Walmart worker strikes spread across the country

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nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
only prob is min wage jobs are NOT 40 hours a week... never were, not even when i was a kid.


also, check it out.. 8 bucks an hour, 40 hours a week.. that's 320 a week... taxes.. about 260-270..

rent: 800/month (cheapest where i live)


you telling me that's somehow possible? would YOU work for that, or just say fuck it..

you got like 200 bucks a month to survive on, you could eat that in groceries in a week..

not to mention you're still walking/public transportation (if you live in a big enough city) if not.. your hitching rides..

you would NEVER get ahead.


heaven forbid you break your leg walking to work and of course you can't afford insurance.. so now your credit's fucked...

Ok, I checked.

My first 2 months out of college on my own I lived of an average of $1256/month.

And this was with $735/month for rent. Since quick checking showed available apartments available for $600/month. I could do it with little difficulty I am sure. And this is with paying for gas.

And the way you get ahead is my get raises/promotions. Even Walmart wont doom you to making $8/hr forever if you have any kind of work effort.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
no sir, you couldn't...

i exaggerated because i also exaggerated the minimum wage, i rounded to 8 bucks..

i live in texas.. in a small town you might find a 600/month apartment.. but then you sacrifice public transportation or the ability to walk to work...

so basically we're down to maybe 200 bucks either way/over under.. that doesn't sound real promising, or even possible... what about maintenance on your? bike? a bus ticket? what about electricity bill???

http://www.apartments.com/search/?q...XZepzG2UBea3bUKr79TBUPenQQ0D-|dBL5lQB&pagen=1

Is Dallas Texas a small town?
 

zanejohnson

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2002
7,054
17
81
Ok, I checked.

My first 2 months out of college on my own I lived of an average of $1256/month.

And this was with $735/month for rent. Since quick checking showed available apartments available for $600/month. I could do it with little difficulty I am sure. And this is with paying for gas.

And the way you get ahead is my get raises/promotions. Even Walmart wont doom you to making $8/hr forever if you have any kind of work effort.

now factor in if your a single father, a single mother..

and dont give me crap about how that's their own fault...and don't give me crap about housing because say your a single mom that got caught with a joint when you were 18.. disqualified.

it's not right.. you know it, i know it, the masses know it.. or we wouldn't have things like this strike, or this thread, or people deciding it's a better plan to sell drugs then get a min wage job.. because, well.. it is.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
now factor in if your a single father, a single mother..

and dont give me crap about how that's their own fault...and don't give me crap about housing because say your a single mom that got caught with a joint when you were 18.. disqualified.

Being an unskilled single mother is essentially incompatible with reality. I have said this many times. To bad liberals normalized having children out of wedlock.

You are bringing them up because you got owned. I am sure I could get a job at walmart near where I live at $8+/hr get an apartment within walking distance(hell I probably walk that far everyday for fun) of walmart for ~$600/month.

And I would have a tolerable existence. Hell I could probably work my way up to one of those department managers in short order and be doing fairly decent.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,328
126
now factor in if your a single father, a single mother..

and dont give me crap about how that's their own fault...and don't give me crap about housing because say your a single mom that got caught with a joint when you were 18.. disqualified.

it's not right.. you know it, i know it, the masses know it.. or we wouldn't have things like this strike, or this thread, or people deciding it's a better plan to sell drugs then get a min wage job.. because, well.. it is.

I will ask you since I got no real answer the last time, what does Zanejohnson think the minimum wage should be? What do YOU think walmart should be paying a person with zero skills to do a job that requires zero skills (aside from barely knowing english and having a functioning finger or two)?
 

mOeeOm

Platinum Member
Dec 27, 2004
2,588
0
0
Being an unskilled single mother is essentially incompatible with reality. I have said this many times. To bad liberals normalized having children out of wedlock.

You are bringing them up because you got owned. I am sure I could get a job at walmart near where I live at $8+/hr get an apartment within walking distance(hell I probably walk that far everyday for fun) of walmart for ~$600/month.

And I would have a tolerable existence. Hell I could probably work my way up to one of those department managers in short order and be doing fairly decent.

lol...you've never worked retail before have you?
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
The rest of us, and by us I mean the middle class, would absolutely love to have our wages tied to inflation considering the last decade or so.

As far as the "livable wage" stuff, everyone that has ever helped me at wallyworld was living (arguably some were brain dead) so obviously they are making enough to survive. The debate is over what level of comfort, not survival, they "deserve" for doing a job that requires absolutely no skill and has a very high turnover rate.

