Dear Editor:
In response to Mark A. Zappa’s letter to the Editor, I find that
Mr. Zappa’s view of Wal-Mart’s Super Center expansion to be
extremely ignorant.
Dear Editor:
In response to Mark A. Zappa’s letter to the Editor, I find that Mr. Zappa’s view of Wal-Mart’s Super Center expansion to be extremely ignorant. Mr. Zappa’s paranoia itself has the smell of one of Wal-Mart’s “anti-union suits” that are flown in from Bentonville (Wal-Mart HQ), just to intimidate and coerce Wal-Mart employees. The National Labor Relations Board (governmental regulatory agency overseeing Unions) has filed well over 40 complaint charges in 25 states, against Wal-Mart for illegal anti-union practices. Not to mention that more than 5,000 lawsuits are heard against Wal-Mart annually – including that largest gender discrimination lawsuit involving over 700,000 female Wal-Mart employees.
Mr. Zappa clearly states in his letter that, “They (unions) were formed to protect employees from unsafe work conditions and employer abuse.” He continues by saying, that the unions insist on a say in how many breaks an employee takes, what hours employees work, ergonomic safety in the work environment and how much an employee should earn, repeating that … should earn. All of this is completely correct! Wal-Mart does not care about it’s employees, it abuses them with the same treatment as they show to any other commodity it sells. This is very self evident with Wal-Mart’s 50-percent-plus turnover rate in employees annually.
Yes, unions are in favor of a “living wage,” a fair, livable wage so that a single mother could afford to take care of her children, without taxpayer assistance. Why should our tax dollars be spent on an employee of Wal-Mart making a below poverty wage rate when Wal-Mart, the richest company in the world, could easily afford a living wage!
Then Mr. Zappa compares the retail industry to the airline industry, again this is apples and oranges. Airline pilots for United earn in excess of $100,000 per year, working approximately 40 hours a month. Mr. Zappa please let me know of what retail establishment pays its employees that same $100,000-plus annual salary while working only 40 hours per month. As far as I can tell, it is only the CEOs and company management that make that gross six-figure salary.
Mr. Zappa’s letter continues with what Wal-Mart can offer its employees. He states that, “Wal-Mart offers a fair and legal wage as well as a number of benefits.” The wage maybe legal but does that make it right or fair? For example, Wal-Mart considers working 28 hours full time, and pays on average $7.50 per hour or $910 (gross) a month. Tell me how the single mother can take care of her family with that wage? It’s simple they use our tax dollars, that Wal-mart employee is forced to be on welfare, food stamps and/or WIC for her baby. It may be legal but is this fair? No!
Mr. Zappa claims that Wal-Mart offers benefits and they do, but what he forgot to finish telling complete truth. Only one third of Wal-Mart employees can afford some type of benefit coverage and some of those are forced to borrow from their 401K account. That single mother earning $910 (gross)a month will pay about $217 a month just for the premium, this does not include deductible or any other copayments. He claims that Wal-Mart offers life insurance, they do for another additional price. But Mr. Zappa forgot to mention that Wal-Mart was taking out their own life insurance policies on their employees. So, when an employee died, Wal-Mart made money off of the employee’s death, even if the employee left nothing for their surviving loved ones. This sounds very morbid. The members of the retail unions make a livable wage and pay on average dues of about $30 per month and the employers picking up the full benefit coverage cost. Do the math and see who is better off.
If Wal-Mart doe not want to unionize then Wal-Mart should at least be paying a livable wage with livable benefits.
John Reese, Morgan Hill
Submitted Friday, Feb. 21 to ed****@ga****.com
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.
