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June 18, 2005
Wal-Mart Wants Your Job
On 03/17/04 the City Pages included an article entitled "Wal-Mart Wants Your Job." The article was written by Paul Demko and can be found by clicking on the link below.
Be prepared for the article to be a little bit lengthy. It is a full 7 pages long but you should find the article to be quite interesting and well worth your time. It may even give you a new perspective and thought on big business.
City Pages (Wal-Mart Wants Your Job)
I am simply going to give a brief overview of the article and cite a few specific examples contained in the article.
The article starts out by setting a rather happy picture of the grand opening of a new Wal-Mart store. It talks of the great deals available on Chips Ahoy cookies and Angel Soft toilet paper. Paul tells of the contributions Wal-Mart is making for the community in the amount $24,000. The article then takes a dramatic turn and talks of the not so glorious aspects of the retailer. Much of the article deals with the new urban expansion of the retailer and the negative aspects it may have on the surrounding businesses. Not only that, it also discusses whether or not Wal-Mart is treating its employees properly. Much of the information comes from talks with Labor unions. These unions feel that Wal-Mart offers low wages, and a union busting demeanor. It is an article that makes you think, and I believe that is what sets apart articles that are good and bad.
Here are a few quick excerpts taken from the article
“The contributions total $24,000-or roughly the amount Wal-Mart takes in every three seconds.”
“There are roughly 3,500 Wal-Mart stores across the country-more than twice as many as those of its closest competitor, Target Corporation-with new stores launching at a rate of nearly one per day.”
“Wal-Mart is now responsible for 2.3 percent of the country’s gross national product, a figure approaching the dominance of U.S. Steel during World War I and General Motors in the 1950’s.”
“It’s estimated that 80 percent of the company’s products are now manufactured in China, accounting for one-eighth of the U.S.’s trade with the country. In the last three years, the U.S. has lost more than 2.8 million manufacturing jobs.”
Now I am not one that thinks Wal-Mart is a retailer that is going to be the demise of the American people. I do however; feel that many of the tactics Wal-Mart is using are entirely unethical and uncalled for. It can be cited that mom and pop stores go out of business due to mismanagement and other such factors which many times I will totally agree with. However, it can also be cited that many mom and pop stores go out of business because they are not willing to pay there employees less than they are worth or treat others like dirt to turn a profit.
There was an excellent report on dateline on 06/17/05 on the garment market in Bangladesh. In the report one of the people interviewed made about 17 cents an hour. They brought the worker to the U.S. found the pants she sewed and they were about $12.50.
Where did they find the pants? Wal-Mart. Sounds fair doesn’t. What if the products you made somewhere else sold for that type of markup?
Non-Scientific Math
Say you make $10.00 per hour
The pants you make would sell for $735.29
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