Sunday, October 14, 2007
Come on Wal-Mart
After watching the video about wal-mart in class, i went home to finish it because i was interested about the topic. I do shop at wal-mart a lot because they do have low prices on the basic things i need, things like q-tips, deodorant and soap etc. Even without watching the video about wal-mart i knew of some of their policy's and practices because they were in the news a lot. Then after watching the video in class and finishing it at home, i watched the other wal-mart video called "The High Cost of Low Price", which was along the same lines of the PBS video just more in depth.
So i watched both these videos and i was shocked at the way employees here and over seas were treated but i also knew that this was common practice with many other companies. The labor laws overseas are much different then the ones here and companies recognize this and take advantage of it. I don't know what can be done to correct the overseas practices and also if there was some sort of universal minimum wage then companies like wal-mart who deliver the lowest prices would be useless and price competition would be far less i believe.
But something has to be done about employees who work here in America, where there are labor laws. I think its crazy that a majority of wal-marts employees are either on welfare or some form of a gov't assistance program. To be fair, those types of programs are supposed to be for people who may not have a job or who are going through some very hard times, and they are not designed for people who actually have a job. Wal-mart makes billions of dollars a year and they should be forced to pay their employees more money or at least offer them some good health care programs. They can afford it.
Wal-mart's new slogan by the way is "Save Money, Live Better"
Ironic
So i watched both these videos and i was shocked at the way employees here and over seas were treated but i also knew that this was common practice with many other companies. The labor laws overseas are much different then the ones here and companies recognize this and take advantage of it. I don't know what can be done to correct the overseas practices and also if there was some sort of universal minimum wage then companies like wal-mart who deliver the lowest prices would be useless and price competition would be far less i believe.
But something has to be done about employees who work here in America, where there are labor laws. I think its crazy that a majority of wal-marts employees are either on welfare or some form of a gov't assistance program. To be fair, those types of programs are supposed to be for people who may not have a job or who are going through some very hard times, and they are not designed for people who actually have a job. Wal-mart makes billions of dollars a year and they should be forced to pay their employees more money or at least offer them some good health care programs. They can afford it.
Wal-mart's new slogan by the way is "Save Money, Live Better"
Ironic
Labels: The High Cost Of Low Price, Wal-Mart
Comments:
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There are a lot of people who agree with you. And Wal-Mart is trying to stop the backlash against its labor policies through a massive PR campaign touting the positive aspects of the Wal-Mart revolution.
What is the solution? Minimum wage laws? National health? Union organizing?
Unfortunately Wal-Mart is very popular with consumers and we are all benefiting from those low prices. I am not sure if the American public is willing to pay more for products produced by high-wage labor, even if it was their neighbors wages.
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What is the solution? Minimum wage laws? National health? Union organizing?
Unfortunately Wal-Mart is very popular with consumers and we are all benefiting from those low prices. I am not sure if the American public is willing to pay more for products produced by high-wage labor, even if it was their neighbors wages.
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