The AFL-CIO has helped everyone? Don't think so.

The reason there's no outrage is because the majority of Walmart shoppers and employees like it the way it is.

Union or not, they treat their workers and the communities they locate in like dirt and I'm more than happy to take my business across the street to Costco where they pay a living wage.

Consumers make choices based on price vs. quality. Very rarely do consumers choose to make a social statement about where they spend their money.

We also *do* need workers who will work in less than perfect situations. Typically this is type of labor is considered unskilled: janitors, street cleaners, manure truck drivers, cashiers, etc.

People are a dime a dozen who can do this work and are willing to do it cheap. The people can always go work somewhere else, including another city.

-MM

Unions are largely responsible for creating the American middle class. Now that membership in unions are delining, we see the re-emergence on a bipolar society where a few have more and more and the rest of us have to struggle to get by.

It is against the interest of large corporations to encourage or even allow unions. Big government policies also discourage union membership because of the huge amounts of cash that flow into political coffers from well-heeled corporate titans.

This will only change when the public recognizes unions for what they are: a way for ordinary citizens to have a loud albeit collective voice, in their own political, social, and cultural well-being.

Let's hope that people wake up before it's too late.

>The reason there's no outrage is because the >majority of Walmart shoppers and employees like >it the way it is.

You presume to speak for the employees? Got news for ya - - if THEY speak out, they get fired, and their store is threatened with closure. Or is actually closed, as happened in Canada.

Welcome to Republican heaven, where the few rights you used to have are now gone as well.

http://www.exportingourjobs.com

Unions have been in decline for decades, tho they do have some political clout with the Democratic party for some unknown reason. Just like the minimum wage, I don't know where you live, but nobody is paid the minumun wage,(maybe thats why congress didn't raise it). Unions today are an anachronism, dinosaurs do live, and lets not forget about global competition, why do you think all manufacturing jobs are moving overseas. So sure, lets pay cashiers $20 an hour and you won't be able to keep the boats out of the harbor, and I know you just hate the low prices Walmart provides...please. Wake up people.

Unions don't want to really waste their time with these two companies. The wages are so low, the employees have enough trouble making ends meet and
couldn't afford to pay the union wages. They wouldn't want to strike because their electric bill, or some other bill is overdue and the service is going to disconnected.

The employee turnover is so bad ( probably 90 % )
it would be an accounting nightmare for the unions and the companies accounting department, who, I'm sure would be overjoyed with this additional work for payroll deductions for no
additional pay.

Get smart, the United States has not changed in 100 years, we just do things differently, which is still not good.

There will always be a " WalMart", McDonald's, for
people who love to live their lives this way and
don't know the difference.

Thanks Ike, say it again, I'm not sure i got that.

who let the interns post blogs this week? This Kevin guy has to be under 30. Using the old "hrs per day" spiel. Hey, unions may be good for a couple things, but when you pull up that one, you really aren't looking at things on all sides (biz owner, marketplace, employee and entrepreneur)

It was union greed that shut down many of the auto factories in the US in the 70s and 80s. Yes they got workers higher wages so high in fact that it was cheaper to shut down the factories. Is this what they want from Wal-Mart? Yes they will get higher wages and union benefits for workers but then the stores that can't turn a decent profit will be closed.

Here is the thing.

I live in S.C. the most anti-union state in the nation and S.C. is usually in the bottome five worst states as far as wages, poverty, health care, education, SAT's, infant mortality. On and on.

Unions are greedy and they are not my favorite thing in the world.. but they do get people health care and put people in the middle class.

Unions help the average guy on the street by giving him a chance to reach middle class, they help the taxpayer by keeping that middle class guy off of welfare.

They are bad for corporate profit.

So the real question is ... who should get hurt the corporations or the average guy and taxpayers.

And if you haven't worked at walmart... please don't make any comments on working conditions... you just don't have any idea what you are talking about. If you think it is so great...quit your job and go work for them for a few years at 29 hours a week.

The fact you wouldn't do it proves it sucks.

Walmart provides jobs in areas where they are needed.That is why they are placed where they are.They take advantage but not anymore so than any other employer does.
In our area down sizing is going on big time so there are ten plus people at least for every job.People have to work !!!All people..
Unions may not be the answer but how does the person who has worked at a place for awhile
get any protection or help.There is none.

