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Such a positive and constructive first post, sunshine....
Well I worked at that Publix for 3 years. I know from experience and my coworkers felt the same. I hope the best for that area. It does need to be cleaned up with the help of the city. Hopefully they will do something about this time. In the time I was there, everytime the store closed for a holiday, it was broken into. Publix was force to put roll down gates at the front doors. Seriously, it's bad when it has to come to that. You can't even close the store for thanksgiving or Christmas without knowing while sitting at home with your family, your store is being robbed and vandalized. Good luck Walmart.
The quick summary is that it's not all altruism: workers who get paid a lot more fear losing their job and having to work for one of the cheapies, so they work harder. The success of this is dependent upon most of the population's options being extremely low wage. Of course, altruism/marketing is another benefit and potential explanation.
All this is overshadowed by Wal-Mart's old practices being absurdly stingy and mean-spirited, sometimes so much that they didn't even seem to be driven by dollars and cents. I'd welcome a change to that.
Curious -- where do all the Walmart haters shop? They could be saving a LOT of $$$ ... LOL
Some of us are not sheep. Wow, saving $2 and sacrificing American jobs in the process. Selling things full of High Fructose Corn Syrup and other crap to save a buck.
You can have it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeandIke27
So all the students from spelman morehouse and Clark are going to get robbed? Since you said They.
Are you naive? It is one of the worst areas in Atlanta still, even with some redevelopment. They have knocked down a lot of those projects but still you can't tell the students from the thugs b/c many dress the same. Kids get robbed ALL THE TIME still. Its so common the news hardly reports it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobb
Wal Mart will hire workers for $7.80 ph, work them less than 30 hrs per week, no benefits and consequently they will be applying for food stamps. WM is one of the WORST employers in the world to work for. How about a living wage of at least $9.00 ph ??? They can well afford it.
As far as the neighborhood goes I'd rather see an Aldi's, Food Depot, Food Lion, Kroger even Publix and then add a KMart, anybody but WM. I hate them with a passion.
Bingo. People welcoming the devil "Hey the devil is better than nothing" (I am exaggerating of course)
Quote:
Originally Posted by K-SawDude
Just speaking for me here, but . . .
Trader Joe's, Publix, Kroger for food.
Target, Old Navy, Internet for most everything else.
Places like Costco and Trader Joe's are so, so, so much better than Wal-Mart in terms of labor practices alone. Here's some old-ish data on Costco vs. Walmart: How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart
I'm willing to be persuaded that WalMart's had a come-to-Jesus moment and is starting to reform itself as a better company to work for--one that isn't putting corporate profits over local communities and eco-systems. But I've seen little evidence that they've changed their tune.
They were just awful in Chattanooga. Skirting environmental laws to create vast concrete parking lots, closing up shop after 4-5 years after decimating nearby smaller shops, and opening up even bigger stores a mile down the road. I don't trust them one iota and try to avoid shopping there. But if you've got evidence that they're really turned their philosophy around, please do post it.
As far as this Westside location is concerned--at least it's not one of these scenarios where there is a local ecosystem in danger, or a bunch of local shops that will be put out of business.
Bingo, don't tell the sheep this. OH WAL-MART IS HERE TO SAVE US ALL Ridiculous. You would think the store is free the way people are acting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeg8u
Nothing is going to survive on the west side. Publix came to that area to help improve the area. Other businesses and housing was promised by the city but nothing came about. I guess the city officials seen it as a loss to try to improve a area that the people whom live there don't care about themselves. Publix was robbed on a daily basis. It had to have undercover officers in the store and uniformed officers at the doors and throughout the store at all times. Great image the people of Vine City oppose of themselves. Just a bunch of crackhead junkies that steal to support their habits. Walmart is stupid for going in there. Boy do they have something coming to them. To bad they didn't open up this fall. It would be free Christmas gifts for everyone.
It is a very tough area and that is what people don't realize. It sounds great, its a lovely press conference but will the tough decisions and needed changes be made to truly revitalize that area?
Some of us are not sheep. Wow, saving $2 and sacrificing American jobs in the process. Selling things full of High Fructose Corn Syrup and other crap to save a buck.
Funny you should choose these two examples side by side.
After all, all the crap in this country filled with high fructose corn syrup is directly due to US trade policy designed to protect American jobs and industry from the evils of imported sugar.
The quick summary is that it's not all altruism: workers who get paid a lot more fear losing their job and having to work for one of the cheapies, so they work harder. The success of this is dependent upon most of the population's options being extremely low wage. Of course, altruism/marketing is another benefit and potential explanation.
All this is overshadowed by Wal-Mart's old practices being absurdly stingy and mean-spirited, sometimes so much that they didn't even seem to be driven by dollars and cents. I'd welcome a change to that.
That's an interesting angle. Thanks for sharing that.
Still, if we're making comparisons about "fear" in the workplace and employee treatment, I'd still put a company like Trader Joe's over Walmart in a heartbeat. I can't tell you how many TJ's employees I've talked to who are so happy with their job--especially treatment by bosses, salary, and benefits. This is in Michigan stores as well as Atlanta stores. In contrast, Walmart has been known for particularly creepy union-busting and employee spying practices. Here's one of many pieces on this issue: Security cameras and HQ squads: Wal-Mart's union-busting tactics | Business | The Guardian
I'd also recommend Barbara Ehrenreich's chapter on Walmart in Nickel and Dimed. It's probably the weakest chapter in what's a pretty darn good book overall, but she gives ample detail on the ways Walmart employees get treated like idiots and criminals.
And, of course, there's that whole class action lawsuit going on right now in which Walmart has been found to have consistently underpaid women compared to men for the same work.
I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on this news by any means. But it's important for us to know what Atlanta is buying into here. It's maybe a plus overall, but Walmart ain't no angel.
