At Wal-Mart, Choosing Sides Over $9.68 an Hour - New York Times
At Wal-Mart, Choosing Sides Over $9.68 an Hour - New York Times
You can talk all you want about "living wages" and "poverty", but those workers identified in the story as having "only a 1991 Dodge Dakota" and "not being able to afford a nice apartment" should be glad they can save money by shopping at the place that employs them. Because without a Wal-Mart, they might arguably be without a job, and have to pay near retail prices on everyday items that they can get at a discount at Wal-Mart. Poverty in America is simply a label. A label that, when applied to the rest of the world, looks almost laughable. Where else in the world do those that live in poverty own a 1991 Dodge Dakota and have the ability to rent an apartment all while getting monthly government handouts that equal the yearly earnings of some of those people in real Poverty around the world. Wal-Mart has excellent benefits that probably cost at least as much as the wages they pay their employees. If another company wants to go out an compete against Wal-Mart by paying associates more money, more power to them. It worked for Nordstroms and apparently there is a subset of people willing to pay higher prices for "living wages" paid to cashier's and stock-people. No offense, but if RFID becomes a full reality, there will be LITTLE need for cashiers in the future.
Poverty*: The condition of being without adequate food and money and is officially considered to be very poor and in need of help.
You can talk all you want about "living wages" and "poverty", but those workers identified in the story as having "only a 1991 Dodge Dakota" and "not being able to afford a nice apartment" should be glad they can save money by shopping at the place that employs them. Because without a Wal-Mart, they might arguably be without a job, and have to pay near retail prices on everyday items that they can get at a discount at Wal-Mart. Poverty in America is simply a label. A label that, when applied to the rest of the world, looks almost laughable. Where else in the world do those that live in poverty own a 1991 Dodge Dakota and have the ability to rent an apartment all while getting monthly government handouts that equal the yearly earnings of some of those people in real Poverty around the world. Wal-Mart has excellent benefits that probably cost at least as much as the wages they pay their employees. If another company wants to go out an compete against Wal-Mart by paying associates more money, more power to them. It worked for Nordstroms and apparently there is a subset of people willing to pay higher prices for "living wages" paid to cashier's and stock-people. No offense, but if RFID becomes a full reality, there will be LITTLE need for cashiers in the future.
Poverty*: The condition of being without adequate food and money and is officially considered to be very poor and in need of help.
posted by Eric at
4:21 PM
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