Wal Mart Black Friday Strike
So apparently there are plan protests/strikes/walk outs at over 1000 wal-marts coming this black friday. What are your feeling about unskilled, uneducated workers demanding more pay, full time shifts, benefits, etc?
I'd like responders to state whether or not they've ever worked at wal-mart. Personally I can tell you wal mart is very underhanded at times. I understand unskilled labor shouldn't pay very well, but don't give us a fucking packet about our benefits since virtually no one get's benefits.
There is persistent pressure to skip your breaks in order to work, even though breaks are mandatory. I've been forced to discuss current work during lunch even though managers strictly forbid it during orientation.
You will never, ever get a fulltime shift, this is in order to prevent any worker receiving benefits. Any requests to alter you shift will go largely ignored, even if it's for school or another job.
I was put on the sales associate pay scale but forced to work cashier and inventory which pay more, essentially screwing me out of every possible cent.
At one point work hours were slashed by 4000 one month, half the people quit, anyone remaining was scheduled to work 8 hours a week.
Basically wal-mart is very underhanded and has no respect for its employees, but I don't think unskilled workers should make enough to support a family, but I do think at the fucking least you schedule people full time not 32 hours a week and give the benefits you taunt them with during orientation.
Since I know there are a lot of dissenting twats that refuse to believe anything they disagree with, here is a news story about it [link]
I'd like responders to state whether or not they've ever worked at wal-mart. Personally I can tell you wal mart is very underhanded at times. I understand unskilled labor shouldn't pay very well, but don't give us a fucking packet about our benefits since virtually no one get's benefits.
There is persistent pressure to skip your breaks in order to work, even though breaks are mandatory. I've been forced to discuss current work during lunch even though managers strictly forbid it during orientation.
You will never, ever get a fulltime shift, this is in order to prevent any worker receiving benefits. Any requests to alter you shift will go largely ignored, even if it's for school or another job.
I was put on the sales associate pay scale but forced to work cashier and inventory which pay more, essentially screwing me out of every possible cent.
At one point work hours were slashed by 4000 one month, half the people quit, anyone remaining was scheduled to work 8 hours a week.
Basically wal-mart is very underhanded and has no respect for its employees, but I don't think unskilled workers should make enough to support a family, but I do think at the fucking least you schedule people full time not 32 hours a week and give the benefits you taunt them with during orientation.
Since I know there are a lot of dissenting twats that refuse to believe anything they disagree with, here is a news story about it [link]
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not paid enough for minimum wage?
doing something about it?
more power to them.
I am waiting for someone to come in, talk about "free labor", speak about how no one is pointing a gun to their heads making them work, and then bitch when they don't show up for work, with shitty pay and conditions.
doing something about it?
more power to them.
I am waiting for someone to come in, talk about "free labor", speak about how no one is pointing a gun to their heads making them work, and then bitch when they don't show up for work, with shitty pay and conditions.
I say best of luck to them. The workers may be unskilled and uneducated, as you put, but they deserve to be treated like human beings.
I've heard for years that Wal-mart treats their employees poorly, which is why I rarely shop there.
I've heard for years that Wal-mart treats their employees poorly, which is why I rarely shop there.
I love this, it's great because Wal-mart is awful, it feeds off the lower class and exploits them.
Honestly, I wish people who just made word soup out of hyperbole and buzz-words got bricked in the face.
Can't make everybody happy.
Well, tonight is Black Friday for me. 8:30pm-6am shift in Electronics at Target. I hope that Wal-Mart here is open, or we'll get the crazies that usually go there instead. 
I don't need that. I'm already not getting a Thanksgiving so I can sleep through the afternoon and be awake for my shift- I don't need a crazy stupid night too.
I don't need that. I'm already not getting a Thanksgiving so I can sleep through the afternoon and be awake for my shift- I don't need a crazy stupid night too.
I'm sorry to hear that Good luck- I hope you got to eat dinner with your friends and family earlier.
Good luck- I hope you got to eat dinner with your friends and family earlier.
Walmart probably won't give a shit. Walmart is so big they can close down every store in America and make a profit from China.
The only reason they stick around i guess is because the executives are soft on their native homeland.
The only reason they stick around i guess is because the executives are soft on their native homeland.
The nice thing about walmart, each store is different. And some of them actually treat there employees well. You must have got stuck at a terrible one, or you are young and was heavily influenced by the negative.
I haven't met a single person who worked at walmart and had anything nice to say about it. I'm talking people from all over the country
Well congrats, you found your first person.
What position did you work?
Third shift cashier.
Working second shift, I'm under the impression they dont really expect much from the third shift cashier because they cant pull you and always need you
Perhaps there is a better explanation in what you mean in "expect much from the third shift cashier" with it's conflicting statement of "always need you".
But there is also a chance that my walmart has an excellent and hardworking management team too.
But there is also a chance that my walmart has an excellent and hardworking management team too.
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I have a feeling this will not really happen... except in tiny towns where hardly any customers come in. In which case, the employees will simply be fired. I am all for workers' rights- but unfortunately we have to learn that demanding rights from a corporation alone is irresponsible and is just showboating.
