UJ: Wal-Mart is the devil!!!

One of my former co-workers will love this title...because she is the President of the "I Hate Wal-Mart" Club. Wal-Mart has been known for many hateful policies...including not filling prescriptions that they believe to be *immoral*. Hmm, I thought that was for my doctor to decide...and Wal-Mart's job was just to sell the little pills to me.

Let's see...they also were involved in the industry sweeping our nation...sweat shops. Hey, how else do you think they sell you 2 t-shirts for under 5 bucks.

And...then there were the migrant workers who were found working inside Wal-Mart for pennies an hour.

And...let's not forget when Wal-Mart decided to stop carrying a Barbie-like doll which was a Pregnant Mommy with detachable belly (creepy, eh?). Why did they discontinue it? Because the mommie did not have a wedding ring on her left hand....and so they felt the doll would send the wrong messaage to little girls and would offend their shoppers. BUT...they will sell you a gun ANYTIME!

But, I digress...for those reasons, Wal-Mart is the devil, but for another reason...they treat their employees horrifically.

I have been re-reading Nickel and Dimed...which is a good book, but not as great as I remembered. Maybe I am just more engrossed and know more working poor than I did when I first flipped through it. I think it's a nice little window, but it misses so much about the program of a devasting minimum wage. But anyways...one of the places that Barbara works is the dreaded Wal-Mart and she tells many of the terrifying details of what it is like to be an employee in her book.

I sadly...know some of those stories as well. I worked at Wal-Mart after my freshman year in college. I returned to my little ol' hometown and needed to have a job for the summer break. I made the mistake of taking the opportunity to work at Wal-Mart.

First of all...they make you take this test...I remember this test well. It is supposed to show what kind of personality you have. They have questions like, "Is it ever okay to steal?" The answer is of course no. And.."Is there ever an instance when not following your supervisor's orders is acceptable?" The answer they are looking for...of course not. Then there are a bajillion questions about alcohol and marijuana...and if you have ever been within a mile of a joint, then it will indicate you are not right to be a Wal-Mart employee. The most offensive and telling question for me, "There is room in every corporation for a nonconformist." And the answer is clearly and loudly...from Sam of the Wal-Mart dictatorship, OF COURSE NOT. The idea of working there...is to tow the company line and if at all people, please do NOT think for yourself. There was a great point in the book...that the test, in actually...doesn't test your honesty, it tests you ability to lie over and over again on the indicator. And once you are done taking it...the lady takes it back and scores it and any wrong answers (even though it is printed on the top of the quiz that there are NO right or wrong answers...if you believe that, I have a bridge I want to sell you)...but anyways...this woman comes back and asks for clarification on your answers which were not moral enough for almighty Wal-Mart.

Talking to another employee at Wal-Mart while on the clock...is officially TIME STEALING from the corporation. So, talking to Sally next to me....is stealing from the company. *grumbles*

And Wal-Mart knows that most of their employees are not working there...because they want to be, but instead because they HAVE to. I was just working there for the summer...so, I wasn't a "lifer" as the others are obnoxiously called. Those middle aged men and women...their lives depend on the pay check that they get from the tyranny of Wal-Mart....and because of that, they will accept how they are treated. They will not take their breaks or lunches, even though they are required by law...because they don't want to be seen as trouble...because if your CSM (Customer Service Manager) doesn't like you....you are done. They will either fire you...or harass you until you can do nothing else but quit.

And here is another humiliating story....when I worked for Wal-Mart. We would have a store meeting each morning at 10am...so all employees would have to meet in the middle of the store (except that one lucky employee who got to stay on the register and not partake in the humiliation). So, we would get together...and they would give the morning notes and our goals for the day...fine. And then we would have to sing this Wal-Mart song and say this Wal-Mart chant. Customers are shopping around us while we have to while we have to sit there and sing, "I love Wal-Mart!!"...in order to keep our jobs. If we aren't excited or enthused enough...guess what, management pulls us aside and mentions that without a positive attitude, we won't be needed at Wal-Mart. Now...I haven't heard of this happening at other Wal-Marts, but it happened at mine. Horrific...

So...I think my tirade is over. And the saddest part, after all that...I still shop at Wal-Mart. I don't make all that much money...so, I appreciate that my shampoo is two bucks cheaper... I know that if I was financially secure, I would not give them my money...but, as I was writing this...I don't think it is good enough.

I am not giving up Wal-Mart just yet...but I think I am going to beging phasing out Sam Walton and his fascist companies.

In conclusion...Wal-Mart is the devil. I guess their hypnosis during their orientation didn't work on me, eh?