Want to keep Wal-Mart out? Maybe a living wage will do it.

[Dr.Phool]

This just might be the plan to do it. If nothing else, it would force them to give something back to their communities. There are 3 Wal-Marts, and Supercenters within 5 miles of my home. There are already plans, partially approved, to build 2 more supercenters within walking distance of my home. One of the proposed stores is to built on the last piece of unspoiled land next to the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs.

I'm going to make sure my County Commisioners, and Statehouse candidates see this and adress the issue.

As usual, Robyn Blumner, of the St. Pete Times hit's the nail on the head.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/06/Columns/Being_good_to_workers.shtml


(snip)

Republicans like to claim that their antagonism toward the minimum wage is probusiness and proemployee. Their canard is that when the minimum wage is raised, businesses cut back on their work force and people get laid off. But now that 23 states, including Florida, have raised the minimum wage on their own, with no discernible drop in employment for those at the bottom of the wage scale, it is time to put aside that fallacy. Ethically, morally and legally, paying employees decently for their labor should not be optional.

The Chicago City Council is on the leading edge of this idea with its "big box" living wage ordinance. The measure might still be vetoed by Mayor Richard Daley, but if it stands, the law would require retailers with more than $1-billion in annual sales to pay employees a minimum of $10 per hour, plus $3 an hour worth of benefits, by 2010. About 18 retailers would be affected, and many have responded with hypocritical howling. Wal-Mart has made threats regarding the future of up to 20 stores planned in the city, and Target is being similarly bellicose.

One employer, however, is not complaining. Costco Wholesale Corp., the warehouse club giant with 471 stores around the world, already pays its work force well beyond what the city would demand. Its average nonmanagement worker, including those working part-time, makes $17 per hour with a nice benefits package including health care thrown in. Yet Costco still makes a profit and offers its customers low prices.

(snip)

Jim Sinegal, the chief executive of Costco, is one of the few leaders in corporate America who refuses to sell out workers in pursuit of short-term gains. Here's a guy who helped found a company that is now in the Fortune 50, and his salary and bonuses last year reportedly totaled only $450,000. And while he's plenty rich through his company stock holdings, he owns less than 1 percent of the company - almost unheard of for a founder. As he has explained it, part of his philosophy is to maintain a reasonable relationship between his compensation and that of average workers.

(snip)

[marmar]

1. Like garlic to vampires...

And Costco is nice and profitable. It can be done.

[Double T]

2. Wal-Mart could relocate ALL of their stores and supercenters.......

to Mexico and China, where there is an ample supply of 'slave' labor. Costco could then fill Wal-Mart's vacated stores; problem solved.

[elehhhhna]

3. You know, 10 years ago (okay, 6) those Walmart jobs were great

FOR THE PEOPLE THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR: students, stay-at-home Moms/Dads, retirees. People who wanted part-time jobs.

Now people are trying to support their families on part-time hours and wages. Some (most) of the blame for THAT is not Walmart's. It's the Bush economy.