Walmart Managers Won't Tell Workers About their Newly Won Rights

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/activism/our-walmart-worker-managers-wont-tell-workers-about-their-newly-won-rights



At her Walmart store in Laurel, MD, Cyndi Murray is known for helping her fellow workers figure out “what is policy and what isn’t, and what we can do and what we can’t do.” It’s imperative, she said, because “our managers won’t tell you.”

That’s why she’s hoping to get the word out about Walmart’s two new policy changes. One allows workers to pick up shifts online in order to gain more hours, which pads their paltry pay. The other provides new protections for pregnant women, who have been subject to harsh labor conditions including being ordered to move heavy items.

These changes are big deals for Walmart workers, Murray said, before noting a downside. Store managers aren’t required to explain the new policies to workers — and many apparently are not — which means employees don’t always know about them. Moreover, since Walmart put its workers’ handbooks online, it’s difficult for workers to keep up with new policy changes that benefit them.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t know that [these changes] exist,” said Murray, who four years ago was one of the initiators of OUR Walmart, an organization of Walmart employees demanding respect in their workplace.

[Sherman A1]

1. Well,

hardly a surprise, but it may just be possible that the managers of which she speaks really don't have a clue as to what the new policies mean or how they are to be implemented. Not defending Wal Mart here, but it does take time in such a large organization for things to filter down the chain of communication and there will always be hiccups and botched implementations. The only way of which I am aware to make policy changes go into effect quickly is to have a huge negative reinforcement for those who do not comply.

[liberal N proud]

2. Some Walmart mangers must be telling their employees

My daughter who is working at Walmart while in college seems to have learned how to pick up shifts on line. She is always picking up extra work.

But Walmart will only let them pick up so many hours unless they are approved for overtime.

[House of Roberts]

3. Can these workers get hours at more than one Walmart?

My ex used to get hours at two different pet stores of the same chain sometimes.