Wal-Mart takes aim at Democratic critics

[MaineDem]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Wal-Mart Stores is hitting back at some leading Democratic presidential hopefuls who have joined with the company's critics recently.

The world's largest retailer announced it is sending out what it terms a "voter education guide" to its 18,000 Iowa employees, criticizing politicians who have recently joined with the union-backed group "Wake Up Wal-Mart" for a series of rallies. Iowa holds the nation's first presidential caucus, and potential candidates are already visiting the state.
walmart_store_front.03.jpg

"We believe it's wrong for these political candidates to attack Wal-Mart and the transformation under way at our company," the letter said. "We would never suggest to you how to vote, but we have an obligation to tell you when politicians are saying something about your company that isn't true."

The company's critics charge that Wal-Mart fails to provide health care for more than half its workers, pays what it calls "poverty" wages, and helps to shift U.S. jobs overseas by selling low-priced imports.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/16/news/companies/walmart_politics/index.htm?section=cnn_topstories

[ananda]

1. Huge irony for Wal-mart!

Wal-mart profits fell this quarter, and spokespersons are
blaming higher gas prices and less of a pay cushion on
its base of customers whose income is less than 40k a
year.

Irony, I love it. Wal-mart supports the GOP, and it's Bush
and the GOP who have caused the higher gas prices,
and who have caused the poor and working
classes to have less disposable and saved income,
thereby hurting their base who depend on the spending
of lower income workers. Hehheh. Reality bites.

Sue

[Kolesar]

2. Walmart took a billion dollar loss due to closing the German stores

From what I heard (on public radio), they withdrew from that market entirely.

[MaineDem]

3. I heard a report on BBC the other day

They said that the Germans wouldn't put up with the "welcome to WalMart" smiling, happy greeter-types. It just didn't work there.

[w4rma]

9. Germans were going to unionize. Walmart sold their stores rather

than allow unions in their German stores.

[warrens]

4. They did bail out

Which was my headline. The question was always, who's more hard-headed, Wal-Mart or German shoppers, a notably TOUGH audience. Wal-Mart was there for nearly 10 years and lost money every single year. They also bailed out of South Korea, and things are not going so great in South America and the United Kingdom.

As for lower profits, even past that $800 million they spent SELLING their stores, their results were pathetic. Costco and Target performed far better. Same-store sales increase at WM was 1.5 percent; Target was at 4.6 percent and I think Costco was at about 7 percent.

WM is like a shark: swim or sink. And it's swimming pretty feebly right now. A guy I worked with wanted to be the first to write the WM bankruptcy story. Unfortunately, he died a few years back, so I told him that I would work his way into the story when I wrote it. It ain't going to happen this decade, but the signs are there. They're in a grow or die mode, and once they run out of places to grow, they'll start cannibalizing their own sales by building supercenters two blocks apart.

[Kolesar]

6. I think their stores are ugly and their product selection pathetic

The store is adequate in a "third world humble" way, like a dry goods store in a lean corner of America. But when I am in there, I only want to leave. I don't want to look at the clothes racks. I don't want to peruse the sporting goods aisle. The floors are tile, the lighting is harsh, and the checkout checkers are sullen.

thanks for reporting the data

[saigon68]

7. Their employees are not friendly

Many of them are only there for the scraps, their enthusiasm is pathetic

[Bill McBlueState]

15. hold off on the employees

They're people who should be on our side, since they have the most to gain from the positive labor climate that results from Democratic governance.

[saigon68]

17. Several I know are Pukes, because they don't want TRAMPS to get abortions

They could Care less about their wages, if it means that Gays can marry too

[Bill McBlueState]

18. yeah, that's the essence of the Republican strategy

The religious wing of the party gets the working class to focus on cultural issues while the corporate wing of the party sneaks around behind them and picks their pockets.

[saigon68]

21. Yes these are my son in laws parents.

They both work at Walmart, have no health insurance and live in a trailer and have never voted democratic

They go to catholic mass every sunday and complain how the NIGGERS get all the welfare.

