Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Just when Wal-Mart was kinda sorta redeeming itself

They had to go and do something seriously fucked up.

First, the good news. There was that happy making moment a few months ago when Wal-Mart fired a pharmacist for refusing to dispense birth control. That was a hell of an improvement over Target's craptastic policy. Then a few weeks ago Wal-Mart announced a pilot program starting in Florida to offer generic versions of many common medications for $4 per prescription to both employees and shoppers. For one of the medications I take, that would be a savings of $192 a month. They plan to expand the program in the near future, but for now I should totally get Wonder to pick up my Rx's for me.

But Wal-Mart just announced a plan to increase it's part time employees to 40% of the total workforce and to cap wages. First, Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the US and where Wal-Mart goes everyone else will follow. This has the happy effect of making 40% of all retail employees just part-time in an industry where wages are traditionally below a living wage at full time hours. Hello massive increase in the working poor!

My own employer (a state college with the misfortune to be run by a private community college district) has long held the keep 'em part time and screw them philosophy. Unlike tenured faculty or unionized employees, us part-timers are left with perpetually changing rules meant to keep us from ever being eligible for benefits or retirement. I am so about to go Norma Rae on this place, but I digress. The point was, I am painfully aware of what Wal-Mart's employees are about to experience. It sucks.

So if you are still shopping Wal-Mart (powers that be please forgive me for the $7 watch I bought there last Christmas- I blame Wonder's sister!) you should stop right now. Really.

No comments: