Posted on 11/17/2005 3:14:27 PM PST by Dr. Marten
I agree with just about everything you posted. I would add the word "leadership" to union. The only thing I didn't quite agree with was the claim about entry level positions. I believe you said transitional jobs.
I would offer to you that as we exit the industrial age andprogress well into the technology age, service jobs cannot be called just entry level or transition for all time. They are simply too many to do so. I would offer that if service based jobs are to be called entry level or transitional for all time then this country will fall on its face with a workfoce comprised mostly of entry level positions. I think that is a recipie for disaster.
Does this mean I would hammer wal mart? No, not at all. I Like wal mart. I would hammer the other entities you named very hard and I would call for people to accept that lots and lots of gen X and gen Y will always be in service based jobs and that they are indeed careers.
An example. My wife has been a CNA, always been a CNA. This is considered unskilled labor. An entry level position. Take a good look where that attitude leads by noticing the utterly disgusting care (and respect) we give our elders in this nation.
She doesn't want to be a nurse, RN LPN etc. She likes the direct care that she can provide to folks that spent a lifetime earning at least a clean shave a bath and a person to actually show they care about them in their last days. I offer it takes a very special kind of person to do that and calling it unskilled labor ( and paying a wage that reflects that) is about as much a slap in the face as the care nursing homes provide for their $6000 a month fee.
Not an attack man, just an observation a couple comments and an example to show where I am coming from.
Ever notice when a liberal supports Federal spending its the "governemnt's" money. When they are against it, its the "taxpayers'" money.
What other time have we ever heard a liberal looking out for "taxpayers"?????
EXACTLY. I am so glad that I don't have employer or government provided Auto Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, etc. I wish that they didn't spend MY money providing me with THEIR choice of Medical Insurance.
Could you imagine what auto insurance would cost if it covered tune-ups, paint touch-ups, upholstery cleaning, etc...
If his Walmart was like the Walmart I worked at he got ripped off. Bananas usually was 20 cents more than grocery stores nearby but they sold a lot.
It was surprising how much stuff we sold was higher priced than elsewhere but since most Walmart shoppers didn't put the time in to check prices or even to take advantage of our honoring other store ads it was their fault.
Still I suspect some wise retailer could put shops in near Walmart stores called "Cheaper than Walmart" and have a pretty good inventory of goods.
I guess this guy would rather we go back to making cars by hand, too?
Blasphamy !! what about mom and pop Horse and Cart operators ?!?!?!??!
The bitter taste is from all the horse apples spewing form the authors mouth
It seems all goods are made in China these days. I don't care where you go. As for Wages. Macy's and other stores pay no more than Walmart.
"Woe unto any Chinese worker who protests labor practices."
So much for Communism then, huh? Probably not what Marx had planned on.
He never really manages to close the loop. Did his late stepfather stay up all night selling bananas or not? And what ever became of all of those really special, one-of-a-kind family-run all-night tropical fruit stands I remember so well from my idyllic youth?
>Ever notice when a liberal supports Federal spending its >the "governemnt's" money. When they are against it, its >the "taxpayers'" money.
>What other time have we ever heard a liberal looking out >for "taxpayers"?????
Nice try, but liberals are all about raising the minimum wage. If you read the article, you might have noticed that little point where he stated Wal-Mart could feel free to give pay raises on their own without having it mandated from the government.
I for one thing minimum wage is a load of crap anyway. Why should the government be able to tell you how much you have to pay your employees? If they want the job, they'll work for the wages you offer.
I'm sure the Delphi union members will soon learn how that works.
Sure I understand work gratification but when 80% of the economy is serviced based how does one consider service jobs unskilled in order to keep the wages low. That in effect would put 80% of the workforce into poverty and is hardly a recipe for success.
Im not saying all wages should be high, I would offer that would lead to the same problem (unbalance that leads to lack of stability leading to crash). If all service jobs remain classified as entry level /transition/ unskilled we are headed for trouble.
The little rascals were building a wagon with room enough for all of them to ride. The boy charged with installing the wheels on the multitude of axles was making good progress as the wheels were handed to him by another lad. It wasn't till he got to the end of the job and looked back that he realized he had been handed the same two wheels over and over, one having been removed while he was installing the other. A good picture of the American consumers and Walmart, respectively.
She doesn't want to be a nurse, RN LPN etc. She likes the direct care that she can provide to folks that spent a lifetime earning at least a clean shave a bath and a person to actually show they care about them in their last days. I offer it takes a very special kind of person to do that and calling it unskilled labor ( and paying a wage that reflects that) is about as much a slap in the face as the care nursing homes provide for their $6000 a month fee.
I believe that, as the baby boomers age, individuals in your wife's position, attitude, and skill set, will be in a position to take advantage of coming social changes.
If she, and other workers who are willing to perform this kind of work, could manage to form up, and initiate, manage and operate high quality, low cost nursing care facilities for aging baby boomers, they would be set to acquire some significantly increased income.
It would take a group that understood the expectations of baby boomers for personalized, sympathetic care, and to understand the value of individuals like your wife, who now do the job because they want to, not because it pays particularly well.
Such individuals as your wife would be, I believe, in high demand, based upon the reputation of such a facility. High demand equals high pay.
That all may sound crazy at this juncture, but I believe that once baby boomers reach nursing home care (and even before that, in-home care) age, good treatment, a safe environment, and the long term stability of care will be something most of them will be more than willing to pay for.
And if such a support facility was focused on low cost/high quality care, the line of customers would be out the door (probably in wheelchairs, but still waiting to get in).
LOL!
Is it too late to recommend what "E. Ray" should do with his banana?
"My biggest problem with Wal-Mart is that the banana this guy talks about was probably made in China."
ROFLMAO! The nerve of those damn slave-labor-produced Commie bananas, undercutting our patriotic American bananas!
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