Walmart Workers on Strike Over Low Pay, Dirty Conditions

Mass labor unrest finally hits the nation's biggest employer

Walmart employees across the nation are on strike, saddling the (in)famously lean enterprise with an instance of labor unrest for the first time in its five decade history.

Walmart is the country's largest private sector employer with nearly two million employees, more and more of whom are staging walkouts from locales as far-flung as Texas, California, Maryland and Florida, writes Business Insider. According to Salon, employee anger over unclean working conditions, inadequate access to healthcare, and low pay despite years-long loyalty are among the biggest grievances being voiced.

Dan Fogelman, a spokesman for Walmart, told Salon that the strikes are part of an attempt to unionize Walmart workers, something the company has been battling for years. He championed the company's "good pay, affordable benefits and chance for advancement," while downplaying the impact of the walk-outs taking place across multiple state lines.

Via Business Insider and Salon.

Are Walmart workers right to strike?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

In this economy? I say if these people don't want their jobs, FIRE THEM. Then give their jobs to some people that actually want to work for a living. Nov. 6th can't come quick enough for me.

[LGRepublican]

That's EXACTLY what I thought Chicago should have done with all the teachers when they decided to "strike".

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@LGRepublican - I could finally respect Rahm Emanuel if he would have done that. Unions are parasites. They don't base advancement on productivity, they base it on desire. Everybody desires a six figure income, doesn't mean that they are willing to work for it. Hopefully Wal-Mart makes an example out of these employees.

[Lpguy]

Fire them! they have those jobs because those are the absolute best jobs they could get. if they are not qualified to be doing something better elsewhere, why the hell should walmart pay them more?

[GunPolitics]

hell i'd take one of their jobs in a heartbeat just for a paycheck

[GunPolitics]

@Lpguy they might not be working there nearly because they are not qualified for elsewhere - they could be working there because folks in their normal work sector are either not hiring, laying off, or simply going out of business . doesn't mean i wouldn't take one of these jobs they are whining about in a heartbeat - just that the fact they work there is a poor indicator of their experience.

[Romney2012]

Wal-Mart is it's own bussiness! You don't have to work there if you don't want to, but unions aren't going to really help anybody right now! Just look at the disaster called GM

[marine1]

I thought that was a obama success story.

[Romney2012]

@marine1 It's a story alright, Obama didn't save the auto industry, he saved the UAW (United Auto Workers). If he had just let them file for chapter 11 bankruptcy, then they would have been able to gain more power over the union (UAW)!!! But then that would take away all of their blackmailed benefits, so Obama stepped in where he didn't belong, and made it better for the selfish union people, while GM sits in a disaster!!!! Now Obama speaks of it as a success story (his only success story) during the DNC, and a lot of his commercials! Beleive me, this president hasn't done any good for us, and the sooner he is out of office the better!!

[bsking]

Uh dunno walmart have a union so you're really not on strike they've all just left their job voluntarily. unemployment office calls them in eligible for benefits

[marine1]

I would hope so BUT

[Franciscomv]

To hell with unions

[Pflack]

I would say the hell with those who exploit others via paying less than a living wage. Unions are the only hope to get the middle class up to par again.

[Franciscomv]

@Pflack like i said to hell with unions

[Pflack]

Like I said, your attitude is why the average workers income has decreased steadily for the last 30 years.

[TeamAmerica]

Do they want people to believe they didn't know this before they filled out a job application? Walmart is the bottom of the barrel in retail. A place where your employee dreams go to die.

[CanisCanemEdit]

Agreed. Walmart is not a career but a last resort. Vacant eyed employees slowly shuffling around doing their "job" .

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

President Foodstamp has some foodstamps he can give these poor abused people. Of course they have to hurry up and quit their job at abusive Wal-Mart and apply before we boot President Foodstamp out of office. I don't know what these people can do after Jan. 20th when their benefits run out. Too bad they don't understand what the rest of us understand, YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR A LIVING!

