Wow! That is really all I can say. I was not aware of the politics and the antics that went on for an employee for this store. I am not a current events or news type of person so I am not surprised that all this went on without my knowledge. Mr. Walton should be ashamed of the type of store he has built. He wanted to supply the people with cheaper goods to turn a profit. That is a great plan but underpaying your employees should not be part of the driving force to earn that profit. Karen Olson states in her article about Wal-Mart, "They just want to see how much they can get away with without having to hire someone else" (607). How can a company not only survive but become one of the leading employment opportunities around with this kind of mindset? It is appalling that the management are unwilling to stand up for their employees and stop the disrespect and negligence from continuing to happen.
Olson also talks about the union busters that are brought in to bring down the team and stop the discussions and plans from spreading. Wal-Mart has a "zero tolerance" for union talks. You would think Wal-Mart would encourage the union to come in and take place. Granted they may have to give up some things they are currently used to doing but in the long run, they would have more dedicated employees who WANT to work for their company. Having happy and content employees would sincerely help their business! It would cut down on turnover rates, continuous outages, and theft as well. It seems that they are just too stubborn and set in their ways to see how this could help. They want to make sure the employees know who is in charge and who has the power versus really working as the team the try so hard to portray.
As for Black Friday, to me that is just a money making scheme for all companies with Wal-Mart included. No, you will not see me at this store or any others in the area. Black Friday has now turned into Thanksgiving Thursday which I refuse to take away from my family. But even if it was just a Friday morning shopping trip, it is not worth it for me. The lines, the crowds, and inevitably the disappointment when you get there and they are sold out anyway doesn't interest me in the least bit.
