Wal-Mart in hot water over reported Thanksgiving food drive — for employees

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Wal-Mart Stores Inc.the world’s largest retailer that’s often at the center of target by labor rights advocates, found itself in hot water again on Monday after reports surfaced that its store in Canton, Ohio staged a food drive asking its employees to help out their colleagues in need so they can enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner.

The Plain Dealer reported that the food drive tables, tucked away in an employees-only area, added another element in the drama of the public date about cashiers and other low-wage positions at Walmart stores, as it said workers in Cincinnati and Dayton were scheduled to go on strike on Monday.

While Walmart U.S. Chief Bill Simon said earlier this year the company’s highest earning store manager made more than $250,000 a year and many of its managers and executives rose from the bottom, the company has repeatedly been faulted by labor rights groups for not paying employees enough. Indeed, Organization United for Respect, or OUR Walmart, a union-backed group, already put the news on its Facebook and quoted a Walmart employee in Cincinnati in saying that “if I made $25,000/yr, I wouldn’t have to rely on food stamps.”

To be sure, while many of the comments lashed out at Walmart, there were also some who questioned if the report only presented half of the story. Walmart was reported to have said recently that it will treat employees who work on Thanksgiving to a traditional feast.

Company spokesman Kory Lundberg didn’t immediately respond to MarketWatch requests seeking comment, but he told the Plain Dealer that the food drive is “proof that employees care about each other.” “It’s for associates who have had some hardships come up,” he said. “This is part of the company’s culture to rally around associates and take of them when they face extreme hardships.”

http://blogs.marketwatch.com/behindthestorefront/2013/11/18/wal-mart-in-hot-water-over-reported-thanksgiving-food-drive-for-employees/?mod=MW_home_latest_news

Is Walmart's request of associates to help provide Thanksgiving dinner for co-workers proof of low wages?

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/11/is_walmarts_request_of_associa.html

Organization United for Respect
https://www.facebook.com/OURWMT

[JaneyVee]

1. How embarrassing. And sad.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

2. The Walmart heirs can cut their profits down to 1 billion

and make living wages of $35/hour with full benefits for each workers an requirement.

[giftedgirl77]

3. But who can be expected to live

on 1 billion?? Wal-Mart sucks, their products suck, & unfortunately many of the people they hire can't go out & find jobs anywhere else. They're a vulture in the community.

[Scuba]

5. Attorney's for the Vulture Anti-Defamation League will be in touch.

[giftedgirl77]

7. Aww hell

I'm screwed

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Here's a pic:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/a-cleveland-walmart-is-holding-a-holiday-food-drive-for-its

[LuvNewcastle]

6. I've worked at jobs where I received a free turkey every T-Day and a free ham every Christmas.

Seems to me that one of the largest grocery chains in the world could do the same for its employees, maybe even provide some fixings as well.

[Scuba]

8. Why, when they can push that cost to their employees?

[Matariki]

9. Selfish asshats could at least give thanksgiving gift cards to their employees

Or better yet, living wages.