[LGRepublican]

This is a joke. No one is holding a gun to these people's head forcing them to work at Wally World. If they think they deserve better, feel free to seek employment elsewhere. If they think they're "worth" more, feel free to put your market value to the test.

[mimi57]

MY concern is Halloween is coming and where will the Wal*Martians go?!
This could definitely cause anarchy... LOL

[marine1]

@mimi57 more likely it will cause job opportunity?

[mimi57]

@marine1 I'm not talking about the employees, but the shoppers. Have you
ever gotten a Wal*Martian e-mail? I have never seen people dress like that!
I'll see if I can find one and post it.(:

[mimi57]

@marine1 www.youtube.com/watch...

[Jeff_Woehrle]

In a strange twist of irony, the 'dirty condition's are being complained about by the very people hired to clean the facilities.

[marine1]

tell them to come crawl their ass around in attic and crawl spaces with me all day and they will know what dirty really is.

[Lpguy]

fire them. they are not qualified to have better higher paying jobs elsewhere, so why should walmart pay more?! they have those walmart jobs because that is the absolute best job they could get. but hey, if they succeed and improve their wages and working conditions - great job. it just better not affect my always low Walmart prices!

[Fuchsia]

If they want to strike fine, but it is wrong to want to unionize. That will destroy the whole purpose of Walmart. I bet there are some left-wing agitators behind this. Those agitators need to be rounded up and imprisoned.

[ir0nw0lfe]

You know I like you but how is the whole purpose of Wal-Mart anti-union? I thought they were simply a huge mega store chain selling cheap Chinese imports wherever possible.

[Fuchsia]

@ir0nw0lfe - I didn't say the purpose was anti-union. The purpose is low prices. And unions don't help consumers and barely help employees.

[TeamAmerica]

When our local Walmart opened, many average, local people worked there. As the years went on, the smart people left and went on to something better. Walmart went through just about the entire labor pool in the area and eventually had to lower their standards in order to get some bodies in the store.

[ibcingu]

The Walmart family is constantly on the top of the list of billionaires not only in the U.S., but throughout the world. One would seriously think that they could afford to pay their employees higher wages, but, then, greed does strange things to people, and -- all this family has ever known, with the exception of their father who started the compary, is MONEY.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Is it possible that the workers can be greedy to?

"Hey, give me a big salary, an office overlooking the lake, a secretary and a company car - but btw, I am not qualified or skilled enough to operate a register."

If I was Wal-Mart I'd fire every last one of these employees right this moment and ban them for life from ever holding employment at any Wal-Mart ever again. Let them open up their own retail shop if they think they know better how to run a business. This is America, no one will stop them.

[mimi57]

But the fact remains , Sam Walton started with next to nothing and built an empire. Success should never be demonized, it is what makes this country great. Besides, it does give unskilled people an opportunity to have a job.
It's not the highest paying job, but I have a friend who has worked there for about 15 yrs. and she makes 16.00 an hr., not fantastic money, but better than a lot of other jobs... Education or skilled labor is the key to high wages, that or
owning your own business... the Walton's give millions to charities, and especially to education reform. Good cause.

[LGRepublican]

The Walton Family and the executives of Walmart are in the business of making money for the shareholders. Why on earth would they pay more for low skill labor than they have to? If the employees want more money, try getting the necessary skills and experience to make that happen.....

[ibcingu]

@LGRepublican - Great reason for them NOT to pay people a decent wage. Spoken like a true Republican.

[LGRepublican]

@ibcingu So let's pay people more than you have to out of some desire for "fairness". Spoken like a true Democrat. Do you pay more for things than necessary? I'll bet you shop at places with the lowest prices and best deals. Why should a business be any different?

[AceLuby]

All I can say is it's about time... Low wages, just enough hours to keep people at part time status, no possibility of advancement, sexist promoting, no benefits. Businesses should be proud of how well they treat their employees, not how badly they do to maximize profit

[David944]

The walmart I go to is running a skeleton crew as it is. They even got rid of the greaters.

