If your local PBS station runs this show, please take the time to watch and learn why WalMart isn't the great store everyone thinks it is ...
www.pbs.org/itvs/storewa...tores3_2.html
" People are surprised that Wal-Mart would even want to locate a store at Ashland, with another one 10 miles away. But that's part of the Wal-Mart saturation strategy. They place their stores so close together that they become their own competition. Once everybody else is wiped out, then they're free to thin out their stores. Wal-Mart has 390 empty stores on the market today. This is a company that has changed stores as casually as you and I change shoes. "
- Al Norman, Sprawl-Busters
-
Re: PBS on Walmart
Sun, January 4, 2004 - 4:58 PMWalmart is the symbol of what america is all about. Americans want choices..lots of choices and cheap prices..
Walmart gives the American public that. Just like Americans want cheap, plentiful gas. And you know something, most people don't care how that is achieved.
Wake up man, don't you realize something. Our whole lifestyle is based on over consumption and greed. And the way this is accomplished is by exploitation.
Do you really think you are going to have an effect on Walmart?
The real problem is we have become greedy, fat, over consumers.
Walmart is just supplying the demand. -
-
Re: PBS on Walmart
Sun, January 4, 2004 - 5:03 PM
Wake up Floyd ...
Your lifestyle based on over consumption & greed is the problem to begin with.
If your not part of the solution ... your part of the problem. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Mon, January 5, 2004 - 6:39 AMRandall, Black & White takes on an issue are seldom an answer. Rhetoric begets rhetoric.
But, Floyd, your apparent attitude is "well, since everybody else owns slaves, I might as well too! Your little abolitionist newspaper isn't going to change anything, Mr. Brown! It's the American way!"
Okay, that's going over the top; unfair rhetoric. While "going with the flow" works for some, even Salmon can swim against the current if they really want to. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Mon, January 5, 2004 - 7:11 AMYou guys are missing the point. Never did I justify Walmart's or any other predatory retailer's actions.
Randalls attempts at striking back at Walmart are nothing but a flea's attempt at biting an elephant.
You want to hurt Walmart? Then put your energy into organizing boycotts. How long do you think Walmart would ignore what you are saying if on a Saturday afternoon you went in to a Walmart and didn't see any shoppers?
Organize a letter writing campaign to your congress people and tell them how disturbed you are at Walmart's practices.
But going into a Walmart and filling up a shopping cart so some poor schlub making $6.00/hr has to put it all away? Oh yea, Walmart is certainly going to sit up and take notice of that. The only person you are punishing is the poor schlub who has to clean up your mess.
And Randall I am not part of the problem, I don't shop at Walmart. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Mon, January 5, 2004 - 7:55 AMFloyd, I think the idea behind Randall's push is that people have & do organize boycotts. But boycotts get boring after awhile. People go to sleep where they hear of one. they sign the petition, go to sleep, and change the channel.
Randall is attempting to find a creative approach to soem sort of awareness--an alternative wake-up call that hasn't been done to death yet.
And, as far as annoying the poor schlubs who clean up--the perishable question has been brought up, and should be avoided. But a former employee pointed out that with WalMart's "work-at-will" policy (ie--no work left? oh, well, go home then. and no, you won't get paid.) it will keep people busy and paid. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 10:12 AMAh, I see. Didn't realize why Randall was saying to fill up shopping carts and leave them there, now I do and it's a good idea to keep them working so they can perhaps pick up a much needed hour here or there. :D
Actually, my first thought was: why "punish" the workers by leaving filled shopping carts for them to put away. They work far too hard for their pittance of pay (believe me I know-I worked retail for many years). Now I get it. Great idea, matter of fact. It's a non-violent way to make the "enemy" miserable, and to help the marginalized reclaim their dignity as workers. Perhaps with this little effort, we can cause them to gain full-time employ even if they are only part-time.
Though, this is only a stone in the water, but it will be a ripple across the lake none the less. Do what we can do, and for those who will, pray for justice. Whether you believe or not, God is the author of this mission against unfair wages and poor working conditions. We do have the power to stop it; it may take awhile but we can do it if we make a collective effort and don't abandon ship when the water gets rough.
-
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 10:35 AMI was thinking the same thing as you Anne.
I just thought Randall was being a jerk. lol (sorry Randall, I warned you, I am not that bright.)
Now that I understand, I am willing to do so and take along a group of my girlfriends with me. I have about 15-22 ppl that I know will go.
I think stocking the cart full of the smallest items would be the best way, i.e. deodorant, toothbrushes..... That way we can make sure the employees get the extra hours.
