 29 hours per week.
- Part of Walmarts trainings to its managerial position employees is to pressure lower level employees to work off the clock and miss meal and rest breaks.
- Walmart does not cover health insurance for most of its workers, has in fact stated that public health benefits are a better option for workers.
- Walmart rather invest in advertisement than in health care benefits for its employees.
- Walmart is a threat to every community where it settles. Companies, and smaller retailers cannot compete with walmart's aggresive marketing so this smaller business have lost much of their income, and most of them go broke.
These are some of the FEW facts about Walmart, but just yesterday a class action lawsuit (which means a lot of people are involved vs the company) was accepted by a judge in California, this is a big step. Women employees in Walmart are often discriminated against, they receive lower salaries than their male counterparts in same or similar positions.
Women are rarely elegible for promotions and are often kept in the same area or position for as long as they can take it.
These are some of the reasons why no one should be part of this money making machine called walmart, they dont take care of their employees, they dont care about labor law, they come into communities and devalue the price of anything surrounding them (houses, residential areas, other business).
While you think you are getting awesome prices on your crap, a lot of people are being subject to violations. While you think you can save 2 dlls on a TV, truth is you are contributing to the ongoing slavery this company performs.
One thing is to be aware of your money and look for a bargain, another is to have no dignity or sense of social responsability. There are many many options to choose nowadays, Walmart doesnt have to be one of them.
Now, the latest is that walmart is offering movie downloads on its website. Think again before you do that. They are only trying to expand their monopoly by branching out into other areas. Please educate yourself, learn more, read and make a better judgement when you decide to save a buck.
For more information:
www.aiusa.org go to the CAN (Corporate Accountability Network)
See the movie "Walmart: The High cost of low prices"
