Workers Call on Walmart to Improve Conditions

Posted on June 11, 2012 by jway

On Friday June 9, USA Today ran a feature story documenting the impact of Walmart’s low wages, fluctuating schedules and the unaffordable benefits it offers its workers.

The article comes as a blow to the company, as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. In the piece several OUR Walmart members, including Janet Sparks of Louisiana, describe the difficulty of making ends meet without a livable wage. Walmart claims the national average for its full-time workers is $12.40, however, this is inconsistent with the experience of associates like Janet who makes $11.60 an hour as a front-of-the-store manager.

The wage issue has only worsened over the last decade. In 2006, Walmart implemented a cap on raises for each position. OUR Walmart member Mary Pat Tifft of Kenosha, Wisconsin says her wages have been capped for the last six years.

Supplementing Walmart’s low wages with a second job is often difficult due to hourly workers’ irregular schedules.

The company’s computerized scheduling system, which cross-references employees’ available hours with likely store sales and customer traffic to determine who should be working and when, makes it nearly impossible for some associates to anticipate their schedules from week-to-week.

Schedule instability is especially problematic for associates with children who need to make childcare arrangements in advance.

Walmart’s health care plan forces many associates to either spend a substantial portion of their take-home income on premiums or enroll in public programs, like Medicaid, to cover their families.

Walmart has compounded the health care access problem with more stringent eligibility requirements. Twice in the last two years the company has raised the number of hours that part-time employees need to qualify for benefits.

This post was written by Kurt Scott.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    let thank CEO Mike Duke of Walmart for make $140.00 an Hour then Walmart Association make 1Cent an Hour and Mike Duke make $18.7Million a Year please let get Mike Duke Fire for make 140.00 an Hour then Walmart Association make 1Cent an Hour and make $18.7Million a Year

                                From Tom P Noonan

  • MONTECORETIGER

    if an associate can get a coaching for hear say,then  why caint mike duke (CEO) get a coaching or be fired for being investagated by the federal gov. for  illegal bribes to mexico? ALL WAL-MART ASSOCIATES NEED TO DEMAND THAT MIKE DUKE (CEO) BE FIRED.

  • Tom1986

    why quote wages for FULL TIME employees? YOU know, don’t you, that the majority are ONLY ALLOWED part time hours. Max 33 hours. And, most get 21! And, you STILL have to have OPEN avaibility! So, you can’t hold ANOTHER job!

  • Tiff_dennis

    Those wages are a lot higher than what they are offering in California. A friend of mine started working there a month ago and is getting 8.20 an hour. I was just offered a job as a part time sales associate at 8.90 hourly. It’s sad I will lose my unemployment in which my family of four can not survive on as it is to get a job making less money. Out here in California if you get unemployment you are required to do a lot of job searching and if you turn down a job offer you lose unemployment anyways. I only applied to Walmart to meet my job search quota. It’s sad though, I live in central valley and we have the highest unemployment statistics and the least amount of job opportunities. I just pray I can find a second job so my family does not have to go hungry.