Week 7: Textbook Case Study
12/11/2011
Week 7: Textbook Case Study
"Save Money. Live Better" – Walmart and Unions Interpret the Slogan Differently
1. I honestly feel that there is way more disadvantages than advantages with Wal-Mart working with a union. Union women and men are more likely than nonunion workers to have health and pension benefits, and to receive paid holidays and vacations, and life and disability insurance. In the Wal-Mart case, I find this hard to believe. I think that Wal-Mart, being the large company that they are, is capable of much more than what a union could provide. Wal-Mart provides all that a union would help provide a company with, but they would take most of the money. Wal-Mart provides paid holidays, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, etc. They provide this without the “promises” of someone else while handing them over thousands to millions of dollars. Wal-Mart workers in the United States haven 't met with much success as they try to organize unions. Wal-Mart, like many employers, resent having a union as a third party representing workers to negotiate for working conditions, benefits, and compensation. A handful of meat cutters in the Jacksonville, Texas, store voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in 2000, but their affiliation was short lived. Within weeks, Wal-Mart closed the meat cutting operations in 180 stores in six states, including Texas, switching to prepackaged meat. Wal-Mart denied that the union membership had anything to do with the move. People might be surprised to learn that historically anti-union retailer Wal-Mart does have stores with active unions. They are not in the U.S., though; they are in China and Canada. That I believe is because our Country has more options where as those other countries that have the Wal-Mart plus unions, need help finding alternative options for insurance benefits.
2. A union does collective bargaining which can often result in higher wages, better benefits, and
Week 7: Textbook Case Study
"Save Money. Live Better" – Walmart and Unions Interpret the Slogan Differently
1. I honestly feel that there is way more disadvantages than advantages with Wal-Mart working with a union. Union women and men are more likely than nonunion workers to have health and pension benefits, and to receive paid holidays and vacations, and life and disability insurance. In the Wal-Mart case, I find this hard to believe. I think that Wal-Mart, being the large company that they are, is capable of much more than what a union could provide. Wal-Mart provides all that a union would help provide a company with, but they would take most of the money. Wal-Mart provides paid holidays, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, etc. They provide this without the “promises” of someone else while handing them over thousands to millions of dollars. Wal-Mart workers in the United States haven 't met with much success as they try to organize unions. Wal-Mart, like many employers, resent having a union as a third party representing workers to negotiate for working conditions, benefits, and compensation. A handful of meat cutters in the Jacksonville, Texas, store voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in 2000, but their affiliation was short lived. Within weeks, Wal-Mart closed the meat cutting operations in 180 stores in six states, including Texas, switching to prepackaged meat. Wal-Mart denied that the union membership had anything to do with the move. People might be surprised to learn that historically anti-union retailer Wal-Mart does have stores with active unions. They are not in the U.S., though; they are in China and Canada. That I believe is because our Country has more options where as those other countries that have the Wal-Mart plus unions, need help finding alternative options for insurance benefits.
2. A union does collective bargaining which can often result in higher wages, better benefits, and
References: Greenhouse, S. (2007 May 1). Report Assails Wal-Mart Over Unions. The New York Times Lichtenstein, N. (2009 June 14). Why Wal-Mart workers need the Employee-Free-Choice Act SB123992564986427357.html Miller, G., Congressman (2004)