If this were to happen once one month, it would be very effective.
Let me know when..........
I am ready -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 10:46 AMlol! Poor Randall
-
-
This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 11:01 AMjust talked with my roomie about this idea with the shopping carts. She was a manager before, and said this won't work.
What they will do instead is send the people home, pull someone off a register and have them do the work. sigh. I forgot all about that, it's been years since I've been in this business.
:(
Now what? -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 11:11 AMThat will just make longer lines for ppl who shop there. How about Flash Mobs? Fill the stores up full of non-buying customers?
I dunno. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 11:11 AMp.s. your the smart one Anne figure it out. -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 11:34 AM
I'm really glad to see people thinking about this !
EVEN if they pull people off the registers instead of allowing other employees to put away the items it will cause a backlash because if a customers have to stand in rediculous line that are far too long, eventually they will get fed up and perhaps they may leave THEIR carts.
It will also cause customers to complain to management that the cash registers are severely understaffed. Eventually the management willl have to make a decision to keep employees @ work to restock full carts, or keep more employees on the clock to man the registers.
I REALLY thank you for thinking about this and I LIKE that we are discussing this so that we can plan accordingly.
The first " trial run " Shopping for Others trip is scheduled for 4/20. Providing we can get this Tribe to a larger # I am going to contact media & alert them to this. Hopefully, generating publicity will help to expand our cause.
Please ask your friends that would like to participate to join Tribe so that our #'s reflect our desire to participate & will give me valid data to provide to the media. I do believe we can get several reporters and media outlets that will report from our " spin " ...
Also, Please consider passing on emails & such about this. I will provide a standard " cut n paste " email that we can use to send on AND also post on sites like culture jamming sites, anti-walmart sites & anywhere else we can get the word out.
Cheers everyone !
Randall -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 6:30 PMRandall, I'm doing all I can to get folks in here.
Just a note-threatening them isn't working, any other suggestions? :D
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 10:31 PMI read some of the other links you gave, Randall. There are others out there who are going to do the same thing throughout the country. Hopefully our little tribe will get enough members to gain the proper exposure, if not, perhaps some of the other groups who are organizing shopping for others will be large enough to get national attention.
-
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Fri, January 9, 2004 - 5:58 PMJen, if you're relying on my intelligence, we're all in trouble! lolol. ;) -
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Sat, January 10, 2004 - 11:02 AMAs much as I loathe gov't intervention, I do have a suggestion. What do you think about this?
Pressure our legislatures to pass laws that full-time in retail is to be 40 hours a week, just like any other place. Give tax breaks to corporations who hire more than 3/4 full-time workers, who have less employees than that now. In my humble opinion, this would save tax dollars as those who are working part-time and poverty level are recieving government assistance. If they are working a full 40 hour week, the government money they recieve will be cut substantially, and also the extra dollars they make would add to the tax base, because they simply will pay more tax from their higher payroll checks. Why the legislatures haven't thought of this I have no clue. My gosh, how much government money could actually be saved if companies were pressured to hire more 40 hours a week employees.
I do not want to see the minimum wage raised nationally through government intervention, it would hurt the economy too badly. But, that's only my thoughts.
-
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Mon, January 12, 2004 - 5:18 AM
Anne,
Excellent suggestion ... I LOVE seeing this getting people thinking !
Randall
-
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Mon, February 23, 2004 - 9:44 PMMost states (like TX) have laws that say if a person is employed for 32 hrs/wk for 13 consecutive weeks, they are considered full time and must be compensated as such. This only applies to larger employers with over 25 employees. While the laws vary, I also feel that the government already does enough to regulate businesses and am totally in favor of voluntary incentives. There are win-win solutions to help the economy as well as workers.
I also feel that any form of protests against a business is fair. While a few shopping carts left in a few stores my not be much more than a pimple on an elephants butt (nothing personal!), I think that if a person feels strongly about his position, then a determined, sustained action as a form of protest will make a point. You must remember that the bigger the rock, the bigger the ripple and if you are going to throw small rocks, you must throw a lot of them to make the same wave of a big rock.
My point is, keep the faith and follow through. Don't give up. If it was a good idea yesterday, it is probably a good idea today, and tomorrow. Even if nobody else notices, I do (and isn't that who counts most?). -
-
Unsu...
Re: let's all just blame Floyd, instead
Wed, April 13, 2005 - 8:53 PMWon't sell music with explicit words.... BUT..... will sell "R" rated movies! And graphic video games!
Go figure!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
