Posted on 06/13/2006 8:45:53 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
8,000 Applicants For 350 Jobs At N.J. Wal-Mart
BY DAVID LOMBINO - Staff Reporter of the Sun June 13, 2006 URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/34316
Wal-Mart tomorrow will open its newest store just more than seven miles from Manhattan, in Kearny, N.J., part of its strategy to ring the city with stores in order to hasten their arrival here.
The store received more than 8,000 applications for 350 jobs, a Wal-Mart executive said.
Although Wal-Mart is the nation's largest retailer, boasting more than 4,000 stores nationwide, it has no outlets in the five boroughs, and in the last 16 months, two attempts at siting a store in Queens failed.
Some members of the City Council, lobbyists for small businesses, and representatives of the commercial food workers' union have tried to block Wal-Mart's entry into the city - claiming Wal-Mart is a bad corporate citizen and questioning the chain store's effect on smaller neighborhood businesses.
The director of corporate affairs for Wal-Mart in the Northeast, Steven Restivo, said the large number of applicants for the jobs in Kearny, which is in New Jersey's Hudson County, "shows that we are bringing good jobs with good benefits, and tremendous career opportunities to this community."
Mr. Restivo said that several hundred of the applications came from New York City residents, and 23 New Yorkers were hired. He said those workers will commute each day to New Jersey from as far away as the Bronx, and that the average wage for employees will be about $10.50 an hour.
"In terms of career opportunity, the majority of store managers nationwide started out as hourly associates," Mr. Restivo said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
This is true. My mother worked for Wal-Mart for years, but my father was the bread winner in the family. I've known several people who have worked for the company, and for the most part, I've always thought it was a good company that treated their people well. That being said, the majority of the work force is going to be cashiers, stockers, and floor people. Management is where the money is, and you can raise a family on that.
Knowing you, that wouldn't surprise me!!!!!
for the time being, I like my little part time job and working for myself :)
I totally understand what you are saying. And I totally agree with you. I've been self-employed for far too long to desire a full time job anywhere or with anyone. I could have had a fulltime job at WalMart in a heart beat, but I'm not currently interested in working fulltime. My husband is the current breadwinner and I have a small business and a part time job.
We also have an 8 year old child and that is why I don't want a full time job.....although my little business venture is turning into a fulltime job, but at least is at home.
Applying for the jobs that liberal Americans claim they won't do...
And 6 months and 1 day until WalMart closes the store.
As they should.......
Unions are an inevitability for Wal-Mart.
Target has done much better in their clothing for girls the past couple of years.
You can find a good selection of inexpensive cute shorts, capri pants, and t-shirts.
I still like a Children's Place better, but Target has improved their girl's clothing.
I seriously doubt that.
Thanks for adding to this thread...
And that's the American way.
Another way to look at it is that so many want to work and be producers. America, the land of opportunity.
As Wal-Mart moves into more densely populated areas the chances for unionization are increased in a dramatic fashion. Not only is the prevailing culture different, but there is also a long history of unions in places like North Jersey or New York City.
There is also less fear that Wal-Mart will pack up and move away taking the jobs and access to cheap merchandise with them. When the Wal-Mart was battling in NYC, they made a big deal about creating 500 jobs. The local pols and community leaders basically looked at them as if they were nuts. Something like, "Okay, 500 jobs...and? What's your point?"
Wal-Mart is entering into a whole new ballgame they seemed shockingly unprepared to deal with.
No, they're not. Wal-Mart has shown what it will do if a union is voted in at a store.
Why would Wal-Mart allow unions when the union movement is going south?
They know exactly how to deal with New York. They are surrounding it with stores. New Yorkers will go out to those stores, see the prices and wonder why they can't have stores like that in their neighborhood.
At some point, critical mass will be reached, and the local zoning boards will have to give in. They'll be BEGGING Wal-Mart to build stores; hell, they'll be offering concessions.
Wal-Mart can only open and close so many stores. Not only does it get real expensive real quick, but they lose credibility with communities that issue building permits, etc.
In densely populated areas like N. Jersey the Union spirit is still very much alive and well. Wal-Mart, if you pardon the expression, is the perfect target.
If that is so, I'm happy to hear it. But the nearest Target to me is more than 50 miles away, so I won't be gracing their doors anytime in the near future when I've got WalMart and Peeble's only 15 minutes away.
I like A Children's Place, but again, the nearest one is 50+ miles away, and so I'm perfectly happy with Peebles or WalMart.
Not likely. I know of no New Yorker who would travel to Kearny for a Wal-Mart. Plus, there are stores with similar merchandise at similar prices in NYC...If you have some inside stuff on that actually being Wal-Mart's plan, they're more screwed up than I imagined.
...for 10 hours per week :)
Perhaps they never go into New York.
Unions would be the death of Wal-Mart, and they'd abandon an entire city or region if they had to to avoid them.
part of its strategy to ring the city with stores
Sounds like a battle strategy. Acutally I took a retirement job for a short time in California. I have my own health care, don't need to work etc. and just wanted to get out of the house part time. I worked as a customer service rep. ushering people to the correct isles to find things. My first day on the job at this super center I walked 28 miles and needed help leaving the store I was so exhausted. It's almost 1/2 mile end to end in this one supercenter.
Thank god for the healthy customers who have since carried me to the various isles as I direct them. I also cheat sometimes and take over the electric carts of customers who I convince are breaking laws by using them unnecessarily. Naturally I offer to show them the isles as I return the cart to the front of the store.
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