Wal-Mart plans to hire 100,000 veterans over five years

[Redfairen]

Source: Reuters

Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, said it plans to hire more than 100,000 veterans in the United States over the next five years, a move supported by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Most of the veterans will be placed in the company's stores and clubs, and some will be employed in distribution centers, Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Bill Simon said in a speech to be to delivered on Tuesday at the National Retail Federation conference.

The retailer will start issuing job offers to veterans from Memorial Day in May. The offers will be given to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first twelve months off active duty.

"Hiring a veteran can be one of the best business decisions you make ... veterans have a record of performance under pressure," Simon said in the speech, a copy of which was provided to Reuters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/wal-mart-plans-hire-100-000-veterans-over-054120360--finance.html

[bowens43]

1. why? What about all of the other unemployed people?

why is it more important for a veteran to have a job?

this is insane

[WooWooWoo]

2. it's not that it's more important

but veterans deserve to be helped because of the sacrifices they made while serving.

When I get out, I'll have preferences for civil service hiring because I'm a veteran. In fact, I'll have +10 points on the civil service test because I'm a veteran and disabled.

When you separate from the military you're at a disadvantage because you haven't been working in the civilian sector for years, so you're behind everyone else who is looking for a job because you don't have recent experience. Hiring preferences for veterans helps balance that out.

[Nika]

59. Great post WooWooWoo, thank you

I am a veteran and know all too well what you say is the painful truth.

[Democracyinkind]

3. Because chances are they got fucked over worse than the people who stayed home?

Look, I'm as anti-military and anti-corporate war state as it gets, but one should not take that out on the veterans. On the long list of the people whom we totally fucked over, the veterans of our recent wars seem to hold the top rank undisputed.

The thing that bothers me more is the thought that we have nothing better to offer them than pushing carts at Walmart. Seems to me this says alot about what the American dream has become.

"Be grateul. We can now offer you a shitty, low-paying job that won't pay your bills and will guarantee you a life of debt, scarcity and misery. Oh, and thanks for your service - sorry that we "elected" criminal fucks wo decided to illegally misuse you for some foreign treasure hunt in order to further line their and their friend's pockets".

[CE5]

10. "On the long list of the people whom we totally fucked over..."

"the veterans of our recent wars seem to hold the top rank undisputed."

Yeah right, the victims of their barbarity don't deserve any consideration, after all they are just corpses. Ask a million Iraqi dead people, victims of US aggression if they feel "fucked over".

[Democracyinkind]

17. Yeah, beacause the poor fucks we sent over there are to blame

Enjoy your stay and while you're at it try not to forget that having compassion for one group of victims is not mutually exclusive to having compassion with other victims!

[KansDem]

22. This statement sums it all up...

Oh, and thanks for your service - sorry that we "elected" criminal fucks wo decided to illegally misuse you for some foreign treasure hunt in order to further line their and their friend's pockets".

That's what US wars have been about since 1946.

[JoeyT]

47. Besides the tax break?

In a country that's sliding ever closer to fascism being able to say "We employ a hundred thousand veterans! We support the troops!!!" will not only insulate you from criticism, but create rabid defenders in the entirety of one party and a good portion of the other.

Watch: If they manage to hire that many the next time there's a thread about some shitty labor practice at Wal-Mart it'll be brought up repeatedly and loudly, usually accompanied by accusations of insufficient patriotism on the part of anyone complaining.

[Earth_First]

4. I wonder what sort of tax break Wal Mart was able to create

to get this done.

Wap Mart doesn't do feel good stories. There's something in it for them...

[WooWooWoo]

5. they might get $700 million

depending on how the law works.

Obama signed, as part of the hire heroes act, a tax break for companies that hire veterans. $7000. I'm not sure if that's total or per veteran, but if it's per veteran, 100,000 hires equals $700 million.

[Earth_First]

7. ...and there it is!

Thanks for pointing this out.

[James48]

8. YES_ it is per veteran

it is a tax credit>

i doubt ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND VETERANS WILL APPLY_ VETERANS ARE SMARTER THAN THAT>

[Voice for Peace]

12. what kind of hourly wage are they going to get?

?

[James48]

30. Most Wal-mart employees start around $8.35/ hour

and it's part time, not full time.

[SaveAmerica]

54. Word!! And I hope they don't

because they could have been applying for and getting a job at Wal-Mart all along. I hope the word is spread far and wide that this is just an attempt for Wal-mart to help their bottom line while getting their best return of investment.

[Autumn]

56. How about we give that $7000 to each of our Vets and

tell Wal Mart to fuck off. Stimulate the economy.

[leveymg]

31. This reminds me of the inner-city "fresh foods" meme that WalMart was pushing a year ago

with WH support to expand into urban neighborhoods where WallyWorld and other anti-union big box stores haven't been welcome.

They're doing this because WalMart is simply a Great Humanitarian.

[Skittles]

6. haven't they been through enough?

[AnneD]

52. My thought exactly ...

when I heard it this morning. At least they can handle Black Friday.