[akjep6]

I used to work for Walmart for 2 years and I enjoyed it my Co workers just not upper management. But yeah the wages there are fairly low, here in Alaska we one few states doing fine economically so pay here is good just little spendy on rent and such. I was a customer service manager and was being paid 11.50 if I remember, for sure wasn't over 12. Anyway as much work load management gives you and plus there inconsistency to work with you and dealing with angry "make a scene" customers. I felt I wasn't paid enough to be dealing with all that and I barely asked for any help. From anyone. That why I left for a better paying job. Overall it a good starter job for customer service experience but after while the pay will bother you.

[tomincali]

i have yet to meet a person who has worked for walmart to have anything bad to say,heck they gave them a job what else do the want.
union folks mention the pay yet will go there and shop while refusing to work for lower wages . don't like your job find another and by all means stay until you can walk right into another job.

[MongoAPillager]

with the economy in the shape it in my area has few jobs,wally starts you at about 8+,after 5 years with good reviews i,m up to about 11.get a second job,well its real hard to do because if you don't allow your hours to be determined by a throw at the dart board,they get cut ti 1 day a week,or they will split your daysay 6am to 10 am then 2pm to 6pm,i work assembling and the only thing of importance is productivity,i do the bikes for one thing,i can do 3 to 4 18 speed mt bikes in an hour,that includes adjusting brakes were they stop and don,t rub on the rim,adjusting gears so they actually shift as designed,and trueing rims that are frequently an inch or more out of round,i'm scolded time after time for taking time to do anymore than slap it together.i asked the store manager one time how would he like me to assemble a bike in that fashion for his son,he replied that being a good parent he would of course check over when he boght it.my response was what if your a single mother or are some one who is not mechanically inclined,,that is the prevalling attiude at wally world.Ps we have a 56% turn over rate

[tomincali]

@MongoAPillager my thing is if folks take a job they don't like keep looking while your working. most folks i know who work there have for a long time, some since the day the store opened. once they train folks on a cash register there is a needed skill that can be transferred to a job of their liking.

things will get worst unless our gov stops bringing in so many people,as it stands if wally world could not tap into replacement employees form other countries that keep flooding in at over a million a year all employers will have to go back to the way things used to be treating workers as human.

[MongoAPillager]

@tomincali I think we are on the same page pretty much

[anarchomoney]

Yes, but they don't have a right to prevent people who want to work from taking their jobs. The only reason Walmart is in the US is to sell to Americans. They don't manufacture here due to the price fixing on wages

[Wilberhum]

Walmart a scar on the American worker. I believe Walmart is anti-American and I NEVER shop there.

[bobrob]

As long as outsiders keep their disruptive and greedy little claws to themselves and let
the two sides work it out, why not?

[Cheenoguy]

"Good pay"????? What a load of crap! To all you Republicans hating think about it this way. Walmart doesn't open a store unless they get local tax breaks which have them contributing little to nothing to the community. Almost all of their employees make minimum wage so they qualify for food stamps etc... So really Walmart has a negative impact on your community. Either shut up about food stamps or encourage Walmart to pay its employees a liveable wage. My guess is I am about to hear a bunch of elitist bullship.

[joyshusband]

How much should WalMart pay an unskilled entry level worker?

[Cheenoguy]

@joyshusband A livable wage. Just what is a livable wage obviously varies by location. A person who is working full time should be able to afford housing, basic utilities, food, and healthcare. Not a suburban home, but safe housing. Not cable, but heat, water, and power. Not steak, but not Ramen noodles.
It may be an entry level job but like many jobs of that nature someone has to do it. These are people who are working. They are taking the jobs we don't want and don't have to take. They are trying to provide for themselves. For all the bitching about people who expect handouts why not support poor people who are trying?

[joyshusband]

@Cheenoguy Do you shop at WalMart?

[Cheenoguy]

@joyshusband Actually no I don't. We have a lot less stuff for that reason. I would love to shop only where they pay livable wages but I don't have a good TP option who does. I don't however b!tch about food stamps for the working poor either.

[classychazy]

I agree with you 100%! It might be unskilled labor, but it shouldn't be slave labor and that is just what it is!