Boycotting Walmart: Why They Said No to Lions Club Christmas Trees

[Melissa78]

That's good - then we don't have to read about your arrest. Have fun!

 

[lockhartkitchen]

I'm interested in finding out if any of you have a giving tree currently in your local Walmart and/or have a charity selling Christmas trees in a Walmart parking lot. A friend of mine went shopping in my state this weekend to another Walmart and they had a giving tree. We were told by Walmart that it was a corporate decision, not a local manager decision on having the giving trees inside. I think there's more to the story than we are being told.

 

[JAE]

I must comment about my disdain for Walmart, right before I go to bed. I agree with the TX person and what she's saying about Walmart and produce companies. Cheating companies out of their money is not capitalism. It's cheating. It's bullying. Because Walmart is so huge, no grower or produce distributing company can fight against them. Walmart has more money to fight AND the farmer/distributor has to stay in business with the crooks in order to stay in business, cut their losses and move forward. Walking away from business with Walmart means walking away from your business. They (corporate Walmart) are crooks.

I wish I could say I've not shopped in a Walmart in years, but when I visit my parents in TX, we go to Walmart. Here, where I live, I won't shop in the local Walmart. Gross. Stinky, messy, not cheaper than Meijer, way too busy parking lot and store. It's only cheaper if you don't make a list and shop only sales. If you just want to go and pick up whatever you need every time you shop, then it probably is less expensive than other stores. But, Meijer has sales, and I make my list according to the sales and my coupons. That makes it cheaper than Walmart.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I must comment about my disdain for Walmart, right before I go to bed. I agree with the TX person and what she's saying about Walmart and produce companies. Cheating companies out of their money is not capitalism. It's cheating. It's bullying. Because Walmart is so huge, no grower or produce distributing company can fight against them. Walmart has more money to fight AND the farmer/distributor has to stay in business with the crooks in order to stay in business, cut their losses and move forward. Walking away from business with Walmart means walking away from your business. They (corporate Walmart) are crooks.

I wish I could say I've not shopped in a Walmart in years, but when I visit my parents in TX, we go to Walmart. Here, where I live, I won't shop in the local Walmart. Gross. Stinky, messy, not cheaper than Meijer, way too busy parking lot and store. It's only cheaper if you don't make a list and shop only sales. If you just want to go and pick up whatever you need every time you shop, then it probably is less expensive than other stores. But, Meijer has sales, and I make my list according to the sales and my coupons. That makes it cheaper than Walmart.

That is SO true! It's dangerous just trying to find a parking space in that totally unorganized parking lot...and Meijers has done alot to stay competitive. The WM closest to me is the same way....it's been a couple years since I've been in either of them, but both were gross, stinky, and messy.

 

[dollfangs]

This is one of my biggest problems with Walmart and the main reason I do not support them: http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/02/17/wal-mart-recession-profiteer/

Ok I was not going to get into this debate until I read this article. I work for Wal-Mart and would like to share my story so that everyone can see that WM is not all bad. Yes there are things that I don't agree with but that has been the same with every company I have worked for including Pampered Chef.

I am a single mom of 2 and if it were not for working and shopping at WM I don't know what I would have done. I have no college degree but do have some technical certifications and had a few years of computer experience when I was hired into ISD at WM. I have a great job and make a nice living. I have my own home and with the salary at WM, I am able to send my kids to a private school.

The insurance is very affordable. I pay less than 100 dollars a month for me and the kids. Also, there are other benefits that go with this. I had an emergency and had to be out for 2 months. WM paid me....don't know of any other places that would have. Nice not to have to worry about how to feed the kids when I was in the hospital for 3 weeks. There are so many insurance plans that I find it extremely hard to believe that someone could not find one that they could afford. some are as low as 12 dollars a pay period.

As far as the store associates go, the average wage is 10 dollars an hour. My sons have multiple friends who work in the store and one of them just got married and bought a new home. Wedding and down payment made on an hourly associate's salary. That sounds like more than minimum wage to me. He has been with WM for about 4-5 years. If goes to show that if a person is willing to work hard they can get ahead.

Now that is not to say that every WM store manager is a nice guy or that everything that WM does I agree with but my experience and the experience of MOST people I know who work for WM either at the corporate office or in the stores is positive overall. Please do not let the actions of one person or the stories that disgruntled (mostly former) employees share in the papers make you judge the entire company because honestly I have never worked for a company that cares more about their people.

Sorry this post was so long but I wanted to share the other side.

 

[Melissa78]

Melissa - it must be in the name because I agree 100% with you. I have the college degree and while I worked there everyone asked why I was still at my high school job so many years later. They were good to me and I felt like I had job security (hind sight 20/20, I didn't thanks to mgmt restructure) but I don't hold the grudge. I still do all of my consumables shopping at WM and Sams, still own stock in WM and stand up for them when others beat them down on hear say. Like you, I don't agree with everything nor do I think everything they do is right but again agreeing with you...no company deserves Saint status and they all have their downside. If it wasn't for WM my community would be in a world of hurt. And I have been to the Springdale WM and HO many times. Nice area!