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Democracy?

Arthur Fonzarelli said:
Findlay, Ohio (1 hour south of Toledo)

Plus this is my Mother-In-Law...not mother (my mother is a retired school teacher...she could tell you some stories about her wonderful union).
Yes, there are a lot of things that can be and have been said about unions. Some of them are even true; others originate anonymously from the WalMart mileau and are out and out propaganda. Unions are not an unalloyed blesssing. What they do do, however, is ensure that the individual worker does not stand alone against corporate might. That's why they are called unions. You think that's bad?

She now lives in Waverly, Ohio (1/2 hour south of Columbus)

In 15 years at Meijer (which is Unionized) she never made over $7 per hour. She worked the flower department (this was in Findlay...during the late 80s & all thru the 90s) Now, with about 5 years at Wal-Mart she is over $8 per hour. She works the men's clothing department (this is in Waverly...since about 2000).
Whoopee! After 20 years she is now making somewhere around or below $7/hr in 1985 dollars.

My Brother-In-Law, who got a job at Wal-Mart upon retiring from the Air Force started at more than $8 per hour (this is in Findlay). Why? Because Wal-Mart has a progressive way to determine what your starting wage will be. Why? Because Wal-Mart understands that all employees are not equal. Things that could raise your starting wage at Wal-Mart...10 cents more per hour for every job you've held for at least three years (bro-in-law had 21 years in the military)...the amount of education (college, tech school, etc)...experience in retail. Wal-Mart also has a point system in which you earn your raises. Everyone at a different rate based on your personal performance. My bro-in-law would have been near $10 per hour in less than a year based on his performance; but he was chosen for promotion to manager. This will pay him about $40,000 a year. I believe he said his salary is based off of 50 hour weeks...this calculates to about $15 per hour or so. For a basic middle management position (a shift manger). Not bad for a minimal amount of schooling. This is based on his performance at work. Nothing wrong with rewarding one's hard work; is there?
Let's play around with the numbers a bit here. Assuming a 50 week year (he does get a vacation, doesn't he?) his pay is the same as $29,100 for a 40-hour week plus 10 hours overtime at time and a half.

I realize that "managers" are not paid overtime. I will leave this for another day. I would be willing to bet however, that his "managerial" status also entitles him to work without pay as many hours as it takes to clean up a job. Like you said, "Nothing wrong with rewarding one's hard work; is there?" You meant that totally without irony, didn't you?

Actually, I think Kroger might be a little better in pay...I stress a little as none of them pay more than $10 per hour to their hourly labor employees. Meijer definitely pays less than Wal-Mart. Kroger & Meijer are both unionized...while Wal-Mart is not.
A complete picture would include benefits, working conditions and time actually worked. We don't have that. WalMart is notorious for unpaid overtime and minimal if any benefits.

You said to prove it...I can't really...all I can give you is the experience of those around me. I have laid out the facts...you can do with them what you want.
Sorry, but what I see is a bunch of exploited people licking the boots that kick them.
 
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