Chicago introduces living-wage

[Minfay 0]

....the list goes on and on. But yes, keep believing in your conspiracy theories that people are just mad at Walmart for being so 'competitive'.

It's a horrible Catch 22 situation.....we want jobs to stay in America.....but we don't get paid enough to afford the cost of products if they were all made here. Is there an answer that would make everyone happy? I don't know....

[Ban Hammer 12,861]

Not only does it make good economic sense to raise the minimum wage, it is just compassionate. Shouldn't we all be trying to stop Americans from facing poverty? I thought that was a common goal til I read some of the posts on this thread!

I think it is/was a common goal -- UNTIL -- you start taking money out of the "powers that be" pockets.

I "worked" in a two person office. The "other" person quit. Do you think I got a raise since I am now doing both jobs? NO!! Are we going to hire a replacement? NO!! No part of that "extra" salary is coming anywhere near me. Am I bitter? YES!!!

and that will happen in this case. hire the same amount of people? no, just have less do more. and you wind up with overworked and overstressed people. i wonder if the homicide rate in chicago will rise after this is implemented.

[incanada1234 0]

Is there an answer that would make everyone happy? I don't know....[/color]

Yeah, it's called communism!

[mrc 0]

Wal-Mart is about as twisted as they come. Family values, my ###. There's a reason why they are the WORLD'S biggest toy store, grocer and many other things. You don't get to be that large by simply being competitive.

I suppose Microsoft is real "competitive" too?

Remember, it wasn't but 15 years ago that K-Mart was America's #1 retailer. Five years ago they filed for bankruptcy. A company like Wal-Mart doesn't ascend that quickly without chopping off some heads.

[Veiled Princess 1]

It's a free country. No one's FORCING anyone to work at WalMart. If people don't like what they pay, go work somewhere else.

When's the last time you were in small city, USA? In my town, Walmart is the largest employer besides the Air Force.

Exactly... they come into small towns and drive down the cost of products... (not complaining I love the low cost at Walmart)... forcing small businesses out of business.... then they are the only emplyment left and they pay their workers #######....

I guess the down side to this will be that Walmart will up the prices to cover what they have to pay their employees but I won't complain much.... I'll feel better about myself knowing that I'm not the cause of someone elses oppression.

[Minfay 0]

and that will happen in this case. hire the same amount of people? no, just have less do more. and you wind up with overworked and overstressed people. i wonder if the homicide rate in chicago will rise after this is implemented.

Actually, I kinda like working here alone. I can come on VJ all I want!!

Is there an answer that would make everyone happy? I don't know....[/color]

Yeah, it's called communism!

:lol:

[one...two...tree 2,762]

....the list goes on and on. But yes, keep believing in your conspiracy theories that people are just mad at Walmart for being so 'competitive'.

It's a horrible Catch 22 situation.....we want jobs to stay in America.....but we don't get paid enough to afford the cost of products if they were all made here. Is there an answer that would make everyone happy? I don't know....

Walmart could afford to raise wages and still enjoy a comfortable profit. It's a fallacy to believe they have low-balled suppliers and relied on China because they couldn't afford American made products without raising the prices to where American's wouldn't or couldn't shop there. What they have done is to the extreme that no other retailer had done before. They have effectively dismantled most manufacturing jobs in America for that reason. If you're a supplier and 80 percent of your business is Walmart, how do you compete? How can any American manufacturer survive without doing business with Walmart since Walmart has such a huge market share? This is not true competition and it's destroying our economy.

[Fischkoepfin 1]

The decline at Ford came after the point when they started cutting wages and moving production abroad. They abandoned Henry Ford's model in order to increase corporate profits....

Huh? Cutting wages? When was that? I have family members that work for Ford and let me tell you, they are set for LIFE. They make a crapload of money (and of course, they're unionized).

