Walmart is at it again. Last week, they held a meeting which indirectly told managers and employees to vote republican. They fear that an Obama presidency will, among other things, strengthen unions. Is this true, though? Does Walmart really understand the issues and the politics at hand?

Read the Newsweek article here

I used to work at a Wal-Mart distribution center... they are very very VERY VERY VERY anti-union, and if there were an attempt to unionize at the facility, they would close it down and re-open it somewhere else.

*in before *

Eh, businesses have political interests. Walmart has no obligation to anyone to be neutral on the issue.

1) I don't have a problem with a company that is anti-union. Have a problem with it? Hey, don't work for that company.

2) I DO have a problem with a company trying to influence the way its employee's vote. If nothing else its union thuggery coming from a non-union entity.

But I think they walk a dangerous line with the employee meetings. Even if everything is kosher (and I really think it is), there's going to be suspicion about whether employees are being pressured to cast votes one way or another to keep their jobs and stuffs - which would be a huge problem if it were the case.

And I do wonder what magical talisman of ultimate power Wal-Mart thinks Obama will hand to Unions if elected. Wal-Mart's managed to stay union free thus far, and I don't imagine there would be anything that could force them into it - nor do I want there to be.

CNBC had a interesting documentary about Wal-Mart the other night. I'm torn on the Wal-Mart debate (cause I buy toys there) because I can see it from both sides.

Upon watching that documentary some think Wal-Marts own down fall will be its size.

Wal-Mart sucks, period. I say this both as a former employee and as a consumer.

well, I wasn't invited to the meeting :sad.
am I the only one who sees a little sentiment against Wally in this article. maybe I'm just a company man.

edit-the more I see these political forums, the more I realize lmh and I would not hang out at the same bar.

I think we all know that ALL Mega-million dollar corporations are

Why, do you go to gay bars?

Lots of people seem to unreasonably hate Wal-Mart, as if they put Mom and Pop stores out of business magically, and not because all the local consumers make a choice about where to shop.

I, personally, detest walking inside of a Wal-Mart when I don't have to - they're way overcrowded and run down out here in California. But I don't fault them their right to do business how they want.

I shopped there all the time in Texas, when I had an option of, like, five or six of them within a ten minute drive, all of varying levels of upkeep. Especially nice during the three o' clock in the morning toy runs/impulse paintball gun buying sprees - which is another downside to California Wal-Marts...none of them are open 24 hours.

srsly

Wait. What?

*this is not directed at you nomo*

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

which is another downside to California Wal-Marts...none of them are open 24 hours.[/louder so ST53 can hear me]

Worst Wal-Mart I've ever been in is Renton, WA. Its bad, so very bad...

no...which further enforces the first post.

We have one truly awful Walmart here in San Antonio. Its the only one left in town that ISN'T a Supercenter. But I have a sentimenal attachment to it, since it was the first one in town (I'm reasonably sure) and once I was with Hobbes there as a kid and I puked in the parking lot.

And seriously, I can't imagine NOT being able to go to Walmart at 3am...

Bah, I'd get drunk with you. Politics is just like sports with the illusion of importance.

You should see the one in Panorama City, CA. It's a portal to hell. Not only because the upkeep is horrible and merchandise is strewn about the floor, but because it's connected to a mall so - like a Macy's or a JC Penny's - there's that giant hole in the wall that leads out to a literal mall.

The world's shittiest mall.

Where half the stores are empty and there's a Domino's Pizza that has table and chairs so you can get an eat-in order. At a Domino's Pizza! Domino's is delivery only. Who eats at a Domino's? Carry out? Sure. But sitting down and eating there?

*shudder*

The whole thing just scares me.

best post ever.

I think the only person I'd NOT hang out with from TFans is I.S.T. because he apparently doesn't go out much. Maybe NLTAG because I think he is from another plane of existence. Now, as for who would want to hang out with me, that's another story. (HINT: You gotta bring your .22).


Is just surprised that there is such thing as a Wal-Mart that is not open at 3am. Is that a California thing?