I knew there had to be an ulterior motive. Thanks for the tax break info. I use to be in the USAR. I left just before Desert Storm. The military has done nothing but shaft Reservists what with the stop losses and endless call up. I was lucky. I just had a 2 week call up and my employer was great and let me have the time and not have to use vacation time. I lost no seniority or anything.

It isn't that way anymore. It shouldn't be, but why would you hire and train someone that will be gone on a deployment for god knows how long. Since WalMart views their employees as low wage interchangeable cogs, it is no skin off their nose if their worker goes out. Heck the are sure to have a 'dead peasant' life insurance policy on those workers.

Edited to add...How sad for America when you risk your life to protect your country and the only employment they guarantee is a job at WalMart. Sounds like they are being shafted again.

[OnionPatch]

57. Yep. Very sad.

This is all we can do for our vets?!! A freakin slave-wage job at Walmart? The saddest part is that many will have no choice but to take that shitty job.

[AnneD]

61. Or their only other choice....

is to join the Reserve in the first place to try and pay off their ridiculous student loans because there are no jobs and the local economy is shot to shit.

[Scuba]

9. Don't our veterans deserve better than minimum wage jobs with no benefits?

[Cobalt Violet]

19. As do all our workers

Especially with the cheap ass minimum wage the us has.

[leveymg]

34. How much more is the public Treasury supposed to subsidize WalMart's low-wage biz model?

We already pick up the tab for the food stamps, Medicare and other public benefits programs their "Associates" must rely on because non-union WalMart doesn't pay a living wage.

[Cynicus Emeritus]

40. The real outrage is that Walmart and McDonalds hiring now makes the news

This country once had good private sector jobs that produced tangible products covered by labor contracts where one working spouse could support a family, have a pension, buy a new car, have a yearly vacation, send children to college without sent into trillions of debt by bankers.

Discount stores and fast food hired teenagers and young people and those only looking for part time jobs. Vets came home to find the jobs needed to build the things needed to keep Americas economy running instead of selling stuff from Asia that really isn't needed.

Lawn maintenance or grass cutting once the bastion of young people or done by well paid maintenance workers has become a major cut throat and highly competitive business that pays little.

We've had 40 years of worthless politicians taking care of bankers and crony capitalists instead of taking care of America. They shipped the jobs to Asia, China and Korea because it made profits for a tiny minority of elite financiers and CEOs while it screwed America.


Progressive..populist..and libertarian for the people.

[Scuba]

41. +1

[Le Taz Hot]

11. So, our veterens haven't been

through enough? Part-time, minimum-wage jobs with no bennies. Whoopie.

[Voice for Peace]

13. seriously.. but if this is part of a white house deal, maybe that's also been negotiated?

[Le Taz Hot]

14. It's a win-win for this admiinstration.

The veteran issue has always been an easy shield for politicians. In this case WalMart gets a free source of cheap, desperate labor who, too often, will have no choice but to settle for those McJobs AND they get to continue to sell products produced via cheap, slave labor thereby reaping rich rewards -- for the Walton family. Obama gets to proclaim he's helping veterans AND the retail industry which, it will be claimed, will help to stimulate the economy.

[Fuddnik]

15. They probably have more than 100,000 employee turnover every year.

Replace the people who quit, get a big tax credit to boot.

[Le Taz Hot]

18. Don't you just love the

free market system? What a joke.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

51. At least they can send them to the VA for health-care instead of the Medicaid line.

[redstatebluegirl]

16. They have veteran benefits

So They will not count in the thousands of walmart employees who do not have healthcare. They can work them as much as they like and not have to pay benefits.

[liberal N proud]

20. Yep

[Scuba]

21. Many do not receive veterans benefits. Those who are discharged healthy, with fewer than 20 years..

... service, do not receive healthcare services from the VA. One must have a service-related injury/disability or have served 20 to be eligible.

[Tanta]

45. This right here

I was discharged healthy, all I get is shots, cheaper prescriptions, and a yearly physical...wait I didn't get last year's...

[Scuba]

46. Can you please tell me how you are eligible for these benefits?

I'm a vet, and have never had the VA pay for a dime of my healthcare, including hearing aids I need as a result of service-related hearing loss (they said I didn't apply soon enough after discharge).

[Bozvotros]

53. All post 911 vets get five years of free health care at the VA.

But see my post further down the thread.

[Turbineguy]

23. Walmart likes people

who work 18 hours a day without being paid overtime.

[OnlinePoker]

36. And are willing to take orders without questioning them. n/t

[formercia]

24. " veterans have a record of performance under pressure,"

Translation: We can squeeze more blood out of the Turnip because the Veterans are used to being fucked over and pushed to the limit.

