My Personal Walmart Nightmare: You Won’t Believe What Life Is Like Working There

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/my-personal-walmart-nightmare-you-wont-believe-what-life


Pam Ramos
Photo Credit: Salon.com


When I woke up to see the news, I could hardly believe it: President Obama is planning a visit to the Mountain View Wal-Mart where I work.

But the excitement quickly passed when I found out the store would be shutting down hours in advance of his visit. I wouldn’t be able to tell the president what it’s like to work at Wal-Mart and what it’s like to struggle on low wages, without the hours I need. I am living at the center of the income inequality that he speaks about so often, and I wanted to talk to him about how to change this problem.

My situation is not unlike that of many of the 825,000 Wal-Mart associates – and many other Americans – who are working hard, but just can’t keep up. Most of us aren’t even paid $25,000 a year even though we work at the largest employer in the country and one that makes $16 billion in profits.

I wanted to tell the president what it’s like working – and living – like this.

Things have always been tight. After four years working at Wal-Mart in Mountain View, I am bringing home about $400 every two weeks (I’d like to get more hours, but I’m lucky if I work 32 hours a week). That’s not enough to pay for bills, gas and food. All I can afford to eat for lunch is a cup of coffee and a bag of potato chips. I’ve always done everything possible to stretch paychecks and scrape by. Sometimes it means not getting enough to eat.

[madokie]

1. A nightmare that no one and I mean NO ONE should have to live

I don't care where they live or what color their skin is no one should have to live in poverty who is willing and can work. I'll go further. No one in the world should have to live in poverty no matter the circumstances. If they chose to be that way then its on them personally but no one should because of things out of their control have to live this way.

In this sense Democracy has been a failure.

[yeoman6987]

30. It is so strange

In 1995, I worked at Walmart part time for about 20 hours a week (at least) and I was paid 8 bucks an hour. I don't know what happened in the 20 years but apparently they must have changed the policies. I put all my paychecks into Walmart stock, but I swear they matched some parts of it at least. I am just stunned at the negativity of Walmart. I found it to be fun but again 20 years later things may have changed. I was a check out person. Not much to the job really.

[glowing]

31. That $8.00/ hr doesn't quite stretch as far as it did 20yrs ago.

[yeoman6987]

32. Agree but what do they pay today? 13 dollars an hour? It must be at least that I hope.

[glowing]

34. No, avg person on the floor is making $8.00/ hr and not getting 40hrs.

My Walmart put in self check out lanes.. Even less employees now.. I hadn't been in there in forever.. I normall go to grocery store and Target.. there's at least staff and stock in the store.

[PatSeg]

41. I remember

back in the early to mid nineties, Walmart was paying more than most retailers and the hours were there as well. Some time in the early 2000's, big box stores started cutting labor big time. Employees got more work, less hours, little or no benefits for the same hourly wage.

I knew people who couldn't get a set schedule, so they could get a second job to make ends meet. It became a standard with corporate retailers. People weren't valued at all. It didn't matter how hard someone worked, how dependable they were, or how competent they were. There were more applicants than jobs. Pretty close to slave labor.

[Laelth]

2. k&r for the truth, however depressing it may be. n/t

-Laelth

[Dustlawyer]

3. All so the Walton family can make even more money that they don't need, sick!

[oneofthe99]

4. Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwell

[n2doc]

5. Probably not working there anymore

Last edited Fri May 9, 2014, 08:31 AM - Edit history (1)

Hopefully if so, she will find a better place. VoldeMart sucks.

[daleanime]

6. K&R....

[Jasana]

7. This breaks my heart...

When I first started working for an airport (during the Reagan 80s) I took the chance and became a union officer. They were gunning to get us back then. The PATCO strike that Reagan broke up had given them the green light.

Even so. We worked 40 hours per week. We got time and a 1/2 for OT (and at an airport there was plenty of opportunity for OT.) We got 5 holidays off per year and if we worked them we got double time. We had night differential. (Important. We were a 24 a day operation.) We got 7 sick days per year. 1 week of vacation after the 1st year. By year 5, you'd have 4 weeks of vacation.

We had affordable medical and dental HMOs and a 401k matching program. We started at minimum wage which was back then $5.50 per hour but the union got us raises (if small ones, every year.)

Sometimes I can not believe how far we've fallen.

[KG]

8. pah. she never loved him anyway...

[pangaia]

9. And wallfart has the gall to call them associates.

They sure don't pay or treat them like associates.

