Has anyone seen the documentary about Wal-Mart entitled "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price"? I just saw it last night and I was quite disturbed by what was presented, if in fact the documentary presents accurate facts and data. The movie concentrated more on American Wal-Mart, though; I think Wal-Mart in Canada is slightly different, especially since we have free health care, and so providing health insurance for employees is not a concern here.

Anyways, just curious if anyone has seen it, and if so, what did you think? If you haven't seen it, the main points touched upon were:

Wal-Mart's lack of good medical insurance for even their full-time employees;
The way they come into a town and destroy all the small businesses;
The sweatshops they operate in China and Bangladesh;
The sexism and racism in certain Wal-Marts;
The violent crime in Wal-Mart parking lots;
Their aggressive anti-union policies;
Their stance on environmental issues.

Watching it makes me want to stop shopping there, although their prices are very good on a budget!

jduke44

I shop at Target more than Walmart for one reason and one reason only. Target is much more cleaner than Walmart. I actually get depressed after leaving Walmart because it doesn't seem like they pick up there aisles. The floors are usually disgusting. I do shop at the superstores when I get a chance becuase they do have good prices. I don't get caught up on whether a certain store does or doesn't do because honestly, I don't have the time to research all this stuff and besides, how do I knwo whether it is true.

One note I will add: Target doesn't allow Salvation Army or girl scouts because they don't feel they want their customers to feel like they are being bombarded by having to give money. I haven't actually asked any management but that is what I hear.

I will be honest, I worked part time for Target for a short time and I would do it again. They are very good to their employees as long as you put your very best in.

CaptainForest

While I haven’t seen the documentary, I have heard about it.

As a Canadian, I probably am not quite qualified to comment on this, but, when has that ever stopped me in the past?

I say, if they don’t want to offer good medical insurance, then they don’t have to. If the employees of Walmart don’t like it, they can get another job. Medical insurance is not an absolute, even if perhaps it should be.

I agree. That is sad. They really shouldn’t be allowed to do that.

More needs to be done to prevent them from doing this.

So what?

They aren’t the first.

Nike has been doing the same for years.

As well as countless of other companies too.

I have never heard about any of this.

Again, I have never heard of any of this.

I say give them a medal!

Unions are one of the lowest scum’s of the earth. While there was a legitimate need for them 100 years ago, there is not much of a need for them today.

The main reason unions exist today is simply to get its employees more money.

Why would a company want a headache in the form of a union, who threatens to strike, over money?

I would do the same thing if I was in Walmart’s shoes.

I assume it is a bad one?

The only thing I have heard about Walmart and the environment is that they wanted to build some kind of “Green Walmart” in Vancouver, BC, Canada, but the city of Vancouver councillors shut down the idea (although the mayor was in support of it). This was a couple of years ago.

Yes, many big companies make me not want to shop there from one stupid policy to the next.

But, the low prices make it attractive.

Kind of how like some men become very attractive only because of their money (saw an old episode of Law & Order on TV earlier today).


I have indeed. The first time I saw one was when I was in the USA.

WOW

And I thought Walmart was big before that…..

Really?

Perhaps it is just your area? The Walmart’s in my area are always clean…

Good point. Target does have a point. The last thing I want to do is to be bombarded by people asking for money.

But, perhaps there is a corner they could set them up in away from most customers, so customers have to come to them, and not the other way around?

jduke44

It might be my area. I live in one of the biggest towns in the USA that most of it is usually upscal. I am not trying to sound snobbish. It seems they are clean in the beginning but when they are around for awhile it gets lacks. I am nit saying they don't clean they're floors but compares to Target who cleans them every night, there is no comaprison. But I am not here to tell anyone not to shop someone.

orange

Wow thanks for the all the input everyone! I hope I can finish all my commenting before some random kid wakes up or cries or wants water or something!!

Jduke, our Wal-Mart is very clean. But then it's also only about a year old. I remember the older Wal-Mart being clean though too. But that could be a regional thing... the city I live in has a lot of by-laws about eyesores, health regulations, etc, so people are used to very clean buildings.