[annabanana]

24. You can ALWAYS tell how a store treats it's employees...

by how they treat the customer.

If the staff is surly and rude, you can bet your bottom dollar that they are run ragged and paid a pittance. The fish rots from the head down.

[pinniped]

26. What? I once stumbled upon an employee pep rally and the energy....

was so high I was going to jump in.

[Tight_rope]

11. And I've noticed that the prices of the merchandise is going up!

Walmart is now selling cheaply made products at higher prices. I've seen clothes priced between $15-$30 at Walmart that you can get at the $5,$7,and $9 stores. I just look at the price tag laugh and keep going. There was a time that I boycotted Walmart for over a year. I think I might have to do it again.

[wicket]

27. Wasn't it Henry Ford who said...

...that he paid his workers enough to be able to afford his automobiles. Obviously Walmart hasn't learned that lesson, if they paid their workers more rather than lining already obscenely rich executives pockets, their workers would have more money to spend on their crap, er, products.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. I've got to K & R this one. I've been involved in fighting walmart in two

areas of my community. Won one, lost the other.

We've already seen the shuttering of the small businesses around the site where the WM will be built.

One was a little Chinese restaurant that was extremely popular and had been at the same location for over 20 years. :-(

In the area surrounding the future walmart site is a vibrant community of eclectic clothing stores, various small restaurants and food vendors, as well as an excellent bakery. I fear they will all be gone soon.

So, here's hoping that WM gets its just desserts. MKJ

[Mr_Spock]

8. All the more reason to boycott WalMart

Now they are working against Dems in a more active way - seeing as 90% of their political contributions go toward Republicans, this should not surprise anyone.

Down with the WalMart - they are attacking us now!!

[high density]

10. Employers telling employees how to vote

I once earned poverty wages at a bank, and they also told me how I should vote (which was always for the company and generally against myself.) I'm not surprised at all to see Wal-Mart doing the same thing.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because I live in an area that offers other choices. Unfortunately a lot of people live in a place where they don't have any alternative to Wal-Mart.

[Debau2005]

19. I found that out last week

I was in Silver City New Mexico, and needed some rain gear and bottled water. The only option was Super Walmart. I hated every quick second of it. Next time I'll plan ahead a little better.

Although I did meet a very nice man in the rain gear section. I think my Southern Drawl in that part of the country intriqued him! haha

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

12. Walmart Earnings Post Rare Decline

Walmart Earnings Post Rare Decline

[zbdent]

13. Does the W.M. handout also include a detailed explanation of

employee benefits ... a la if an employee dies, employee's family gets x dollars from an insurance policy, while the majority of the money goes to Wal-Mart's coffers?

[gratuitous]

14. I'd also like to see Wal-Mart's accounting

How much of their business is subsidized by the taxpayers. That is, how many Wal-Mart employees are on food stamps, get Section 8 housing, qualify for sliding scale health care, all costs of doing business that Wal-Mart has shunted off on the taxpaying public rather than pay its employees a living wage and provided health and dental insurance?

[Cha]

16. Fuck you walmart..I haven't

been in your republicon store for over two years and I'm doing better than fine without your junk.

[Bretttido]

20. Isn't this grossly illegal?

[calmblueocean]

22. "Oh, we would *never* suggest for you how to vote! Never!"

They lie right in their own communications to their workers, and yet somehow we're supposed to believe a "transformation" is underway at their company? Pleeeeeeze.

Wal-Mart is a cult, and like most cults, the leaders at the top make vast amounts of money off of the naivete and trust of those at the bottom. I've got an uncle that works at Wal-Mart, and he's convinced that Wal-Mart is next to holy and some people just hate it because it's successful.

[CollegeDUer]

23. Wal-Mart reacting like this shows you that we've hurt them

Remember Gandhi's phrase? "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you -- then you win."

[saigon68]

25. In 2 words---Walmart can go "Fuck itself"