Can't Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More?

The New York Times ^ | May 4, 2005 | Steven Greenhouse

[MarkL]

Wal-Mart argues that, as retailing companies go, it treats its workers better than average. It says 74 percent of its employees work full time, compared with fewer than 40 percent at many other retailers. But critics note that a leading competitor, Costco, pays $16 an hour - 65 percent more than the average wage at Wal-Mart stores and 33 percent more than the $12 average at its Sam's Club stores. At Costco, 82 percent of the workers are covered by company health insurance, compared with 48 percent at Wal-Mart.

Bad comparison here, and it could very well skew the results (big surprise, huh?) Comparing Costco and Walmart employees doesn't compute. Costco is a "Big Box" store, while Walmart is a retailer. Completely different employment staff types. A valid comparison that I'd like to see might be Costco VS Sams Club.

Mark

[RJL]

A new group of Wal-Mart critics ran a full-page advertisement on April 20 contending that the company's low pay had forced tens of thousands of its workers to resort to food stamps and Medicaid, costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

This is a lie plain and simple.

If this job forced them to resort to food stamps and Medicaid why didn't they stay at their old job?

What's that you say? They didn't have any job before they got their Wal-Mart job and became part of the working class.

[RJL]

I'm curious about what the liberals' darling, Target, pays.

While in high school my daughter worked at a Target store. They were told that their wages would go up a dollar an hour to match the pay of the new Wal-mart when it opened up across the street.

[livius]

[Target] wages would go up a dollar an hour to match the pay of the new Wal-mart

Things we'll never hear. It would be nice if the left believed in a little truth-in-journalism.

[quadrant]

Could Wal-Mart pay higher wages? Perhaps so, but the company will never pay the sort of wages and benefits that are paid by some manufacturing companies.
Wal-Mart is a retail business not a manufacturing company; as with any retail establishment, Wal-Mart can never pay the sort of wages that many industrial companies can pay. To think otherwise is foolish.
GM and other big industrial companies benefited from a particular time and place: growing large and wealthy after WWII when the economies of other industrialized counties were destroyed. Free trade as such did not exist, nor did container cargo ships, during the 1950's.
Only a fool would expect Wal-Mart to attempt to imitate GM or Ford.

[JoeFromSidney]

But Burt Flickinger, another retailing consultant,

I'm in the consulting business. I often tell people, only half jokingly, that a consultant is a man who comes in, borrows your watch, tells you the time, and keeps the watch in payment.

Seriously, no consultant worth his salt thinks he knows more about his clients' business than his clients do. The consultant's stock in trade is knowing what questions to ask, to help the client figure out what needs to be done.

[Izzy Dunne]

no consultant worth his salt thinks he knows more about his clients' business than his clients do.

Agreed. But this clown acts like he knows more than the folks who run WalMart do.
And they're not even his clients.

[Bulwark]

Went to a Super Target the other week. They obviously have a different customer target thn Wal-Mart

Target also carries higher quality merchandise than Wal-Mart. You do get what you pay for.

[codercpc]

bump for later reading

[FrankR]

There are a couple of reasons why most make only $19K per year at WalMart.

1. Lots of older folks have been downsized...jobs are scarce...$19K is better than zero-K.

2. WalMart has no shortage of applicants...and as long as any business can attract, and get, cheap labor, they will.

WalMart is a private business, not part of the growing govermental welfare state. They are not obligated by "fairness" or the growing socialist mindset to prop up the economy, be a source for jobs, or make those who sit on the sidelines and watch into savvy economy watchers.

If the don't like the $19K, then they need to go back to school and get qualified for something that will pay more. Anyone can bitch, but it doesn't pay very well.

[A CA Guy]

If their employment had more value, they could work elsewhere and command a higher wage.

What if in fact they are being over-paid at WalMart based on their skills, any articles ever going to come out about that?