CaptainForest, the point the movie made about foreign sweatshops was that since Wal-Mart is now one of the leading companies in the world, they set a precedence about how sweatshop workers are treated. I don't know if it's true or not, but the movie claimed that Wal-Mart treated sweatshop workers worse than they had been treated in the past, and that other companies are now taking Wal-Mart's lead and treating their foreign workers worse. Like for example, in China, making them work 7 days a week when they are only supposed to be working 6 according to Chinese law. In the movie, workers were interviewed and said that they were threatened with punishment or firing if they told Chinese government inspectors that they worked 7 days a week. So essentially they were told by Wal-Mart to lie to the government inspectors.

Ooops. Damn. Gotta go. I will finishing commenting another time when I don't have needy kids!!

kp2171

see you in about 25 years.

RickJ

1. This is simply not true...at least around here. I know several WalMart employees who say the benefits are tops.
2. A huge exaggeration. Yes, it has happened but why blame WalMart? The city could simply not issue them a permit to build it.
3. I've heard rants on both sides over this. Isn't it illegal for American companies to operate sweatshops overseas? If so - and the atrocities are true - then law enforcement should enforce the laws.
4. Baloney in my opinion. I've never seen it.
5. Any more than in big store parking lots in general? What, are they saying WalMart encourages it or ignores it?
6. Good for them!!
7. I've never heard of a bad/poor/unethical stance on environmental issues.

Bottom line in my opinion: The bigger the target, the more pot shots will be taken at it...just like happens with Microsoft, the Catholic Church, etc...

Now, that all said: I'm not blind and I don't think that every WalMart executive and decision maker is a saint... There probably is some grain of truth to the origin of the above complaints - but in a show designed to tell the world how evil the company is is not a good place to learn the truth of it all.

Cassie

I have a friend that is having some of her product made in China. The way it works for her is (A long and difficult process) she goes to China, is given an interpreter that goes everywhere with her outside of the motel she stays at. She goes to the industrial section where her product is being made, there are several companies in that particular section. She is NOT allowed to go into the other industrial sections. She has nothing to do with the workers, she only meets with certain people. She does not go into the actual factories. She has no say whatsoever as to how the workers are treated or how long of hours they work. That is all up to the Chinese. The gov't officials keep a very tight hold on everything that goes on in China. They have all say in all that is done there, they profit from the US purchasing their products. Some of the companies she was able to see there have high end products. Such as purchasing a Gucci bag for $15.00 Boy is there a mark up on that one by the time we see the price tag. Swarovski crystals were another one in that same district. Companies you would never believe are using Chinese labor. It is so wrong to just target Walmart. It truly makes me wonder why they are the only one being targeted. Is it corporate America and they are bucking the system? As I said before anyone that is going to go up against the oil companies has my vote, and that could very well be why they are being targeted among other things. It would be very interesting to really know the answers.

orange

Thanks for all the great points and opinions on both sides, guys. I don't have time to comment on everything right now (hopefully tonight!), but everything that's been said makes me all the more interested in the subject. Does anyone know of an unbiased source where I could read more about Wal-Mart?

I have to confess, I bought cat and dog food at Wal-Mart yesterday. It was just so much cheaper than everywhere else. Lately pet food has really increased in price, not sure why!?! Anyways thanks again everyone and I will try to come back here tonight!

Cassie

I was just chatting with a friend and her friend just started at Walmart in a nearby town, started out at $9.95 an hour and will have full benefits in 6 months, which includes insurance. So there is that.

kp2171

the shift in the US from being a manufacturing base to a service base will have crushing effects as manufacturing jobs are outsourced. yes many companied do it, but a much smaller portion of the fortune 500s than you would expect. and WM does get flak cause its the big gorilla AND it knows it AND flaunts it.

but as a person who has worked on the manufacturing side (R&D, not on the floor but in the industry) and who has dealt with people who work in the supply chain, ive heard NOTHING positive from those people regarding the practices of the chain.

and while many, many companies move their work overseas, the blatant push by WM is really sad and unfortunate. and those who frequent the store have bought into the if it saves me a dollar who cares what it costs the country in manufacturing jobs mentality. what other company is DIRECTLY responsible for over 1% of china's GDP?

this is an issue well probably be polarized over and thats that. since sam waltons death the company has lost its morality. oh well. love that 50 cent 2 liter of soda.