This is no surprise. Wal-Mart is this country's largest retailer. It's also the largest employer. And this is where Wal-Mart has issues.
It's no secret that Wal-Mart's treatment of their employees is less than admirable. Campaigns such as Wake-Up Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Watch aim to highlight Wal-Mart's poor treatment of employees and lobby for higher standards.
According to Wake-Up Wal-Mart's website, the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earned an income of less than $20,000, which is below the federal poverty line for a family of four. It is also 16 percent lower than the average retail wage. The website argues that Wal-Mart can afford to pay better wages; they just choose not to.
An article in the New York Times printed on February 19 reported that Wal-Mart reported a record profit for the fourth quarter.
Considering the economy, this is no surprise. People are cutting back on their spending. So it only makes sense that Wal-Mart's sales would increase.
In a lot of cases, you can buy a product at Wal-Mart cheaper than anywhere else. This means that people can maintain their consumption habits while still cutting back on their spending. In one respect, the recession is pushing people into Wal-Mart's open arms.
So, by saving ourselves a few dollars, we are fueling Wal-Mart's expansion and allowing it to continue its poor wage practices. The recession is making it harder and harder for people to stand up to Wal-Mart and shop elsewhere.
And a college budget doesn't make this any easier. But by not standing up to Wal-Mart and shopping elsewhere, we are letting them get away with treating their employees poorly.
Wal-Mart is the nation's largest retailer. They set the standard. Shouldn't we demand more from them?
Therefore, I propose shopping the sales at other stores and clipping coupons. Yes, it's more work, but with the extra effort you can get the same products you would get at Wal-Mart for about the same price.
Taking your business to companies that treat their employees fairly can help to set a new standard; one that hopefully Wal-Mart will have to live up to someday.