That's an interesting angle. Thanks for sharing that.
Still, if we're making comparisons about "fear" in the workplace and employee treatment, I'd still put a company like Trader Joe's over Walmart in a heartbeat. I can't tell you how many TJ's employees I've talked to who are so happy with their job--especially treatment by bosses, salary, and benefits. This is in Michigan stores as well as Atlanta stores. In contrast, Walmart has been known for particularly creepy union-busting and employee spying practices. Here's one of many pieces on this issue: Security cameras and HQ squads: Wal-Mart's union-busting tactics | Business | The Guardian
I'd also recommend Barbara Ehrenreich's chapter on Walmart in Nickel and Dimed. It's probably the weakest chapter in what's a pretty darn good book overall, but she gives ample detail on the ways Walmart employees get treated like idiots and criminals.
And, of course, there's that whole class action lawsuit going on right now in which Walmart has been found to have consistently underpaid women compared to men for the same work.
I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on this news by any means. But it's important for us to know what Atlanta is buying into here. It's maybe a plus overall, but Walmart ain't no angel.
TJ is owned by Aldi...they recently had an article in Bloomberg I believe (can't find the link) and they were real flattering of the company. As you stated employees seem to love working for them. TJ also pays wages higher than the competition.
I shop at TJ, great items, simple concept and small with a friendly feeling. The people there look happy, not like they want to kill themselves like at Wal-Mart
Hopefully Walmart will be a big success that will encourage companies like Trader Joe's, Costco and Aldi to move into the neighborhood and give them some competition. That's often the way it works. You usually don't get the creme de la creme to move in first, but they follow once the area becomes established as a viable retail center. I can remember when Lenox Square had a grocery store, a bowling alley, a pet shop and a gas station, and the locals were absolutely thrilled.
That's an interesting angle. Thanks for sharing that.
Still, if we're making comparisons about "fear" in the workplace and employee treatment, I'd still put a company like Trader Joe's over Walmart in a heartbeat. I can't tell you how many TJ's employees I've talked to who are so happy with their job--especially treatment by bosses, salary, and benefits. This is in Michigan stores as well as Atlanta stores. In contrast, Walmart has been known for particularly creepy union-busting and employee spying practices. Here's one of many pieces on this issue: Security cameras and HQ squads: Wal-Mart's union-busting tactics | Business | The Guardian
Right, but the idea of the efficiency wage is that worker at Trader Joe's or wherever generally fear losing their cushy jobs and having to work over at the pit of dispair known as Wal-Mart, so they work harder. Another way of looking at it is that if all the firms (Wal-Mart included) started paying higher wages, a cycle of increased worker productivity and decreased total employment (because you need fewer workers now) would occur, leading workers to be harder and harder working in fear of losing their jobs because finding a new one would be so difficult.
In reality, all of these factors are working at once, and the continual rising wages, improvement in worker productivity, decrease in employment needed to get the same work done, and incubation of new industries for redundant workers to be employed within all push us towards a healthy and wealthy economy.
Right, but the idea of the efficiency wage is that worker at Trader Joe's or wherever generally fear losing their cushy jobs and having to work over at the pit of dispair known as Wal-Mart, so they work harder. Another way of looking at it is that if all the firms (Wal-Mart included) started paying higher wages, a cycle of increased worker productivity and decreased total employment (because you need fewer workers now) would occur, leading workers to be harder and harder working in fear of losing their jobs because finding a new one would be so difficult.
In reality, all of these factors are working at once, and the continual rising wages, improvement in worker productivity, decrease in employment needed to get the same work done, and incubation of new industries for redundant workers to be employed within all push us towards a healthy and wealthy economy.
I think I get the general concept here, though I do wonder how much the notion of "efficiency wage" depends on competition between the same job types--i.e., that employees actually have to believe Wal-Mart is the next and only step (and next step down) if they aren't meeting Trader Joe's goals. I'd guess that, in the grocer biz (and similar biz-es), there might be more lateral movement since the skill set for this job isn't particularly specialized. In other words, one could get laid off at TJs but perhaps be competitive in restaurants, or stocking jobs in other businesses, etc. (I used to work this very type of job, as both employee and manager, btw. Can't say I felt this pressure consciously, but who knows what was going on in my less rational economic mind?)
But I'd guess this principle could be applied across all sorts of "step down" job types. Interesting (TJs quality) food for thought, here.
Some of us are not sheep. Wow, saving $2 and sacrificing American jobs in the process. Selling things full of High Fructose Corn Syrup and other crap to save a buck.
You can have it.
Are you naive? It is one of the worst areas in Atlanta still, even with some redevelopment. They have knocked down a lot of those projects but still you can't tell the students from the thugs b/c many dress the same. Kids get robbed ALL THE TIME still. Its so common the news hardly reports it.
Bingo. People welcoming the devil "Hey the devil is better than nothing" (I am exaggerating of course)
Bingo, don't tell the sheep this. OH WAL-MART IS HERE TO SAVE US ALL Ridiculous. You would think the store is free the way people are acting.
It is a very tough area and that is what people don't realize. It sounds great, its a lovely press conference but will the tough decisions and needed changes be made to truly revitalize that area?
It won't happen. Sorry
You can get robbed anywhere. I got robbed in Lithia springs before. My best friend went to Clark for 4 years and never got robbed. Can it happen yes it can. But how you worded your statment was like every student is going to get robbed. I still think wal mart is a good thing for the nieghborhood. There are walmarts in rough nieghborhoods already and there doing fine..
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Wow, saving $2 and sacrificing American jobs in the process. Selling things full of High Fructose Corn Syrup and other crap to save a buck. 
"Hey the devil is better than nothing" (I am exaggerating of course)
Ridiculous. You would think the store is free the way people are acting. 
