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Wal-Mart
Plans To Open 40 Supercenters in California: If successful, it will cost thousands of good union jobs, UFCW Local says I have been saying for years that "Wal-Mart is on its way to destroy your job." Now it's official. The anti-union mega-retailer announced that it plans to open 40 supercenters in California over the next four to six years. George L. Hartwell, President of UFCW Local 1036 is worried over the effects on existing jobs and the conditions of commercial workers in California. - Each planned store will be a regular-sized Wal-Mart that includes a full-scale grocery store. The Local has aggressively fought to keep Wal-Mart out of our jurisdiction. No UFCW union in the nation has done more. - Many good union jobs have been secured because we have supported the passage of ordinances in many communities that prohibit Wal-Mart from selling food. Nonetheless, Wal-Mart presses ahead with its expansion plans, demonstrating all over the country that they will stop at nothing to take over the grocery industry. - The company did not sell food in their stores just a few years ago, but now Wal-Mart is the leading seller of groceries in the world. - In 1999, Safeway (Vons), Kroger (Ralphs), and Albertson's had a combined total of 6,550 stores with sales of $102 billion. Wal-Mart had sales of $104 billion in 1999. - Now with 3,217 total stores at the end of 2001 the company had sales of more than $203 billion. With five months of 2002 gone, they're not slowing down.Top 10 publicly traded supermarket companies' growth increased a mere 0.1 percent during 2001. Wal-Mart achieved a seven percent increase. Social dumping behind competitive advantage - Money Wal-Mart deprives its workers of in payroll and other benefits allows the company an unfair competitive advantage. It uses its ill-gotten gains to expand. - Advertising wraps Wal-Mart in the American flag and brags about its charitable contributions. The facts are that Wal-Mart exploits third-world and child labor. Even its reputation for giving to charity is, in many cases, money taken from employees' earnings. - Wal-Mart has made it crystal clear that it intends to invade your neighborhood, acquire enough business to shut down other supermarkets in the area, including where our members work. Many, perhaps you, will be left without a job. 100 members lose their jobs for every supercenter - We stand to lose 100 members for every supercenter this company builds. Each supercenter has the capacity to negatively impact any grocery store in a two to three-mile radius. Much is at stake when it comes to Wal-Mart taking over our industry. - Retiree's Health and Welfare (that is, their medical benefits which currently include dependents), are negotiated from contract to contract. While this benefit has been around for decades, it is no sure thing, but this union will not give up any Health and Welfare for our retirees without a FIGHT. - Union employers have suggested that Wal-Mart and other non-union employers now set "the standard" for the supermarket industry. It'll be a cold day in you-know-where before I accept that statement. - What's Wal-Mart's standard?
- Fortune Magazine recently reported that Wal-Mart is the third most admired company in America. We have to change that perception. - In many places across the country Wal-Mart is being sued for sexual harassment, race discrimination, gender discrimination, illegal firings, cashing in on employees' life insurance policies and other employer violations. - A look at the reports about Wal-Mart in this newspaper, on the internet and throughout the media. Wal-Mart doesn't advertise that it takes advantage of its employees, but evidence is not hard to find.can destroy that familiar yellow-smiley face they hide behind by letting your friends, neighbors and relatives know what the company is really all about — making huge fortunes at the expense of its workers.'t shop there, and don't let anyone you know spend one dime at Wal-Mart. |
