Robber Barons at it again!

[blueballs]

In Florida you are considered an "exempt" employee, ie. one who has a job description and is paid an annual amount to that job regardless of hours worked, travel, etc.

I could definitely see this happening, not because of WalMart being robber barons, but because these are low skilled, low pay, low intelligence jobs. There are a LOT of people out there who are uemployed who will snap those jobs right up should somebody falter.

Also, it is no great secret that those who make $8 an hour don't necessarily do the best jobs of taking care of themselves, and by that I mean cleanliness, hygiene, living in substandard conditions with lots of other folks, nutrition, etc.

Low skill, low pay, easily replacable, easily expendible means you better have your azz there toiling away.

Don't want to hijack this thread but, Z, this is the **** that creates labor unions.

That's a good point, which leads to a theoritical question. It has been estimated that WalMart has MOL been one of the biggest factors in keeping inflation down over the past 10 years, which causes a ripple effect through the economy with higher productivity, higher GDP, lower interest rates, standard of living, etc.

If WalMart were to become unionized and if that unionization severly damaged its economic model, what would the ripple effect across the broader economy be? Inflation, lower standard of living, higher rates, lower GDP???

[D1B]

Don't want to hijack this thread but, Z, this is the **** that creates labor unions.

That's a good point, which leads to a theoritical question. It has been estimated that WalMart has MOL been one of the biggest factors in keeping inflation down over the past 10 years, which causes a ripple effect through the economy with higher productivity, higher GDP, lower interest rates, standard of living, etc.

If WalMart were to become unionized and if that unionization severly damaged its economic model, what would the ripple effect across the broader economy be? Inflation, lower standard of living, higher rates, lower GDP???

Good point. Their prices would go up and perhaps make others (Target, Ma and Pa's, etc) more competetive or products made in america might become a bit more attractive and spark an increase in manufacturing.

Artificially low prices on goods made with slave labor (China) or surplus labor armies (USA) kill american manufacturing, which is what this country desperately needs.

[houndawg]

"Wal-Mart has a demerit system that punishes workers who cannot come to work due to illness. Employees who miss a day due to sickness receive a one-point demerit and lose eight hours of wages."

Soooo....basically there is no such thing as taking a sick day at Wal-Mart, it's called "taking sick leave without pay". Shittay.

On the upside, if you want to catch swine flu, there probably aren't many better places than Wal-Mart .

[houndawg]

Don't want to hijack this thread but, Z, this is the **** that creates labor unions.

That's a good point, which leads to a theoritical question. It has been estimated that WalMart has MOL been one of the biggest factors in keeping inflation down over the past 10 years, which causes a ripple effect through the economy with higher productivity, higher GDP, lower interest rates, standard of living, etc.

If WalMart were to become unionized and if that unionization severly damaged its economic model, what would the ripple effect across the broader economy be? Inflation, lower standard of living, higher rates, lower GDP???

A living wage?

[blueballs]

That's a good point, which leads to a theoritical question. It has been estimated that WalMart has MOL been one of the biggest factors in keeping inflation down over the past 10 years, which causes a ripple effect through the economy with higher productivity, higher GDP, lower interest rates, standard of living, etc.

If WalMart were to become unionized and if that unionization severly damaged its economic model, what would the ripple effect across the broader economy be? Inflation, lower standard of living, higher rates, lower GDP???

A living wage?

Quantify that number...