That sounds like the late, un-lamented Super Kmarts that died here 5 or 6 years ago. Horribly depressing and dank, and they had eat-in Little Caesar's Pizza cafes. I love Little Caesar's, but in the comfort of my own home or at a pool party or something. Not in a Kmart where I can look out the window at a dirty-diaper-strewn parking lot.

*plans trip*

Don't you love it.

We had a mall like that when we lived in Illinois... there was another one in Silver Spring when we lived in the D.C. area... I think they're all secretly controlled by Cthulhu's white-trash cousin, Cletulhu.

jeebus

I don't think there's a law against it or anything...although I do think it's related to the locations.

One's in a really fancy neighborhood where I've seen A) Will Smith and Nancy Cartwright doing their shopping in that same complex and B) a representative of the "neighborhood" yelling at the Wal-Mart manager about the deals Wal-Mart agreed to abide by when they opened up in the area. So I think that location definitely has some mandates on it about how late it can be open.

The other one, the previously mentioned portal to hell, is in a neighborhood I wouldn't venture into at 3 in the morning anyway, so it's moot.

The handful of other Wal-Marts I'm aware of are a good hour or more away from me. They might be open at 3 in the morning, but I've never checked.

No doubt. Good thing my phone was on "mute" for the teleconference I'm "attending."

Is there a Scientology Center nearby?

Surprisingly, no.

The nearest Scientology Center I know of* is about a half hour from there. It's always hiring.

















*Who knows how many exist in secret. There might conceivably be a secret entrance to one in that Wal-Mart's garden center...

I've ventured into into WM a few times at midnight+, seriously to buy tf's and the ONE TIME I find MPSS it was one that some asshat bought/broke and returned.

to this whole discussion. The Walmarts in San Gabriel Valley are not so bad. But also not really open 24 hours either.

The Wal-Mart up here in Union City is 24 hours. It's a popular spot for collectors an' scalpers to hit and where I've seen the most stuff taken in whole cases straight off the pallet without ever hitting the shelves.

Wal-Mart's Storefinder link lets you dig up their 24 hour locations. I found 6 within 50mi. of LA. Dunno how accurate it is but should be about as good as it gets short of actually driving there in the middle of the night to find out.

I don't think Hobbes is itching all that much to visit the Happiest Place on Earth.

Heh. Neither'm I. Just providing information. After some bad experiences, I prefer to go to Target anytime over and pay the extra cost/travel diff if I can find what I'm looking for there..

Not so much...but I do appreciate the tracking down of the info.

Heh, no wonder I never find anything at that one (not that I've been to that location in years due to lack of success).

Although, ironically, I found the big 6" Ultra Battlestar Galactica there... on clearance.

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart

See, it said "funny video animation" and then it wasn't.

I go to hundreds of these stores a year and I can say with much enthusiasm that most of the time if your walmart sucks...so does your neighborhood. I don't mean does it get the toys you want. I mean is it safe to go there after dark. are the floors not kept and trash on the shelves. that is a direct result of the employee base since most of that is from the employees. we hire from surrounding areas so if the employees in your area don't take care of the store its a reflection of area and the quality of people there.

The flip side to that is that Wal-Marts in really nice areas don't hire the locals to work there...those employees don't tend to live nearby.

to Hobbes
Although one of the nice/weird things about living in LA is you can find some really nice and cute little areas tucked into ghettos. So that's not always true.

Even Hollywood & Highland (Ultra Fancy) is only two blocks away from Tatoo/smut row.

in my experience, that's not true.

In my experience, it doesn't matter where the Wal-Mart is... it's like a Bermuda Triangle of armpits and despair* no matter where you go.
















*lifted from SMITHSQUARED

well yea, but that's just the chicks.

I thought it was armpits and hopelessness?

Anyway, I've been hit up for money in the parking lot just about every time I've been to the Walmart on the parkway around here (coincidentally, the only non-supercenter one left in the area).

I get periodically hit up by the Young Hetero Men For Jesus people, don't know what they're all about. Also the Girl Scouts, but they're easier to push out of the way.

I meant people looking for handouts, in case that wasn't clear.

Have you seen those Girl Scouts?