[onehandle]

25. Soldiers secured oil to make their foreign made junk. They should get stock options. nt

[graham4anything]

26. I don't have much use for Walmart, however, I never thought an aspect til someone here reminded me-

here in the NY/NJ are have many choices of where to shop for anything at all that
WalMart offers, including cheap drugs, where supermarkets here match the prices of walmart

and many items in supermarkets, on weekly sales, are cheaper than walmart's normal prices
(where they don't have sales)

what i was not thinking of though is,
in many places now, for the most part, there is no choice and people are forced to shop there for food and drugs and goods.
I would wish Walmart not be here, but as they took all the mom and pops away in so many eras, the people themselves
(you know, the 99% one professes to care about) have to shop there.

and yes, they took away all those jobs

however, until there are other options, they offer work for those who have no other hope

Not a great job, but something in areas that have nothing else

So the burn it down philosophy sounds great
except for the people who need it

something to think about

in the meantime I applaud the effort by the First Lady for this.
instead of the normal blathering that Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Reagan ever did.

[global1]

27. Why Does This Offer Only Apply During His Or Her First Twelve Months Off Active Duty.....

what about all those veterans that are back from the ME thirteen months and longer that need a job?


"The offers will be given to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first twelve months off active duty."

Is this a Wal-Mart stipulation or does this have something to do with the getting of the tax break from the government?

[James48]

33. Because that's when they can get the corporate tax credit.

the IRS rules are that they have to do it in that year to get the $9,600 per veteran tax credit.

http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/VOW-to-Hire-Heroes-Act---Frequently-Asked-Questions-and-Answers

[sofa king]

62. And since they'll make part time/min wage....

... They will be paid less over a year than the tax credit pays Wal Mart.

[madrchsod]

28. distribution centers....suck

one is timed to the second while doing their job. each pallet takes exactly so many minutes. the movement of that pallet is timed to the minute. it`s really a bad job that pays around 15-17 where i live. the overnight stocking at the sam`s clubs i`ve been to are pretty laid back.
walmart hiring ex soldiers for full time in general public stores will cause a lot of problems that walmart might not want to face.

[BlueNoteSpecial]

29. Once again, corporate leeches decide to insult the American Citizenry...

...with their hollow, self serving pledge of a "business decision", of course, with narrow qualifiers. This reminds me of their "giving to local charities" strategies, (they're just wAlhart, huh?), while providing huge sums to politicians who work daily to gut labor, destroy local businesses, and provide corporate cover through legislation, enabling corporate marketing of their slave labor products such as the ironic named "Faded Glory" clothing line. Want to kill off an American job, or three?, shop at Walmart. Want a living wage?, it ain't there, sarge.

[James48]

32. NO_ It's not $7,000 corporate tax credit per veteran

It has been increased to $9,600 per veteran.


See the IRS page here:

http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/VOW-to-Hire-Heroes-Act---Frequently-Asked-Questions-and-Answers

The ONLY reason Wal_Mart wants to hire veterans, is to take advantage of the $9,600 corporate tax credit to doing so.

[OnlinePoker]

37. That link says they have to have started work before Jan 1 2013

Has this program been extended?

[raouldukelives]

35. When your done suppressing indigenous populations for Chevron.

Having a job lined up supporting and expanding slave labor practices overseas seems like a no-brainer.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

38. "... some will be employed in distribution centers,"

moving around pallets of things that used to be made in this country.

[FailureToCommunicate]

39. Another craven scheme to inoculate WallMart from criticism for being biggest retailer of

guns?

[Javaman]

42. At substandard wages in non-full time positions...

Last edited Tue Jan 15, 2013, 12:27 PM - Edit history (1)

how very nice of them

[valerief]

43. And underpay them and not give them med insurance. nt

[Bozvotros]

48. Perfect job for your returning Middle East war veteran with PTSD, post concussive injuries

and adjustment problems. There's nothing they like more than being trapped at a register all day or armed with a price gun (and the tactical knife strapped to their leg) surrounded by milling strangers, bumping them with carts, reaching into their pockets and purses, yelling at them and approaching them from front and behind. All that inculcated and adaptive distrust and hypervigilance from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will be a big help at Wally World.

Walmart will win big with this. They'll almost certainly fire people who make a few cents more, milk it for free publicity, get the tax break that will pay most of their part time salaries and best of all large numbers of vets will be unable to tolerate this setting and leave before Walmart would owe unemployment. And then they can return to a skeleton crew with a clean well compensated conscience.

[SwankyXomb]

49. Of course they are

Since they're cutting hours to the point no one can qualify for health care, they have that many more positions to fill.

[Fearless]

50. Poor veterans. Haven't they suffered enough??

[OswegoAtheist]

55. X-Posted to Veterans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11792192

Oswego "Once injured by a 'Made in the USA' sign whilst working at a Wal*Mart in '97. True story" Atheist

[windowpilot]

58. Let'em eat cake...

n/t...

[Bigmack]

60. I dunno if this relates to today's combat veterans, but...

... one of the things me and my buddies thought about when we got out is...

"How can we go from Giants Who Walk The Earth.... with the power of life and death literally at our fingertips.... the grittiest, most real of real life experiences...etc... to something like a job selling shoes?

That's bad enough, but...

I can't imagine combat vets taking the kind of shit that Mall-Wart employees must take.