This is despicable.

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SSP

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
17,727
0
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The French has found a way to drive WalMart out of communities! :p


This is nothing new. McDonalds did the same thing.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's too bad some of you see unions as evil... you usually only hear about the negative things (like when they fight for someone's job that deserves to be cut).. It's unfortunate that the positives aren't heard.

I'll agree that there are many positive aspects. Its when the power is abused (on either side) that i don't agree with.
 

mwtgg

Lifer
Dec 6, 2001
10,491
0
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's too bad some of you see unions as evil... you usually only hear about the negative things (like when they fight for someone's job that deserves to be cut).. It's unfortunate that the positives aren't heard.

Yeah, we only hear about teachers going on strike for a month or two, or nurses at hopitals going on strike, leaving the hospital to hire temp nurses to take care of the patients.

How callous do you have to be to go on strike when you're a nurse?
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
how about the air traffic controller strike? that was nice, let's shutdown the entire US air transportation system, what a good idea
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: DrPizza
It's too bad some of you see unions as evil... you usually only hear about the negative things (like when they fight for someone's job that deserves to be cut).. It's unfortunate that the positives aren't heard.

Yeah, we only hear about teachers going on strike for a month or two, or nurses at hopitals going on strike, leaving the hospital to hire temp nurses to take care of the patients.

How callous do you have to be to go on strike when you're a nurse?

I'll resond with my girlfriend by my side (A high school counselor/teacher)

The state leadership quitely/proposed/passed a healthcare plan for the teachers. Now I gotta admit, this plan was pretty dang crappy. We're talking maximum out of pocket 10K, minium doctors visit 100 bucks co-pay, etc.

It was downright despicable, and they were being charged 210 a month for single coverage, something like 700 for family.

So they were being bent over pretty bad, on folks that don't make that much to begin with all because our state didn't have a budget.

So in that instance I think the only thing they could do was strike because IMHO it stepped WAY over the line. The "bad" things happen when there is an abuse of power, no matter what side it comes from.
 

shilala

Lifer
Oct 5, 2004
11,437
1
76
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
People usually hate unions until they're about to lose their job and they realize that a single voice has no weight.

Ding, Ding, Ding. There's a winnar.

We won't even consider that a minimum wage exists because of organized labor, or that OSHA and workplace safety exists because of organized labor, or that collective bargaining exists because of organized labor, or that fair market principles exist because of organized labor.
Like it or not, organized labor is the balance that gives open shops their bargaining weight. It's also the influence that drives a fair wage.
That in turn bolsters our economy and increases our standard of living.
That sh1t's fact boys. Do some research and see what it's about.
I'm a union member and I don't believe in a lot of principles my union presses.
I do agree that it boils right down to dollars. If I am part of a group I can get some. If not, The Man gets them all. I want my fair share, or even more than that if I can get it.
Walmart is never going to accept organization. It simply doesn't fit the financial model. They'll abandon every store they have in the US and Canada before it'll happen. There's plenty of money to be made in other parts of the world.
 

JACKHAMMER

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,870
0
76
Originally posted by: timswim78
I don't shop at WalMart because of their businesses practices.

Same here. In fact, I shop at the grocery store that I do b/c it IS unionized. All of the experience I have had with unions is posititve. Better compenated workers = happier workers = better work output (except for some labor unions) IMO

 

meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,548
7
81
WTF, why the hell would the average Joe care whether Wal-Mart was unionized or not? Would it change the shopping experience? Does it really make a difference to all those who are rejoicing in this thread? Clue me in on this, I don't understand the celebration. "Yay, someone's worker rights will be trampled on."

I know it isn't your typical unionized environment but come on. Would it really affect you if Wal-Marts were unionized?
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: meltdown75
WTF, why the hell would the average Joe care whether Wal-Mart was unionized or not? Would it change the shopping experience? Does it really make a difference to all those who are rejoicing in this thread? Clue me in on this, I don't understand the celebration. "Yay, someone's worker rights will be trampled on."

I know it isn't your typical unionized environment but come on. Would it really affect you if Wal-Marts were unionized?

I'd have to pay more as a consumer.

Now to mix it up some - india outsourcing!

 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
i would get another job if my employer decided i was invaluable enough to screw over like that, not go on "strike"
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Being a union member I guess I'm forced to respond.