Wages in production have decreased (if adjusted for inflation) since the early 1980s when automakers and unions agreed that less benefits and lower wages would be the only way to keep the jobs in America. In the mid-1980s, a two-tier wage system was introduced at most automakers still producing in the US, under which new employees would be excluded from wage provisions of older employers. Today's autoworkers make significantly less money then 20 or 30 years ago.

If your family members have not experienced any of this then that's awesome, but it doesn't negate the fact that overall wages in automotive production have decreased. As to them being set for life, let's just hope Ford doesn't declare bamkrupcy because then they'll experience what those working in steel or the airline industry have learned a while back: the pension fund is the first to disappear.

[Fandango 1,439]

It's a free country. No one's FORCING anyone to work at WalMart. If people don't like what they pay, go work somewhere else.

When's the last time you were in small city, USA? In my town, Walmart is the largest employer besides the Air Force.

Exactly... they come into small towns and drive down the cost of products... (not complaining I love the low cost at Walmart)... forcing small businesses out of business.... then they are the only emplyment left and they pay their workers #######....

I guess the down side to this will be that Walmart will up the prices to cover what they have to pay their employees but I won't complain much.... I'll feel better about myself knowing that I'm not the cause of someone elses oppression.

I found that funny, cos to me this sounds like you're complaining....

If you won't complain about paying more later on cos it'll make you feel good about yourself...why shop there now?

[mrc 0]

....the list goes on and on. But yes, keep believing in your conspiracy theories that people are just mad at Walmart for being so 'competitive'.

It's a horrible Catch 22 situation.....we want jobs to stay in America.....but we don't get paid enough to afford the cost of products if they were all made here. Is there an answer that would make everyone happy? I don't know....

Walmart could afford to raise wages and still enjoy a comfortable profit. It's a fallacy to believe they have low-balled suppliers and relied on China because they couldn't afford American made products without raising the prices to where American's wouldn't or couldn't shop there. What they have done is to the extreme that no other retailer had done before. They have effectively dismantled most manufacturing jobs in America for that reason. If you're a supplier and 80 percent of your business is Walmart, how do you compete? How can any American manufacturer survive without doing business with Walmart since Walmart has such a huge market share? This is not true competition and it's destroying our economy.

I totally agree. My friends think I'm nuts because I placed a moratorium on shopping at Wal-Mart a few years back. When they bring it up, they think I'm nuts because I explain (in depth) my reasons for not shopping there. Call me crazy (or an idealist), but I'd rather spend an extra buck or two to get it somewhere else than to buy it at Wal-Mart for the mere fact that they are destroying the economy.

Some people just can't understand it. It's the same reason I refuse to buy a big gas guzzling truck and then complain about gas prices. Even though everyone else does it, I am hoping one day people will wake up and stop being so pig-headed. I don't want to be part of the problem.

[Veiled Princess 1]

I found that funny, cos to me this sounds like you're complaining....

If you won't complain about paying more later on cos it'll make you feel good about yourself...why shop there now?

Coz it's a hard habit to kick

Especially when you have two little ones and you're the only one paying the bills....

[Fandango 1,439]

I found that funny, cos to me this sounds like you're complaining....

If you won't complain about paying more later on cos it'll make you feel good about yourself...why shop there now?

Coz it's a hard habit to kick

Especially when you have two little ones and you're the only one paying the bills....

I agree...WalMart does make it easier to clothe and feed a family on a limited income

[incanada1234 0]

Oooh, nice.

[Fandango 1,439]

Oooh, nice.

*high five*

[tmma 467]

The days of Mom and Pop stores were numbered before Wal Mart-the bomb was ticking once Simon Developments started building Shoping Malls.

PLUS...I HATE the fact that American companies are manufacturing overseas-but-even if I buy the Hasbro Supersoaker at Toys R Us v Wal Mart; it's still made in China or wherever.

Yeh, there is the "feel good" factor of not supporting a store whose pay structure you disagree with, but in my opinion, it feels better to me to be able to afford what myself and my son need-like Veiled Princess said-if you get my drift!

PS I hate gas guzzling SUVs

Edited July 27, 2006 by tmma