Everyone that has ever helped you at wally world was in a situation where they could survive on it one way or another. I worked for sams club for a year, and had the horrible luck of having to return to retail for a year recently at a major department store as a manager.

You'll see: retirees supplementing their SS income, people still living with their parents, families where both parents work 2-3 retail jobs each, and people doing night shifts as a 2nd job.

For the management position, there was no way to innovate or work hard to advance. The higher ups sat in their positions until retirement so there wasn't anywhere to advance to. Even if there was somewhere to go, the company made sure you feel on your own sword on a daily basis. Corporate set goals that were impossible to meet, and understaff crews thirty to fifty percent and then complain underperformance and cutting corners to get things done. Suboptimization is everywhere, and the environment overall is very negative from the top-down. Performance reviews come along and because you didn't meet the company's unrealistic goals, no raise, and sometimes a written warning... All for 30% below scale pay and unpaid benefits you can't afford to buy into.

Southern Ohio is a very depressed region economically and things are extremely bad here in the way of work opportunities. Our primary drivers of employment here are DuPont chemicals, A Paper Mill, and a large state and federal prison. Each of those places get thousands of applicants for each opening.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
lol...you've never worked retail before have you?

I worked at a restaurant for 6 years in HS/College and kicked ass at it. Although just showing up on time pretty much makes you top 50%. In conclusion I have personally been above the poverty line since 16.

And I know a girl who became a low-level departmnet "manager" after less than a year at walmart.
 

zanejohnson

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2002
7,054
17
81
I will ask you since I got no real answer the last time, what does Zanejohnson think the minimum wage should be? What do YOU think walmart should be paying a person with zero skills to do a job that requires zero skills (aside from barely knowing english and having a functioning finger or two)?

i would say 10.50... at 10.50 in my town you could actually maintain, maybe even save a few bucks, especially if you use cc rewards and stuff..


i remember paying 1.50 for gas when i started driving... minimum wage, was the same.. or maybe it was 6.75, yeah it was 6.75.. now gas is 4 bucks a gallon and min wage went up 50 cents..

seems like somebody gettin jewed.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
i dont think we are a first world nation, if min wage sets you way below the poverty line...

and if someohow you can argue that is right.. then there is something entirely wrong with the money..

something stinks...

min wage should get you a house, a place to live, and food, and normal amounts of human entertainment (cable, telephone, etc)

if not, we should just all live in mexico where we won't go to jail for smoking pot (which would probably just make everyone shut up and quit bitching about how our money doesn't add up right.)


AND IF IT DOESN'T work that way... then fucking tell me what is so wrong with communism?


everyone needs certain things to act like a productive human being, food, shelter, water

min wage will NOT get you that right now.

tell me what the people should be doing, i'd say strike.. let the news spread, nobody else is gonna "scab" and go work for them, as soon as they realize what the real deal is.

and you know why it won't and never will? these jobs are UNSKILLED labor. meaning they are perfect for high school/college. Anyone with 20 minutes of training can learn it. These are not jobs to support a family or buy a house. these are great for students and retired people (witch btw is 90% of the workers).

to be honest if the best fucking job you can get is working at walmart (and not management) you failed. You need to really take a look at your life and your decisions. cut the cable cut whatever. save money to learn a trade.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
I worked at a restaurant for 6 years in HS/College and kicked ass at it. Although just showing up on time pretty much makes you top 50%. In conclusion I have personally been above the poverty line since 16.

And I know a girl who became a low-level departmnet "manager" after less than a year at walmart.

if she made a "management" position at walmart in a year that's pretty good. IF you can land a management job you get decent pay. but tons of hours.
 

zanejohnson

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2002
7,054
17
81
and you know why it won't and never will? these jobs are UNSKILLED labor. meaning they are perfect for high school/college. Anyone with 20 minutes of training can learn it. These are not jobs to support a family or buy a house. these are great for students and retired people (witch btw is 90% of the workers).

to be honest if the best fucking job you can get is working at walmart (and not management) you failed. You need to really take a look at your life and your decisions. cut the cable cut whatever. save money to learn a trade.

this is insightful...

i guess you cannot expect to live a happy life in America anymore by just doing the 9-5 way of life..

that is what has changed..

i dont know why.. maybe just a more competitive world market, more intelligent people all over the globe..

there's SOOOO much that goes into being able to get an education these days.. that used to be pretty much reserved for middle upper to upper class folks... middle class could work at a garage there whole life and support a family,

nowdays it's basically. geD or hs diploma..minimum wage...........huge gap........... associates, middle class.. bachelors upper middle... doctor/engineer upper middle finishing upper..


only problem is that for alot of low income people now, this means full time college, and full time minimum wage job, to basically live in a cell and study your ass off while balancing work, social life, etc..

all to make 30k a year... as opposed to min wage..


and if you want to REALLY get an education, doctorate, even some hard 4 year degrees... honestly.. i dont think i could do that, AND work a full time min wage job nowdays...
 