Around the shop I'm probably more known for my anti-unionism, but here I feel compelled to respond to 'the unions have no place'.

They do some good things and some bad things.

They delineate work rules.
They set predetermined punishments when rules are broken.
They allow for a means for issues to be settled.
They give some semblance of fairness.

They give an employer a stable workforce which is unlikely bolt anytime a competitor offers more money.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
Originally posted by: meltdown75
WTF, why the hell would the average Joe care whether Wal-Mart was unionized or not?
Would it really affect you if Wal-Marts were unionized?

hello!

my $0.50 two liter bottle of soda would go up in price. of course it would affect me

if i wanted to pay $0.89 for a two liter bottle of soda, i would shop at target or the grocery store instead of walmart
 

acid45

Golden Member
Feb 15, 2004
1,467
0
0
Unions are bad. In quebec we have lost lots of jobs due to Unions making the shops/bizs pay there employees too much $$$ therefor making them close and go over seas.


We do not need Unions anymore this day in age, work conditions are much better then before.

And from what ive read walmart has a pretty good plan for its workers...



FVCK UNIONS.


-Chris
 

meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,548
7
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: meltdown75
WTF, why the hell would the average Joe care whether Wal-Mart was unionized or not? Would it change the shopping experience? Does it really make a difference to all those who are rejoicing in this thread? Clue me in on this, I don't understand the celebration. "Yay, someone's worker rights will be trampled on."

I know it isn't your typical unionized environment but come on. Would it really affect you if Wal-Marts were unionized?

I'd have to pay more as a consumer.

Now to mix it up some - india outsourcing!
I don't think it's that simple. Union presence = higher prices?
Originally posted by: FoBoT
i would get another job if my employer decided i was invaluable enough to screw over like that, not go on "strike"
If you would leave a job on a whim like that, you must be loaded.

All I'm saying is that it's easy to sit back and say UNIONS :thumbsdown: but how many of you have ever been a part of one? My guess would be that if you haven't, then your parents or grandparents were. Somewhere along the line, your quality of life may have been protected and faught for by a union... it's ok though... unions suck... :roll:
 
Aug 27, 2002
10,043
2
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Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong
Originally posted by: mwtgg
Originally posted by: spidey07
good for them.

unions = teh devil

Yep, I don't see their purpose in this day and age.
they have thier place, but not in retail.

What about in education? Healthcare?
definatly, retail and small businesses (<10 employees) are about the only exceptions to the rule as far as I'm concerned. unions are most necissary in work environments where safety can be a big concern, like manufacturing, drilling/excavation, etc.
 

flashbacck

Golden Member
Aug 3, 2001
1,921
0
76
Well, no matter what our different opinions are on unions, I think we can all agree on what Spidey says here:

Originally posted by: spidey07...
... The "bad" things happen when there is an abuse of power, no matter what side it comes from.

 

tm37

Lifer
Jan 24, 2001
12,436
1
0
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
People usually hate unions until they're about to lose their job and they realize that a single voice has no weight.

Actually I am going to be out of work in 3 weeks and I still dislike unions.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
15
81
fobot.com
Originally posted by: meltdown75
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: meltdown75
WTF, why the hell would the average Joe care whether Wal-Mart was unionized or not? Would it change the shopping experience? Does it really make a difference to all those who are rejoicing in this thread? Clue me in on this, I don't understand the celebration. "Yay, someone's worker rights will be trampled on."

I know it isn't your typical unionized environment but come on. Would it really affect you if Wal-Marts were unionized?

I'd have to pay more as a consumer.

Now to mix it up some - india outsourcing!
I don't think it's that simple. Union presence = higher prices?
Originally posted by: FoBoT
i would get another job if my employer decided i was invaluable enough to screw over like that, not go on "strike"
If you would leave a job on a whim like that, you must be loaded.

whim? :confused:

unless you are working under a contract , the employee/employer relationship is termed "at will"

http://employment.findlaw.com/employmen...ment-employee-overview-dictionary.html

At-will employment. A type of employment relationship in which there is no contractual agreement and either party may end the employment relationship at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all, without incurring a penalty.
so if the employer changes the compensation in a way that the employee doesn't like , the employee can end the employment relationship. i don't see how you interpret that as a "whim"
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,783
6,340
126
1 less Walmart to scourge the planet. Now we know the best way to kill a Walmart, Go Unions Go!