If people care about rights- they wouldn't shop at their stores. Being a customer of Wal Mart and then turning around saying you are against their unfair labor practices is worse than hypocrisy. It is actually enabling suffering and is the epitome of inconsiderate, two-faced selfishness. Ask me and fuck no I don't shop at Wal Mart, and haven't bought anything at one of their stores in over 8 years and probably never will again.
Then the workers themselves need to be taking their services elsewhere. The ultimate strike is a mass walkout and never to return. Taking a job at a company you know is abusive, then feigning victimhood is plain nonsense. The excuse "it's the only job in town" is not going to cut it. Wal Mart is not the only job in town. Anyone who has that little education that it's the only job they can ever get has already sold themselves short in a country that offers free public education- and to some extent has themselves to blame for their awful work lives. If these two things are given as much weight as demands against the corporation for fair treatment, then I'd listen.
If people care about rights- they wouldn't shop at their stores. Being a customer of Wal Mart and then turning around saying you are against their unfair labor practices is worse than hypocrisy. It is actually enabling suffering and is the epitome of inconsiderate, two-faced selfishness. Ask me and fuck no I don't shop at Wal Mart, and haven't bought anything at one of their stores in over 8 years and probably never will again.
Then the workers themselves need to be taking their services elsewhere. The ultimate strike is a mass walkout and never to return. Taking a job at a company you know is abusive, then feigning victimhood is plain nonsense. The excuse "it's the only job in town" is not going to cut it. Wal Mart is not the only job in town. Anyone who has that little education that it's the only job they can ever get has already sold themselves short in a country that offers free public education- and to some extent has themselves to blame for their awful work lives. If these two things are given as much weight as demands against the corporation for fair treatment, then I'd listen.
"but unfortunately we have to learn that demanding rights from a corporation alone is irresponsible and is just showboating."
union strikes have been going on for over 100 years and they've been pretty successful at times.
union strikes have been going on for over 100 years and they've been pretty successful at times.
I just typed "shop their" ohmygod. Oops.
its ok, I won't hold it against you 
I understand what you meant.
There are enough idiots without any viable content that correct grammar as a substitute.
I understand what you meant.There are enough idiots without any viable content that correct grammar as a substitute.
This isn't going to be successful as long as the vast majority of people selfishly go shop their and enable this corporation by giving them their money. And as long as people agree to work their in big enough numbers. It will take more than a threat of a strike by a handful of activists and an unrecognized union of $8/hr employees to make Walmart budge.
"This isn't going to be successful as long as the vast majority of people selfishly go shop their and enable this corporation by giving them their money"
well what do you want them to do?
"It will take more than a threat of a strike by a handful of activists and an unrecognized union of $8/hr employees to make Walmart budge."
I don't understand why a union has to be "recognized" by any real authority to be valid. Its simply a collection of workers working for the common good. Probably better intented being its new than many established unions.
The solution is MORE activists and MORE strikers. Size and scope seem to be the problem, but someone needs to go first. this activity is a type of advertising/recruitment effort for future activity. You need to start somewhere.
As far as unions go, even with unskilled seemingly replacable labor, labor walkouts and strikes can be effective, because you just don't pull people off the street and have them start working the next day, there is a hiring proccess. Higher than normal turnover costs money from HR.
Even at an unskilled labor job, it will take at least a few months for new employees to really learn the job, which will be lost everytime you fire people.
well what do you want them to do?
"It will take more than a threat of a strike by a handful of activists and an unrecognized union of $8/hr employees to make Walmart budge."
I don't understand why a union has to be "recognized" by any real authority to be valid. Its simply a collection of workers working for the common good. Probably better intented being its new than many established unions.
The solution is MORE activists and MORE strikers. Size and scope seem to be the problem, but someone needs to go first. this activity is a type of advertising/recruitment effort for future activity. You need to start somewhere.
As far as unions go, even with unskilled seemingly replacable labor, labor walkouts and strikes can be effective, because you just don't pull people off the street and have them start working the next day, there is a hiring proccess. Higher than normal turnover costs money from HR.
Even at an unskilled labor job, it will take at least a few months for new employees to really learn the job, which will be lost everytime you fire people.
All I know is, I'm glad that we don't have a Wal-Mart anywhere close to where I live, or in the whole country as far as I know. But finding a job is hard when the state of the economy is uncertain. I've submitted my resume to many places that were looking for help and I didn't hear back from them. Does that make me lazy? Here's a hint: If you say yes, you'd be glad I'm not able to smash your face in.
I do support workers that are getting the short end of the stick because the business is screwing them over demanding better conditions, but since my country is fairly socialist in nature this isn't a common problem.
I do support workers that are getting the short end of the stick because the business is screwing them over demanding better conditions, but since my country is fairly socialist in nature this isn't a common problem.
Yes please, threaten me with violence, I'd love to put you in an arm triangle and not let go until you get brain damage.
I'm merely making a point, I actually don't enjoy hurting people. But based on this and responses that you've made to other people, I strongly suggest you get anger management therapy. ASAP.