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waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
this is insightful...

i guess you cannot expect to live a happy life in America anymore by just doing the 9-5 way of life..

that is what has changed..

i dont know why.. maybe just a more competitive world market, more intelligent people all over the globe..

there's SOOOO much that goes into being able to get an education these days.. that used to be pretty much reserved for middle upper to upper class folks... middle class could work at a garage there whole life and support a family,

nowdays it's basically. geD or hs diploma..minimum wage...........huge gap........... associates, middle class.. bachelors upper middle... doctor/engineer upper middle finishing upper..


And that is how life is. you wan't to be a lazy shit and do nothing? guess what you will earn? nothing.

You wan't to put in effort to learn a craft? good. now you earn enough to survive.

welcome to life.
 

zanejohnson

Diamond Member
Nov 29, 2002
7,054
17
81
And that is how life is. you wan't to be a lazy shit and do nothing? guess what you will earn? nothing.

You wan't to put in effort to learn a craft? good. now you earn enough to survive.

welcome to life.

i got very lucky.. came from wealthy parents, who helped me start a small business, and also helped me get a house when i was only 21 (had a kid, and another on the way)

i have much respect for people who didn't get the breaks i did...

and seeing how it is now... maybe i'm just sheltered... i just don't see how anyone expects the trayvon martins off the world to be able to ever move up.. all odds are against them..
 

Wreckem

Diamond Member
Sep 23, 2006
9,458
987
126
no sir, you couldn't...

i exaggerated because i also exaggerated the minimum wage, i rounded to 8 bucks..

i live in texas.. in a small town you might find a 600/month apartment.. but then you sacrifice public transportation or the ability to walk to work...

so basically we're down to maybe 200 bucks either way/over under.. that doesn't sound real promising, or even possible... what about maintenance on your? bike? a bus ticket? what about electricity bill???


also, around me there would be the choices of:

wal mart
fast food
construction (in the texas heat, not everyone can do that)

or you can go across the border and get paid 11.50 to walk the floor of an indian casino.. which is what most people in my town do.. that's one of the most sought after jobs here..


where are you even getting 1200 a month??

even at 8x40 it wouldn't be that after taxes.. and you gotta remember, that tax refund, is basically christmas bonus if your working minimum wage, because you sure aint gonna get one there.. shit you'll prob just miss a day of work because they close for xmas.


also, your not just paying fica.. you also pay medicaid.. EVERYONE DOES.. even if you can't use it (currently)

My dipshit nephew who barely finished highschool gets paid over $20/hr to drive a truck(regular pickup) for an Oil Company in Midland. Hes been fired by 5 different companies because he likes to no show for stupid reasons, but he somehow still gets a job each time hes fired. Eventually they are only going to hire him to do in the field work.

Good paying work is out there, but some people are just lazy and don't care that they make poverty level wages.
 
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Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
20,348
3,426
126
only problem is that for alot of low income people now, this means full time college, and full time minimum wage job, to basically live in a cell and study your ass off while balancing work, social life, etc..

all to make 30k a year... as opposed to min wage..

Well - first the average starting salary for a degree holder is closer to $45k

Second - this is not an either/or type of situation. There appears to be a need for trade workers. Also - working at walmart can be leveraged into a higher paying retail job somewhere else. These options do not need a college education

i dont think we are a first world nation, if min wage sets you way below the poverty line...

How do you imagine this should work when the government has no control over how many hours a worker gets? The government can keep raising the minimum wage and the employer can keep lowering the hours.

min wage should get you a house, a place to live, and food, and normal amounts of human entertainment (cable, telephone, etc)

I think you have a very distorted view on who makes minimum wage. First - only a small group of Americans make minimum wage or less. Somewhere around 2-3% of all workers. (From BLS survey of minimum wage workers) Second - by far the biggest group (~50%) is 16-25, single and childless. So - why does a 17 year old living with his parents deserve enough money for his own house and to pay his own cable, telephone etc? Or a 22 year old in college? Third - for the very tiny percentage of Americans (<1% of all workers?) making minimum wage over 25, single and with a child there are subsidies for food and often shelter
 