[Caretha]

10. Well

you have to admit that "Wage-Slaves" has a nasty ring to it.

[whopis01]

24. Wage-slaves is an inappropriate term

It places way too much emphasis on wages and thus doesn't accurately describe the nature of working there.

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. I was going to say that we should definitely turn over public education to Walmart......

..... but it seems we're doing that already.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/us/a-walmart-fortune-spreading-charter-schools.html?_r=1

[xchrom]

13. +1

[Doctor_J]

22. That explains why the president is posing in front of Walmart today

They're helping him kill public schools.

[mercymechap]

12. But, but, but,

Republicans claim you can just go get another job if you don't like it at Wal-mart....

[Dirty Socialist]

18. Or Get A Second Job

Ain't America great?

[alp227]

45. And become "uniquely American"

[Orsino]

14. A glimpse of our future...

...only most of us won't be lucky enough to have a job even this shitty.

[Louisiana1976]

27. +1 million

[KittyWampus]

15. Walton and his like would just say she's lazy. Infuriating we live hand to mouth.

[Orrex]

16. I hope she's setting aside $1000 each month for retirement

Otherwise she's simply being irresponsible.

[They_Live]

42. Right. And if she really needs some money

she can always just borrow it from her parents. That's what Mittens told me.

[QC]

17. WalMart is a progressive success story,

according to the president's top economic advisor.

[progressoid]

19. Ddisgusting.

Visiting a Walmart?!

Disgusting.

[classykaren]

50. Remember him taking that jab at Hillary during a debate? She even worked on the board of directors

at Walmart.

[Blue Owl]

20. And all this to sell crap manufactured in China

n/t

[Solly Mack]

21. K&R

[Doctor_J]

23. I think this photo-op by the president is the most disgusting thing he's done

but there is still 2.5 years to go

[Curmudgeoness]

25. The store would be shutting down????

The POTUS plans to visit your place of business, and they shut the store down? Seriously? They really have something to hide, don't they?

[Louisiana1976]

29. That's taking work hours away from those who can least afford to lose them.

[randys1]

26. We should seize Walton fortune today, turn walmart into manufacturing bases

People like the Walton's should have no money, no power, otherwise we are assholes for letting them continue to act like this...

[reformist2]

28. A lot of people never take two minutes to think about what living on $7.50 an hour is like.

Living on $200 a week just. isn't. possible.

[840high]

33. I wonder if she's looked into

food stamps.

[NYC_SKP]

35. For all the complaining, for all the members who rec this thread, how many shop at Walmart, and..

..support Hillary Clinton, former member of the board.

eom.

[mike_c]

40. not this DUer-- neither, ever....

eom

[moondust]

36. Maybe the gov't should buy Walmart.

Turn it into a chain of civilian PX's. Get rid of the absurd executive salaries and sucking shareholders and pay at least a living wage to all employees.

[Sunlei]

37. This is why Congress needs to raise our Federal minimum wage! we have been waiting many years!!

[alittlelark]

38. I pass that WalMart 2 times a week at least

Haven't been in it for over 10 years. He went there to tout their solar panels, then came to a house 6 blocks from me for a fundraiser. NEVER have I seen so many police in our area.... aside from the machete guy 12 years ago....

[mike_c]

39. Obama should not set foot into Walmart....

eom

[dickensknitter]

43. Not unless...

he is there to embrace the workers and speak directly and bluntly to the nation about their struggles and the desperate need for change.
I agree.

[dickensknitter]

44. And...

Bless you Pam Ramos for bravely speaking the truth of your experience which is the experience of many thousands.

[Initech]

46. I know several people that work at Disneyland.

If you think Wal-Mart is the only company that nickles and dimes their employees to death, they're not the only ones. I hear working in the restaurants is a nightmare and they make you pay for your own meals, you get no overtime, tips are shared collectively, chances for advancement are slim to none... I could go on and on. We need better regulation against these scumbags.

[Demo_Chris]

49. Target, Lowes, Depot, the local mom and pop, They are pretty much all that way...

Walmart gets special attention and hate from some on the left, largely because they were not shopping there anyway.

[DeSwiss]

47. The slaps just keep coming, don't they?

- Wake up! Wake up! Wake up sleepyheads!

K&R

[Iwillnevergiveup]

48. Yeah, this POTUS event

is incomprehensible to me. Wal-Mart has and will be a place to avoid, and to educate others as to why they should avoid it, too.