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    e.nonHamilton Nolan
    7/18/13 3:24pm

    this info just seems worth reposting:

    The Walton family fortune as of March 2013 published by Forbes.

    • Christy Walton and family US$28.2 billion[2]
    • Jim Walton US$26.7 billion[2]
    • Alice Walton US$26.3 billion[2]
    • S. Robson Walton US$26.1 billion[2]
    • Ann Walton Kroenke US$4.5 billion[2]
    • Nancy Walton Laurie US$3.9 billion[2]
    • Nathaniel Alexander Walton US$3.9 billion[2]

    Total: US$115.7 billion

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      Exponential Grapee.non
      7/18/13 3:39pm

      Why is it that so much of this country sucks at being born into the right family?

      How hard is that?

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      flyonthewalle.non
      7/18/13 4:53pm

      Something I found kind of interesting.

      http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/…

      Kind of already knew this but yea.

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    whoppertunityHamilton Nolan
    7/18/13 4:32pm

    I spent several years in the retail industry. Admittedly, I worked in department stores like Macy's (Marshall Fields back then - RIP) and Nordstrom. I also worked at a j.crew. OBVIOUSLY these stores are nothing like Wal-mart, but I will say that at j.crew and Marshall Field's - a full day or more is spent "learning the culture." Constant harping, time-clock games, and in some cases - pressure to buy things so that the store would "make its day" were frequent. Nordstrom though? The training consisted of one statement - "Use your best judgement." That's it. No brainwashing, no crazy philosophies, etc. At that store, they actually treat their employees like human beings with real lives. On top of that - they pay well - college degree or not. I made more money selling shoes at Nordstrom than I did in my first two years out of college. If for some reason store traffic was slow (we worked on commission), I was still paid $10/hr - no matter what. My average pay though for working 39 hours a week was $29/hr.

    I say this not to make people that work at Wal-mart feel even worse, but to say that it is possible for "big chains" to treat people with respect and pay them living wages. I worked alongside a guy that was a single dad with two kids who also happened to be going to school at night - the store couldn't have been more accommodating. Our store was full of people like that. I get that not all areas can support a store like Nordstrom, but at what point do those that have the ability to choose where they shop (I realize that some people have to shop at discount stores out of necessity) take a stand against garbage factories like wal-mart?

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      MountainMommawhoppertunity
      7/18/13 5:08pm

      And 10% employee discount? That's just crap. I worked at a cheap junior's chain clothing store in the 80's (in my region of the country, it was called Stuart's, in other areas it was Petrie's, I think it had other names as well - cheap mall clothes for teens). I can't remember what our discount was, but I know it was more than 10%. And right now, my teen daughter works for the Foot Locker chain. Their employees get 30%, and the company occasionally does 50% days off for employees. And she gets paid her hourly wage, plus a small additional commission for her sales. And if customers fill out the survey and say something nice about her, she can get a bonus or something from the manager (so really, when you get those things, if you have gotten good service, fill them out!). Companies can and do survive while treating their employees decently - I don't know why Walmart refuses to do so. Seems like they're ignoring the long game. This is building up consumer/employee resentment and eventually there has to be a tipping point.

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      PassionateEnnuiwhoppertunity
      7/18/13 5:40pm

      You make very good points, but to answer your question, they'll stand up when doing what's right somehow magically trumps convenience. Why do people who actually have a choice *continue* to eat at fast food joints, any of them? They know better. Part of the allure is the price, sure, but never underestimate society's desire for instant gratification, and convenience.

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    Weaponized-ClintonHamilton Nolan
    7/18/13 3:33pm

    What's good for the goose is good for the gander, right?

    The DC government doesn't pay the living wage it wants Wal-Mart to pay.

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      Exponential GrapeWeaponized-Clinton
      7/18/13 3:41pm

      DC government wages are available publically. 50 out of 33000 employees makes less than $12 an hour.

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      Weaponized-ClintonExponential Grape
      7/18/13 3:51pm

      I don't doubt you, but could you provide a source?

      I know it's tangential to this article, but the DC Council has the power to set whatever minimum wage they want. Demanding that Wal-Mart pay a certain wage while not paying that wage themselves (to however many employees) is hypocritical. Also, their targeting of Wal-Mart seems, to me, like a bill of attainder.

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    NipRingHamilton Nolan
    7/18/13 3:41pm

    After these last few weeks of these horrible stories, I'm making an effort to stop shopping there completely. I know I'm just one guy, and not much of a "cause" supporter. I'm even layed off at the moment. And as cheap as things are at Walmart, these stories of terrible treatment and corporate greed make me sick. Choosing to spend my money elsewhere is all I can do to help.

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      BenwayNipRing
      7/18/13 3:52pm

      Don't think economic boycotts mean nothing. When you do it, and I do it, and our neighbors do it, it starts to add up. The only other thing I'd add is that you can also influence the people you talk to everyday to affect change.

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      CPR14Benway
      7/18/13 4:05pm

      Agreed. In my small hometown, a CVS went in a few buildings down from the long-time family pharmacy. A huge percentage of the town boycotted the CVS for years on end, and the family pharmacy was going strong for over a decade.

      Of course, this year CVS finally got sick of the town having another option and offered the owners of the other pharmacy a massive buyout. The pharmacists caved, transferred all their customers' prescriptions to CVS without notifying them, and didn't tell their staff they were closing until the day of. (Really — a woman my mom knows worked there and showed up for her shift in the morning to find a "closed for business" sign on the door.)

