Wal-Mart Never Saw it Coming
Today's Wall Street Journal front page article on Wal-Mart by Ann Zimmerman has caught fire worldwide in the news and in the blogosphere. Once again, just as they were enjoying a higher stock price and relatively few controversies, Wal-Mart managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Mixing a presidential campaign and business can be toxic.
I am occasionally a minor source for Wal-Mart stories (not this one) and was aware of this story before it was published. I talked with my Mom last Sunday about what a problem this would be if it came out. Well it came out. What is amazing is that, until last Tuesday, Wal-Mart was unaware of the pending WSJ article. My Mom was, but Wal-Mart wasn't.
Here's why this is vexing. Wal-Mart held meetings explaining why an Obama victory might ensure passage of an act making union organizing easier. OK, fine. But are they aware that Buffy Wicks, the designer of Obama's grassroots campaign, used to work for Wake Up Wal-Mart? Have they noticed that Jeremy Bird, Obama's Ohio campaign manager, used to work with Buffy at the same place? Barak Obama, the um.... presidential candidate co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, which Wal-Mart is worried about. Why antagonize these people? Wal-Mart HAD to know that word of these "mandatory" meetings would get out. Why hold them at all before the election, thereby making Wal-Mart an issue in the election, potentially alienating customers. Nearly 60% of union households shop at Wal-Mart, btw.
Someone is giving Wal-Mart poor advice. Tactically, these meetings may make sense, in terms of preparing for a looming battle. Strategically, they are a disaster. People in presidential politics play for keeps, and Wal-Mart just pissed off the probable next president. Wal-Mart's outside PR firm is one of the largest in the world. Wal-Mart's EVP of Corporate Affairs, responsible for "reputation management" is a Democratic strategist who shepherded Clinton during the impeachment mess. These people are smart and paid well to anticipate consequences of certain corporate actions, and prevent them. How could they not foresee the fallout of these meetings? And how could they not know of an impending front page Wall Street Journal story about them?
My Mom did.
Follow Ron Galloway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rongalloway
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
SAM WALTON IS DEAD! His children is running the company now and doing a TERRIBLE job.
I remember WALMART took pride in MADE IN USA! It seems since the 90's ..... anything made overseas has taken over. I actually spent 6 hours in WALMART to count how many items made in the USA....I'm sad to say there is less than 30% made in the USA and over 50% is made in CHINA.
This is terriblle! We need to go back too 1980 when there use to be a sticker that said MADE IN THE USA!
I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart for at least five years. I put my money where my mouth is. It's too bad more people don't do the same.
Everybody in the corporate world is mauling the working people. They have got the NLRB packed with union busters, so a big retailer can't go wrong by destoying people's rights. It's just another day at the office!
sadly. yes.
I have never even been in a Wal-Mart. I was tempted once in Mexico while waiting for the bus because I had to go to the bathroom, but decided I could wait....
Couple years ago, I visited a Wal Mart in Santa Rosa, CA, near the 4th of July. American flags and banners everywhere. My purpose was to find something not made in China, and I ran out of time before I did. I confess that I did not go to the cosmetics counter (male, you know), so it's possible there was something there, but I never did find anything. So, apparently WalMart has made China the 51st state. Who knew!!
Ironically, Sam Walton's biography is titled "Made in America." Or perhaps that was just a cruel joke, Sam's last stab in the back of American workers.
Tip for shopping in any store. Look for long term employees. If you see new people every time you go in the store, shop elsewhere. I have been shopping at the local Fleet Farm and Krueger's True Value Hardware and see some of the same employees for years. I always get good service, often find as good or better prices and sometimes find USA made goods.
Walmart gives away a few pieces of junk at a low price to create the illusion of lower prices. Wish I had a Costco as they have better prices and better pay than many other stores. According to Consumer Reports you should check their drug prices.
Oh well, off to Macy's and Whole Foods.
Shop at Target
@marleysghost: "Shop at Target"
According to "The Blue Pages, a Directory of Companies Rated by their Politics and Practices", Target is no saint either. Kind of a mixed bag. They don't have the dismal reputation that Walmart has regarding employee benefits, union issues, and political activism supporting Republicans in 78% of their massive political contributions, but Target is also very Republican-themed in their political contributions, it has been held accountable for misstating earnings, has sourced products from countries with human rights violations, etc. On the other hand, they donate $10M to schools.
If you want another option for discount clothes and other merchandise according to The Blue Pages, choose Costco. They are union-friendly and pay their workers better than other similar businesses.
Ditto. Target has better quality products anyway.
