Re: Say NO NO NO to Wal-Mart!!!

"Don K" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "Dennis P. Harris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > there is no need to shop ANYTHING at walmart.  why support evil?
>
> Do you mean that evil store that opened up its profit-sharing
> program to all its employees in the 70's?


They were probably thinking about the evil store that drove almost all
manufacturing (and related support companies/jobs) out of the US. I was in a
client's office and had time to read a detailed piece about walmarts
purchasing practices. You are a manufacturer and sell to them. Lets say you
negotiated a one year firm price. The year is up and you advise them that
due to higher wage, supply and energy cost that you need to get 4% more.
They tell you that now you are 14% away from what they want to pay because
they expect you to lower your price 10% year no matter what.

You consider that they are the now the biggest corporation in the world and
who else you can sell to. You comply and meet their price reduction demand.
So initially you find more efficient ways to make this all work (more
automation, better process control etc). Next year comes and you need to
drop your price 10%.because if you don't the world's biggest corporation
will go somewhere else. You now start lowering wages, dropping benefits,
hiring illegals and whatever else is necessary to keep going. Eventually you
close your facilities and go offshore in order to stay in business.


>
> The Biography Channel just did a bit on Sam Walton.
> The ordinary worker they showed that got a $750,000 check when
> he retired didn't think WalMart was evil.

>From what I understand that level of profit sharing only applies to a very
few original workers and is often cited to make them sound warm & fuzzy. I
understand that current employees get a very, very small fraction of that
amount.


>
> Don
>
>