Unions are out...or should be. The evolution of American business standards and ethics has been formed with the help of unions. Unions once served a very important purpose, however their value is gone. Today unions only drive operating cost for most companies higher and higher. American companies want to have fair labor practices and safe working environments. Happy employees are productive employees. Today high insurance costs and employee turnover is an area all successful companies manage carefully. Companies are quite capable of offering fair and equitable compensation as well as safe/clean working conditions on their own accord without Unions feeling compelled to "bargin" for more, more, more.. Capitalism breeds competition and competition allows the stong to survive and the weak perish. It starts with the consumer demanding a good product at a fair price. The market determines the price, the company must meet market demands. Look at what unions have now done to the domestic automotive manufacturers.

The quote in the intial article was: "Unions and the wellbeing of the working class has been one of the great improvements over the past." The key word is PAST.

"Businesses should be accountable for not having unions."

Puh-lease.

You're mistaking the solution - and only one possible solution at that - for the problem.

Businesses should be accountable for the health and safety of their workers, at a minimum. Great businesses go farther, and care about maximizing the potential of each individual worker (see, for example, the Brazilian company Semco that was described in the book, The Seven-Day Weekend.)

If a union will do that, well, that's one answer. But there's evidence that unions can be just as corrupt and indifferent to their members as businesses are. To require that all businesses have only union workers doesn't solve anything and just adds cost and bureaucracy.

"No man can serve two masters."

>American companies want to have fair labor >practices and safe working environments.

Sure, they do. All on their own. Aren't they just wonderful, those companies who want to have fair labor practices and safe working environments? We don't need to regulate them at all...let's just let Capitalism take care of everything! After all, it worked in the early 1900s, didn't it? OK, so there were 12 year old kids working 16 hours days and sleeping at their machines...but that's just because they WANTED to, right? The nice companies had nothing to do with it.

Hmm, where to start...specifically, re: Wal-Mart:

1) Child labor

2) Most emplyees and kids on welfare/Medicaid

3) Hiring illegal workers

I could go on and on...

Of course there is a downside to everything, but I think you are missing the upside on this issue. The good news is that we live in a country where Wal-Mart can choose NOT to use unionized labor...

There is an interesting mix of opinions. I am not so naive to think that unions can't abuse their power.

And I am not so jaded to think unions are only power-hungry commitees who want to control the world.

What I do believe is that the working conditions in many businesses are appalling. If there's a way to change things that wouldn't involve unions, I would examine that. But, as we stand now, unions are necessary. And they are a good thing, when they fulfill their duties simply and transparently.

We need unions. The alternative is just unthinkable.

If Fast Company now believes that companies should be held accountable for not using Unions, then it is time for me to cancel my subscription!

Unions divide companies against themselves by pitting line workers against management. They also protect and defend mediocrity. As a result people ascend the Union ranks not because of merit but because of political skills.

I worked for Wal-Mart a decade ago and I was NEVER mistreated. They offered me something better than a Union, it's called ownership. Rather than throw my money down the 'Union Dues' excrement-pit, I took a small portion of my check and bought into the employee stock option plan. I was able to build a very sizable nest egg of stock during my time at Wal-Mart. In fact, there were two people at our store who'd been with the company for more than decade and had built sizable portfolios of Wal-Mart stock. One who'd been with the company for 17 years had a retirement plan worth more than a million. No Union can offer that to their members!

Unions should be held accountable for the money they extort from their members and for the companies they've ruined by making it impossible for those companies to compete in the open market.

The words Union and Innovative, or Union and Cutting Edge, or Union and Excellence don't belong in the same sentence! Unions are dinosaurs, create anti-innovative cultures, actively drive excellence out of organizations, and replace it with bureaucratic mediocrity and then charge their membership for that service.

The Fast Company of old, knew that.

