Wal Mart increasing mimimum wage and benefits; say tax reform is a reason

originally posted by: roadgravel
Walmart is just throwing a small bit out to make it look as though this big deal for the average worker. They have to play their small part in the illusion to keep it going.

I'm betting it's a bigger deal to the Wal-Mart employees than you.

originally posted by: Grambler

originally posted by: eriktheawful
a reply to: Grambler

providing a one-time cash bonus for eligible associates - those who have been with the company at least 20 years - of up to $1,000,

Have to tell my wife to keep a look out for that. She's a 22 year veteran of Wally World.

Great. I hope she gets the bonus.

If I may make a suggestion, tell her to spend her bonus on booze.

Ummm...cause booze is liquid gold...after...the zombie apocalypse...?




YouSir

a reply to: Wardaddy454

Wrong.

Taxes were barely part of the arguments I heard here. Government forced wage increases were the spearhead of the argument. Cascading wage increases and 10 buck Big Macs included.

The only time taxes were discussed was multinationals hiding money offshore while wages stagnated.

originally posted by: Grambler

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Grambler

Be honest, how many companies won't use this to increase their profit margin?

Look, I'm all for higher wages and tax decreases, but I can't discount that corporations won't abuse the system.

Well we have already seen a litany of companies saying they will be paying workers more.

Sure, I assume companies will increase profits. But that on its own is not a bad thing.

More profits can mean more job creation, increased 401k's etc.

And the corporations you are discussing were abusing and will continue to abuse any system.

Competition will require those extra profits be put back into the business or lower prices. Businesses are greedy.

If you have 2 competitors.... the both have basically the same cost basis. If one or both of them cut cost somewhere (i.e., taxes) they instinctively will lower their price to attract more business as the consumer is always looking for lower prices.

Only in situations where there is no alternative competitor will a company just pocket the extra profits. However, in those situations, eventually competitors come to the playground because investors/companies are always looking for opportunities to exploit.

All praises to Wal-lah...

originally posted by: EternalShadow
All praises to Wal-lah...

what i like about wal mart: the mark downs on the good meat (the stuff in the black packaging, not the white packaging) each morning. I get filet mignon for $6, and 1lb ribeyes for $7, all USDA choice

originally posted by: Terminal1
I love just how a couple years ago that the arguments were that Walmart employees did not deserve a raise. Same with fast food workers and the like. It would throw the whole wage scale into chaos the arguments were. If Walmart employees got a raise then the cost of everything would go up. If fast food workers got a raise then a Big Mac would go up to prices unheard of.

Where have these arguments gone?

Ummm...the discussion from years ago did not include an offsetting tax reduction for the corporation...

The reason for business in the first place...is profitability...Unless your "Newman's Own"...

These corporations are realizing the favorable policies of the Trump administration...hence their ability to pass on some of that gravy to their employees...it's a win/win...



YouSir

a reply to: YouSir

And there is no reason to cut our social programs either. They should shrink in enrollment size, especially snap. If we still have a healthcare system, that is essential.

originally posted by: MOMof3
a reply to: YouSir

And there is no reason to cut our social programs either. They should shrink in enrollment size, especially snap. If we still have a healthcare system, that is essential.

Ummm...I agree...

When the jobs market is up and unemployment down...social programs will shrink of their own accord...as they should...

I also agree that kicking the healthcare can down the road is the most irresponsible way forward...
I guess they need to hire a rocket scientist to fix the health care fiasco...cause both sides of the isle are stuck on stupid...






YouSir

a reply to: eriktheawful

Most young people that the store hires? Yah...most of them duck out as much as they can, sit in the break room, call in sick, and then wonder why they aren't getting paid more, or why they got fired.

if the salary fits, wear it.

Maybe if they paid a little more people would show a little more enthusiasm.

Now dangle that carrot again...

a reply to: intrptr

In all seriousness....there are dozens of studies to prove that wage increases only have a temporary effect on employee engagement and work ethic.