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nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
I think you have a very distorted view on who makes minimum wage. First - only a small group of Americans make minimum wage or less. Somewhere around 2-3% of all workers. (From BLS survey of minimum wage workers) Second - by far the biggest group (~50%) is 16-25, single and childless. So - why does a 17 year old living with his parents deserve enough money for his own house and to pay his own cable, telephone etc? Or a 22 year old in college? Third - for the very tiny percentage of Americans (<1% of all workers?) making minimum wage over 25, single and with a child there are subsidies for food and often shelter

If you are over 25 and making minimum wage it basically means you suck at life. Please don't have children if this is the case.
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
now factor in if your a single father, a single mother..

and dont give me crap about how that's their own fault...

Your right. That damned man was forced to have sex with his girlfriend. What fiends would allow such a thing!
(outside of Rape, it is a choice)

Consequences. They happen. Make choices based on knowing the possible outcomes. It is their fault. Saying otherwise is... laughable? funny? something along those lines.
 
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diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
i got very lucky.. came from wealthy parents, who helped me start a small business, and also helped me get a house when i was only 21 (had a kid, and another on the way)

i have much respect for people who didn't get the breaks i did...

and seeing how it is now... maybe i'm just sheltered... i just don't see how anyone expects the trayvon martins off the world to be able to ever move up.. all odds are against them..


1) Many people have found ways in a poor family, to make it through college. I personally know 1 guy, who had to work 3 jobs while in college because of this. He graduated last year. You can choose to work for a goal and/or go to college to give yourself an edge. Or not. Choices. They have consequences.

2) If you don't go to college, there are MANY ok paying jobs with benefits that are not minimum wage. All you need to do is be a consistant worker and show up on time all the time. (a few factories I know of have 12-13/hr starting along with medical packages and a 401K plan) And not be lazy and just choose an easy to obtain job like Walmart. They have to make their job to find a good one.

3) You say odds are against them. But really, that is how the capitalistic society works. It allows for the hard workers who try to find a way in life to move up in the world (barring incredible bad luck).

Basically.

People can choose to push forward, or choose to try and find a better way of living instead of accepting where they are at/given, or choose to just accept where they are and expect everyone to help/give them stuff as a "pity" because they are lazy or uncaring or whatever.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,145
10
81
1) Many people have found ways in a poor family, to make it through college. I personally know 1 guy, who had to work 3 jobs while in college because of this. He graduated last year. You can choose to work for a goal and/or go to college to give yourself an edge. Or not. Choices. They have consequences.

2) If you don't go to college, there are MANY ok paying jobs with benefits that are not minimum wage. All you need to do is be a consistant worker and show up on time all the time. (a few factories I know of have 12-13/hr starting along with medical packages and a 401K plan) And not be lazy and just choose an easy to obtain job like Walmart. They have to make their job to find a good one.

3) You say odds are against them. But really, that is how the capitalistic society works. It allows for the hard workers who try to find a way in life to move up in the world (barring incredible bad luck).

Basically.

People can choose to push forward, or choose to try and find a better way of living instead of accepting where they are at/given, or choose to just accept where they are and expect everyone to help/give them stuff as a "pity" because they are lazy or uncaring or whatever.

you are falling in the same trap.

You do not need college. NOT everyone is college material or should go.

There is no shame in being a electrician, carpenter, mechanic, etc etc. As a nation we have moved from getting our hands dirty on the job. Now its sit in a small cubical all day.

Get a SKILL. go to a trade school. learn something. high school is just a step. it should not be the final one.

I have no sympathy for those that make idiotic decsions in life. That end up 30 yrs old working at something like Walmart (unless you using it to make extra while trying to better yourself). You made those decisions suck it up and live with it.
 

Londo_Jowo

Lifer
Jan 31, 2010
17,303
158
106
londojowo.hypermart.net
you are falling in the same trap.

You do not need college. NOT everyone is college material or should go.

There is no shame in being a electrician, carpenter, mechanic, etc etc. As a nation we have moved from getting our hands dirty on the job. Now its sit in a small cubical all day.

Get a SKILL. go to a trade school. learn something. high school is just a step. it should not be the final one.

I have no sympathy for those that make idiotic decsions in life. That end up 30 yrs old working at something like Walmart (unless you using it to make extra while trying to better yourself). You made those decisions suck it up and live with it.

I didn't go to college but due to my Navy/field experience I'm in a engineering position with salary/benefits that's equal to an engineer with the same amount of service with the company.