Lets talk specifically for a moment about the union that relates to W-M and other retailers of this nature, the UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers Union). W-M has never hid or been ashamed of there success, and aren't in the business of striking the best deal for anyone but themselves, that's how free enterprise works, and people make the decision everyday as to whether or not W-M and others like them will live or die by the choice to shop there: God bless Capitalism.
The UFCW is supposed to be a voice for the working-class, not a profit firm, yet Joe Hansen and his plethora of family members that run the group rival the lifestyles of the Walton's with their destination vacation homes and FLEET of jets. We talk about W-M getting rich at their employees expense, lets stop pointing fingers people. This organization isn't free; it costs roughly the same amount each month to be a part of this union as it does to obtain individual health insurance through W-M. Where's that money better spent? You all remember last years Great SoCal Grocery Strikes. Do you remember that the big settlement they came to was to increase pay, benefits, and time off for all the current shelf stockers, grocery baggers, cart pushers, check-out clerks, and meat-cutters, at the cost of LESS than the existing benefits, pay, and time off for any future hire from then on. Does this sound like progress to anyone? They sold out against the progress of working-class rights to get the income stream flowing again (because no one pays union dues during the strike)
The UFCW's website looks like a neo-nazi campaign effort to rid the world of W-M, making fact sound fiction by the way it's presented with such hostile tension. The only thing they're missing is a big a link to their featured blogger, Michael Moore. How can anyone take this group seriously when they're looking out for number one, like a corporation, when they're supposed to be looking out for number two, three, etc.
The idea of unions has been and is a great one for skilled workers in industries where they need protection, where they've invested time, effort, and money into educating themselves towards their craft, and it might work in the unskilled trades if their union wasn't on a mission from God to destroy one company. If the UFCW spent more of it's time and it's member's money on protecting and growing its members and put the vendetta aside, W-M and others might not keep the UFCW so far away from the front doors and progress might actually be made towards giving these people more within their jobs.

I'm not sure, but did I just read a post on "Fast Company" about how we're supposed to boycotting wal-mart because they don't spontaneously unionize?

I'm sorry dude, you should be working for "The Nation" or one of those other left-wing rags with that sort of statist, leftist claptrap.

I like how everyone assumes that if wal-mart wasn't in town, all their employees would be partners at Goldman-Sachs. riiight.

I'm *so* glad i cancelled my sub to FC like 3 years ago.

Unions can't guarantee better wages or healthcare! They can make all of the promises they want, but no guarantees. Look at what Unions have done to the Automotive and Airline Industries! Why should someone get $40k/yr to walk down the aisle and serve a drink one time during a flight? Why do you think airlines no longer feed anyone? Look at all of the job cuts that have forced families to go on welfare/medicaid! It's from the Union's!! Union greed has driven the cost of doing business out of control. Why would anyone want to pay a Union to speak for them when we live in a free society? Not to mention that they will only speak for the majority and not every individual. Look at what Unions are doing to sports. Brandon, have you ever worked for Wal-Mart? You have no basis for your generic statements. Wal-Mart did not employ children working at machines 12-16 hour days. Why don't you look at the countries they live in. Do you know that Wal-Mart and their Executives make surprise trips to vendor supliers and their factories to ensure this doesn't happen. Your generic statement that most employees of Wal-Mart are on Welfare and Medicaid; where did you come up with this absurd dream?? Oh, you read a union backed survey/study done in California that didn't have all of the facts. I worked for Wal-Mart for almost 18 years; starting at $5/hr in the 1980's pushing carts! The minimum wage was $3.35/hr and union jobs were paying $4.10! Their wages are continually above minimum wage and always will be! Wal-Mart has an outstanding culture of providing an opportunity for ANYONE to succeed! You only have to work hard to achieve it. Wait, isn't that the requirement of any job or endeavor? One last thing, Wal-Mart has a culture of giving their management associates out in the field the autonomy to run thier business as long as it's done ethically. Just like children, there are going to be the ones who push the envelope or try to take short cuts and do more harm than good. They have and will be held accountable by Wal-Mart. If you have never worked for Wal-Mart in various locations and for any length of time then you don't need to run at the mouth with absurd, non-factual, second-hand, verbage with no sound basis!

>Wal-Mart did not employ children working at machines 12-16 hour days.

I was talking there about unfettered capitalism, BEFORE unions got involved. That's how life was in the U.S. before workers started organizing. It's also how life will be again if unions disappear.