Value driven solutions create a more long term effect, and a better price. Or, in other words: human psychology doesn't respond as well to a one time action as it does to something that effects them every day. In fact, some studies found that giving an employee an award to take home to show the family had more impact on employee satisfaction than $20/week in additional pay.

originally posted by: Saiker
a reply to: MOMof3

That's because it doesn't require much to be a cashier or stock hand. Years ago it was a position for high schoolers and college level kids to have an income to get by while in school.

Remind me, I seem to have forgotten something....which high schoolers staff these places for these wages during....school hours? I sure as hell don't see 16 year olds behind the counter or at the registers at 10am when I walk in an establishment's door, do you?

Bottom line is, while the kids are in school during school hours, someone else has to work these jobs until the bell rings. Why don't you f#ing bootstrappers ever think of or admit that one?

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

In all seriousness, its not just wages, but work place environment, too.

You can blame the customer (who's pissed off for some reason) or the establishment who pisses them off.

You can blame the employee or the low wages, lack of benefits, entrenched bureaucracy, wages, hours, job with many hats, too many cheifs, not enough Indians. Oh, and wages.

a reply to: Grambler

Awesome.

What we need to do is keep watching and paying attention so that we know the very day that this truely goes into efect for walmart employees.

Does anyone have any recent information on whether or not att and those big banks followed through with their minimum wage raise announcements?
It's one thing to say this stuff. I want to see how it is put into practice. How many employees will it truly effect?

I hold off my judgement on the tax bill till then.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Right.
This is the point I am trying to make.

Minimum wage raise is terrible news if walmart pays for it by laying off a 4th of their employees and buying robots.

We need to watch these companies that are raising their wages and giving benefits and making sure that the money to pay for that is coming from the profits they make from the tax bill and NOT from lay offs.

a reply to: Saiker

We don't know if this is good yet or not.

It's good if walmart does this and keeps or highers employees.

It's bad if walmart lays a bunch of people off to give those raises instead of using the profits from the tax break.

If you really care you will watch walmart and see what they really do.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: eriktheawful

Most young people that the store hires? Yah...most of them duck out as much as they can, sit in the break room, call in sick, and then wonder why they aren't getting paid more, or why they got fired.

if the salary fits, wear it.

Maybe if they paid a little more people would show a little more enthusiasm.

Now dangle that carrot again...

Nope. Sorry.

The entitled young simply have a rotten work ethic. Paying them more money will not make them work harder. Seen it in action for a very, very, very long time now.

a reply to: Grambler

I still maintain that being a cashier at a place like Wal mart would be one of the hardest jobs on someone.

When I was 19 I worked as a cashier at walmart and it was so hard on my back because of all the bagging I had to do that I had to quit. I got a job landscaping after that and it was much easier on my back, and a lot more fun.

Walking back a horrible record on employee treatment & general practice (low wages, overtime pay abuse, weak employee benefits, gender discrimination, scandals, tax avoidance, etc.) is barely going to put Walmart into an acceptable category overnight.

Beyond that Walmart was largely responsible for destroying small business across the country with complete junk from China. If you support them, you support the destruction of small business, manufacturing moving overseas, and the corporatocracy.

Never given them a dollar. Never will. Enjoy cheap plastic treason.

a reply to: eriktheawful

The entitled young simply have a rotten work ethic. Paying them more money will not make them work harder. Seen it in action for a very, very, very long time now.

"Entitled-rotten-young."


Thats subjective. Or a managers opinion. Protecting their station by talking down to their underlings to keep-them-down.

Look I used to work for a full service gas station, the guy promised me I was gonna eventually become trained as a mechanic, get promoted, get seniority (skies the limit).

All crap. Over a year and a half he barely raised me, got layed off to hire someone new for minimum wage. It was all a bunch of lies used to keep me working harder for nothing coming.

Before you tell me I'm entitled or lazy remember this was the 70s, at a 'full service' gas station. You hopped all day, or else.

And I just bet the Walmart Team has to 'jump around' or else be replaced too, juuust before their next raise, for 'swearing' or being five minutes late.