I really don't understand the hype around Wal-Mart anyway. Sure, some stuff is cheaper, but alot of stuff isn't. It's all hype. In the end, Wal-Mart causes more harm than good with their predator tactics. Wake up!
And don't forget to bypass Sam's Club for Costco, which actually pays its workers a living wage with benefits.
"Wal-Mart's EVP of Corporate Affairs, responsible for "reputation management" is a Democratic strategist who shepherded Clinton during the impeachment mess."
Strange, the number of people in the Democratic Party who are tied to Wal-Mart (or am I supposed to use Wal*Mart like they do in China?).
Wal-Mart, who imported so very many cheap products and then demanded equivalent or lower pricing from American manufacturers, thus forcing our manufactures to first reduce wages and benefits and then eventually to flee offshore to cheaper, environmentally-unregulated nations...
Wal-Mart, who is world-reknowned for their union-busting efforts...
Wal-Mart, who now actively works against the election of Obama...
Strange, that so many Democrats (noticiably either the wealthier ones, the ones who have served on its board of directors, or the ones most in need of campaign funding or a good word from a huge corporation to its tens of thousands of voting workers) so adore Wal-Mart...
To the point that they appear willing to close their eyes to the fact that Wal-Mart's sole goal is making money, and they are willing to use monopolistic practices and are even willing to destroy the entire economy of America to ensure that they have a steady flow of consumers who can afford to shop nowhere else...
Used to shop at Wal-Mart. No more. I'd rather do without, or spend more time looking through the racks at the thrift store.
Congratulations, W-M, on losing a customer.
So WalMart thinks its employees are too stupid to make the choice to be or not to be in a union.
Walmart's senior managment seems to be populated with arrogant personalities who are stubborn and set in their anti-union ways, as befits their HQ being in a southern right-to-work state, that historically pays low wages. So, they are constantly shooting themselves in the foot with their lack of sensitivity and awareness about employee work issues and community issues. It's depressing to think that America's largest company is a company like Walmart.
Published above brief:
"Wal-Mart held [mandatory] meetings explaining why an Obama victory might ensure passage of an act making union organizing easier. . . . Barak Obama, the um.... presidential candidate ****co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, which Wal-Mart is worried about.**** Wal-Mart HAD to know that word of these "mandatory" meetings* would get out. Why hold them at all before the election, thereby making Wal-Mart an issue in the election, potentially alienating customers. Nearly 60% of union households shop at Wal-Mart, btw.
BACKGROUND:: WalMart **forced** its workers to attend meetings in which they were told that voting for Sen.Obama could lose them their jobs. Why? Because unions would be allowed to educate workers about their rights. Wal Mart is notoriously anti-union.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What THAT means is that WalMart -- called The Sino company because it imports most of its products from China, thereby helping to eliminate entire American industries -- is tampering with our democratic electoral process. Well we don't really have to shop at WalMart,do we?
They have lots of good competitors out there.
I never shop at WalMart. They have cheated women workers, payng men more for the same jobs, as proven by recentt class action suits for gender discrimination. I figure: you don't respect women; you don't need a woman's hard earned money.
I vote for whom I choose and I choose Sen. Barrack Obama.
A female miiltary veteran,mother, and worker
Walmart exploits its workers, now it is threatening its managers or frightening them into voting for the Republicans. How do we protest, how do we help restore democracy---register as many new voters as possible to vote for their own best interests in November--that is, register voters and make sure they get to the polls to vote for Obama in November. We can follow the issues, as those of us to write these blogs do, we can volunteer for the campaign--but the most important and EFFECTIVE thing we can do is register new voters for Obama and get them to the polls, We have to aim for a landslide because, after 2000 and 2004, we know what the GOP will do if the election is close. For every negative ad the Karl Rove-Steve Schmidt-John McCain-campaign puts on the air, we have to talk to at least five people and tell them the truth. We have to work at the grass roots level to make people aware. The average American doesn't have time to sort this all out--but we can make one point clear--the GOP is responsible for this economic disaster, the GOP is responsible for corporations making profits but not reinvesting in American jobs, the GOP is responsible for American jobs going oversead, the GOP is responsible for record EXXON profits and astronomical gas prices.
Shut their asses down by driving pass the stores................................... We bitch and we buy from them.
It makes me very proud that I don't shop at Walmart.
DITTO! & NEVER will
I was just ready to go to Wal-Mart and pick up a few things.
FLIP - FLOP - I'm now on my way to K-Mart, a bit of a longer drive, but using my expensive gas is necessary when push comes to shove.
I'm glad I read this article this afternoon and not this evening.
I never have and NEVER WILL !!
Mee too. Haven't set foot in one for about seven years now, and am surviving quite nicely.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
