[Who dat?]

At Wal-Mart, the average wage is about $8.50 an hour, compared with $13 at unionized supermarkets.

That’s “average wage.” It doesn’t include pension contributions or health & welfare contributions or vacation time, sick days, or anything else.

You have to ask yourself if you really think a courtesy clerk, checker, dairy stocker, or anyone else in a similar job really *deserves* $26+/hr compensation (when you add it all up). Those were all jobs done in my day by entry-level people at minimum wage.

Nobody died in the process. Most of us are still around. Being a bagger (etc) is not something that was ever envisioned as a "career."

[kaboom]

Being a bagger (etc) is not something that was ever envisioned as a "career."

AAARGHHH! My dreams, my future...crushed in a single sentence. I should have seen it coming back when they switched from paper to plastic.

[BJungNan]

You have to ask yourself if you really think a courtesy clerk, checker, dairy stocker, or anyone else in a similar job really *deserves* $26+/hr compensation

How much of the take home pay goes to taxes, social security, unemployment insurance, state disability insurance, local income taxes, sales taxes, gasoline taxes (gasoline in California still at $2.00 per gallon), utility taxes, a California rent or mortgage.

Today, $13.00 an hour does not go far.

Gross pay 2253
Payroll deductions 337.95
Monthly take home 1915.05

LESS
Rent/mortgage 900
Food 500
Car Ins 120
Car Payment 270
electricity 120
Other 300
Montly exp 2210
Total -294.95

How were you saying they should get along on $8.50 an hour?