Stop the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis

**voivod** · 07.04.06, 07:34 AM

Wal-Mart health care spending actually dropped in the latest public filing with the Internal Revenue Service (from 2003-2004);

In 2005, nearly 300,000 Wal-Mart workers and their family members depended on taxpayer-funded public health care at an estimated total cost to American taxpayers of $1.37 billion.

In 2005, Wal-Mart failed to provide company health care to 57% of its workforce, leaving over 775,000 Wal-Mart workers and their families without company health care;

The Wal-Mart health care crisis will cost taxpayers an estimated $9.1 billion over the next five years;

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/feature/healthcrisis/

**smithjc** · 07.04.06, 09:17 AM

Wow gotta hand it to WalMart. They really care about their employees.

With the monopoly they have on all markets and the money they make, this is crazy!!!

**voivod** · 07.04.06, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by smithjc

Wow gotta hand it to WalMart. They really care about their employees.

With the monopoly they have on all markets and the money they make, this is crazy!!!

and now they want to add their own BANKS into the stores...

**HissingCobra** · 07.04.06, 08:03 PM

Well, I'm all for company sponsored insurance benefits, 401K's and as much for the employees as possible. However, if you're working at Wal-Mart for a career and have to support a family, you've made the WRONG choice. Let's face it, Wal-Mart is a job that should be for high school/college kids or retired people looking to keep busy. Unless you're going to work for their corporate offices, it's not the job to rely upon for your family's needs. Working at the retail stores, the salary is crap! If the salary is crap, do you think the insurance benefits will be better? What about all of the gas stations and convenience store workers? Do you think they get good benefits? Anyone who's working at Wal-Mart for a career choice, is expecting too much in my eyes.

There's MILLIONS of better jobs out there. If a person is unhappy about working for Wal-Mart, they can move onto another company that may be better for them.

Just my opinion.

**OLO** · 07.04.06, 08:39 PM

I agree with Hissing Cobra.

**Majestic** · 07.04.06, 09:12 PM

Exactly. If it's so bad, work somewhere else.

Employment is a privelege, not a right.

A Super Wal-Mart just opened in my hometown, and the employees seem to be not only well-trained, but happy as H*ll, oddly enough. In fact, I find myself going there for "odd" products (like an Aloe plant), simply because their employees seem to be so "strangely helpful" and good-natured. They've been good-natured, friendly, and helpful. Borderline "eager", actually.

Admittedly, I found it odd-as-Hell that a particular employee didn't know what Guacamole was, but I'll be damned if she wasn't sprinting around like Jackie Joyner-Kersee trying to locate it for me. Seriously, I thought Wal-Mart must've been sponsoring her Olympic training, or something.

Maybe there is some "conspiracy" going on, and they're trained to "appear happy", while secretly wallowing in misery.

**SactoFan** · 07.05.06, 07:29 AM

I think the explanation for that number will be easy...Wal-Mart may pay a decent hourly wage, but they don't give too many 40 hour a week jobs...

**sixstring** · 07.05.06, 07:50 AM

Yet another reason why I've lost my faith in humanity...

**smithjc** · 07.05.06, 07:53 AM

Yeah I don't think you can get rich working for Sprawl Mart. Unless you're a suit that is. Anyone with a blue vest can probably expect to spend their life in a vest.

They're gonna dress you up in a vest! (sorry)

btw - I'd rather believe in Whomanity myself. Those Whovillians have got it down.

**jrk5150** · 07.05.06, 08:54 AM

Be careful about what you read, there is a huge labor agenda out there, as labor is trying to unionize WalMart, and they will say anything to get public opinion on their side. Including stretching the truth until it's a lie.

I'm not a WalMart expert, but I seem to recall about a year and a half ago WalMart did some advertising in defense of themselves, and they claimed to offer health care to PT workers. It would be the workers' decision not to get it. Maybe it's too expensive, I don't know the details. But the truth is somewhere in the middle, I can guarantee that. Before the unions got involved, I seem to recall that WalMart had the rep of being a great place to work, that (happy employees providing good customer service) made them far more successful than the other discount places like K-Mart and such. Makes me think that union propaganda is working...

**Greenpaw** · 07.05.06, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by IED

Be careful about what you read, there is a huge labor agenda out there, as labor is trying to unionize WalMart, and they will say anything to get public opinion on their side. Including stretching the truth until it's a lie.

I'm not a WalMart expert, but I seem to recall about a year and a half ago WalMart did some advertising in defense of themselves, and they claimed to offer health care to PT workers. It would be the workers' decision not to get it. Maybe it's too expensive, I don't know the details. But the truth is somewhere in the middle, I can guarantee that. Before the unions got involved, I seem to recall that WalMart had the rep of being a great place to work, that (happy employees providing good customer service) made them far more successful than the other discount places like K-Mart and such. Makes me think that union propaganda is working...

I think you're right.

**jrk5150** · 07.05.06, 09:07 AM

Now that I'm thinking about it - it's not just labor on them. WalMart is a despised company in many quarters, since they've kicked the shit out of all of their competitors. There is a TON of jealousy out there about this company, and a lot of agendas.

I remember I used to be a claims adjuster about 15 years ago, and worked with a local stereo/electronics chain to provide replacement equipment to people who had insurance claims on their stuff. The guy I worked with HATED WalMart, because they undersold everyone. They used their volume and size to get better prices from manufacturers, and then underpriced the market.

Sounded like good business to me, but then I wasn't trying to feed my family by owning or working in a smaller business that WalMart was putting out of business...

**chefcraig** · 07.05.06, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Majestic

Exactly. If it's so bad, work somewhere else.

Employment is a privelege, not a right.

Probably one of the stupidest opinions ever offered. Outside of your little world, life is not always that simple.

Try telling that to single mothers of limited education, workers whose factories have been shut down or downsized. Or to mom and pop owned stores driven out of business owing to WalMart's borderline fascistic business practices, that have destroyed small towns in the process.

A plant decides to relocate, regardless that it has been the sole source of employement to a community for decades. These workers are now forced to go work elsewhere, anywhere , yet ultimately make what kind of wage to support their families?

People who have been doing certain skilled jobs find that there skills are no longer needed. OK, learn a new skill, find a new career.

You make it sound like changing a shirt. Nice sense of compassion.

**Junior** · 07.05.06, 09:30 AM

Fuck Wal-Mart. Fuck them up their stupid asses.

**MikeL** · 07.05.06, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by chefcraig

Try telling that to single mothers of limited education, workers whose factories have been shut down or downsized. Or to mom and pop owned stores driven out of business owing to WalMart's borderline fascistic business practices, that have destroyed small towns in the process.

Who forced any of them into their situations? People make their own choices. Anyone who wants to settle for doing unskilled labor has made poor choices. Trends are easy to see. If you're working in a factory in America, you'd best be investing in your education. It's not as though there isn't money available to make that possible.

It's tough to pity a person for the decisions that they've made about their lives.