      My point is that boycotts can make a difference and keep small businesses alive for a long time if the customers are committed, but in the end corporations may win regardless. Also I just wanted to vent about it again.

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    MsFMercuryHamilton Nolan
    7/18/13 4:22pm

    I posted this a few days ago..True story. I got a job at a innovative boat building company on the west coast about 20 years ago. I was interviewed for an admin assistant position by a guy named John, we hit if off and he hired me . I loved it, I got to spend time on the water doing sea trials with John and the shop foreman, correspondence with dealers, talking to potential customers on the phone, etc. It was so much fun, and paid well. Well, in my city we didn't have a Walmart back then, never really heard of them. At Christmas, John and his wife Christie, a school teacher, had a party for all 100 or so employees at their house, beautiful Victorian in a real crappy part of town. John was the most real, down to earth. easygoing guy ever. Alas, after about a year of great times, John sold 51% of company to an Aussie company who were crap. Thing is, I did not know for weeks from when I started that John's last name was Walton. Yep, Sam's son. He died in a plane crash in about 2006, I went to his funeral at Christie's request. Never cried so hard in my life. He really was a sweet guy, but I wonder about he'd thing about Daddy's company now. Don't think he'd be happy. RIP John

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      The Crushah!Hamilton Nolan
      7/18/13 3:35pm

      I don't know how (after reading these), but Wal-mart employees are always incredibly nice and helpful whenever I'm there. And I'm a middle-aged doofus staggering around with a toddler. I hate that my family has to shop for groceries there. Its the only way to make our budget work. Sounds like most people hate having to work there, too. They've got us all by the balls.

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        diasdiemHamilton Nolan
        7/18/13 6:53pm

        I have a dream, of Walmarts all across the country, on Black Friday (or really, Black Thursday, since Walmart makes people work on Thanksgiving Night). The doors open, hordes of customers rush in, eager for their Black Friday deals. The snatch up their goods, push to the checkout stations, lines forming to the back of the store, carts full of merchandise. And then, at some predetermined signal from the store's intercom, every single rank-and-file employee drops what they're doing, walks calmly to the entrance to the store, takes off their blue vest with the smiley-face button, and drops it in a heap as they walk out the door to the parking lot, leaving hundreds of customers with merchandise unpurchased. Maybe the managers desperately man some of the registers, maybe the throng of customers get fed up and leave, or maybe the just storm out the door without paying. In any case, Walmart loses millions of dollars in revenue on one of the most profitable sales days of the year. God, it would be beautiful.

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          diablodragonHamilton Nolan
          7/18/13 10:34pm

          Reading all these stories reminds me of my time working for PetSmart. They are exactly the same as Walmart only add in suffering animals. same horrible management, crappy customers, low wages, and awfull employee benefits.

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            GilMdiablodragon
            7/19/13 2:54am

            They harm animals?

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            diablodragonGilM
            7/19/13 10:18pm

            Not so much actively harm animals as purchase from cheap breeders that are puppy mills for small animals. More times than I can count chinchillas and guinea pigs arrived at the store with ringworm. The hamsters (who are not by nature social) were all packed in the same container and often fought. Many times they would arrive with bites and scratches and a few were completely scalped or eaten alive. Small animals often also arrived with wet tail, a highly contagious bacterial diarrhea, the medication we had was the cheap over the counter treatment that did not work all the time. Many hamsters died by dehydration. And forget about vet care for animals that were sick or injured, if we (staff) could not treat them themselves the animals were left in the back "quiet room" to suffer. Birds were treated a bit better because they were worth more but there was one instance where they had to be given antibiotics in their water and many died because they would not drink the laced water and we were forbidden to give them any plain water. To big box stores like Petsmart animals are not living things but dollars, if their care needs exceed their value for sale they were left in the back room to die.

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          MollyNYCHamilton Nolan
          7/18/13 5:13pm

          Obvious point: A sure sign of a crappy place to work is its fear of unions. The basic job of unions is to protect against abusing workers.

          Employees aren't stupid. If you're doing right by the people who work for you, they will know it, and by extension, whether it's worth bothering with a union. That's why union people talk about organizing at Walmart, but won't bother at Google.

          (For that matter, in unionized businesses, management tends to complain that unions take credit for every benefit. But again: employees are not stupid. They do know when management has their back, even if the union takes credit for it. People who work for you are like Santa Claus in one respect: they know who's naughty or nice.)

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            twinklytoesHamilton Nolan
            7/18/13 10:34pm

            So when will our government wake up and realize that Walmart is actually costing taxpayers money?

            Has anyone done a comprehensive study as to how much Walmart costs the federal, state and local governments? With all of these stories that Walmart employees not only qualify for and receive public assistance, in many cases they are encouraged to file for public assistance. Couple that with municipalities forcing welfare recipients to pass drug tests, it looks like Walmart is out to bankrupt the country.

            It's illegal in the US for any company to forbid their employees from discussing their salaries with each other, it's also illegal to forbid any talk of unionizing while off the clock.

            For the Walmart employees out there, have any of you considered calling the US Labor Department to complain? From what I have read above, walmart is clearly in violation of some of the basic labor laws spelled out on the employment law poster that should be posted near your time clock or in your break area. If there is no poster, or if it is marked or covered in any way, then they are in violation of federal and possibly state employment law.

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