>Why don't you look at the countries they live >in. Do you know that Wal-Mart and their >Executives make surprise trips to vendor >supliers and their factories to ensure this >doesn't happen.

I do not for one second believe that. Wal-Mart doesn't care one damned bit about working conditions on factories anywhere as long as they can get the cheap plastic crap from them.

Click here for more on global Wal-Mart activities

>Your generic statement that most employees of >Wal-Mart are on Welfare and Medicaid; where did >you come up with this absurd dream??

I didn't say that most were on welfare and Medicaid; the link was a news story about Wal-mart having the highest number of people on welfare and Medicaid in Arkansas. That's actually also true in 10 states that have counted so far. I'd say they'll win the prize when all of the states weigh in.

Article about states with the highest number of people on welfare or medicaid being Wal-mart employees and their children

Ithink of of the comments is spot on:

"I think you are missing the upside on this issue. The good news is that we live in a country where Wal-Mart can choose NOT to use unionized labor..."

And now the reason why I believe this is a spot on comment: I'm French, born and living in France. And I wish we could make WITHOUT those thugs who take the whole country hostage repeatedly.

If my country is going down the drain (which it is), they are one of the main reasons.

>And now the reason why I believe this is a spot >on comment: I'm French, born and living in >France. And I wish we could make WITHOUT those >thugs who take the whole country hostage >repeatedly.
>
>If my country is going down the drain (which it >is), they are one of the main reasons.

Oh, you mean the corporations. Yes, they do all of the above, don't they?

For more Wal-Mart and outsourcing news, please Click here

Heck, that link didn't work.

http://www.exportingourjobs.com

I opposed a unionizing effort at Century Cable when I was making 5.15 hr. in LA in '94. I saw unions for what they were and are: Corrupt mafia men exploiting the ignorant masses. You wanna talk corruption...look at your union's folks. Look at the goons who break legs, terrorize families and otherwise threaten or harass the "working class" person (or his family) that crosses a picket line. Look at the pilfering, the racketeering... but you won't will you? You'll just follow along blindly, grateful for the free donuts and coffee.

I wanted to climb the ladder and not skate by on seniority. I said "no" in '94 and I have never looked back. I left Century Cable... I suppose the victims who wanted a union are still there bitching about their wages. I am not rich, but I have made 6 figures per year for the last 7 years and it wasn't a lame-ass union that got it for me...

I will always patronize NON-Union vendors. I will always patronize any business that Unions are striking. I take great pleasure in watching the labor union's become increasingly emasculated in this country. I will drive my reliable import, work hard (now there's a novel idea to a Union Worker) and clean up the mess you leave behind... oh, and I'll get paid well for it.

Cheers,

Spoken like a true selfish Republican. "I've got mine, screw you."

But then, having a social conscience is something that right-wingers never concerned themselves with, anyway.

Even Dilbert understands the underlying problem here. See www.dilbert.com - Check out the cartoon for Saturday, March 26th (go to site, click on 'read past strips', then choose 26th).
"People are so conditioned to take sides that a balanced analysis to them looks like hatred"

We are taught at a young age in the US to choose sides: kickball teams, sports allegiance, political parties etc.

Tough to have a balanced view or any real discourse if first we choose sides.

You don't need a union to treat your employees like crap. The employees at Wal Mart that say the Wal Mart has helped them are most likely brainwashed by the company's indoctrination program when they are hired.

I use to work as an assistant grocery manager at Publix Super Markets where I use to make $60,000 a year plus bonuses. As a full-time stock clerk, the pay can start at $8 to $9 per hour, but capped off at $12 per hour. Part-time employees start at $7 per hour and get a week paid vacation after 1 year of service.

Also, Publix Super Markets is a non-union, privately owned company. The company has consistently exceeded industry profit margins every year. Where the retail grocery industry makes a slim 1.5 percent, the profit margin at Publix is over 3 percent.

Take care of your employees and provide superior customer service, and you will exceed all expectations.

people should boycott walmart. the problem is they are brainwashed into thinking low prices are better. the fact of the matter is the low prices at walmart come at a high price, decent livable wages and union jobs. i urge everyone to boycott walmart and hopefully we can put the labor crippling giant to its knees and out of business.