If you haven't figured it out yet, most of what I do here is complain about stuff. Sometimes I try to be funny, and sometimes it even works. On that note...

Here is an article about how Wal-Mart is shifting to a more part-time work force. To quote the article:

"Wal-Mart executives say they embraced the new policies for a large number of their 1.3 million workers to better serve customers, the newspaper said. But some Wal-Mart workers say the changes are further reducing their modest incomes and putting a strain on personal lives, the newspaper reported."

How would you feel if you had worked for Wal-Mart for the last 10 years, making $15/hour, and they suddenly change your position to part time? Also, with pay caps in force, if you are making more than the cap is, you can keep your rate of pay, but if you change positions, you have to accept the pay cap for that position. So, if they change your position to a part time position, you could be looking at a $4/hour paycut. They are honestly hoping that you will quit so they don't have to pay you anymore. To better serve customers they say? Sam Walton said that if you take care of your people, they will take care of the customer. How is this policy taking care of your people? If I just got a paycut because of restructuring, do you think I'm really going to give a shit if you can't find The Gilmore Girls Season 5 on DVD? Do you think I'm going to give you any information on that new laptop or talk to the Blue Bell vendor to see if he has that flavor of ice cream you want? Mull that one over Mr. Wal-Mart Decision Maker. You'll say I'm just not a dedicated associate. You're right, I'm a mercenary. I'm here working for you for money. I'm not working for the thrill of victory, or for the moral satisfaction of helping stupid people use amazingly easy to use products. I'm not here because I love the blue vest or because I want a date with a certain cashier. I'm here for the damned money. I would think this would be obvious. All other considerations are secondary. If I can't pay my bills, then it's awfully hard to keep my chin up and kick major ass at work.

Another Quote:

"Investment analysts and store managers say Wal-Mart executives have told them the company wants to transform its work force to 40 percent part-time from 20 percent, the Times reported.
Wal-Mart denies it has a goal of 40 percent part-time workers, although company officials said part-timers now comprise 25 percent to 30 percent of its workers, up from 20 percent last October, according to the newspaper."

You deny that is your goal? Are you saying that the store managers are lying? If they're such liars, why did you trust their character enough to make them store managers? Obviously the store managers got this information from somewhere. They didn't just make this up. I know this article is from the New York Times which is not the most reliable source these days, but seriously is this not just a line of crap they are feeding us?

Every day in the Wal-Mart daily news, which is a .pdf file of short news stories available to Wal-Mart associates on work computers, there are all these articles about how great Wal-Mart is doing and how they are being so environmentally aware these days. I don't deny this, but why couple this environmental move with a sudden hatred for your workers? I can smell a union coming on and you did it all to yourself there, hero. You feed us these lies and hope it will make us feel better about how much it is starting to suck to work here? Do you think I'm stupid or complacent enough to actually believe you? Do you actually believe the letters you get in your associates speak out section that talk about how great the company is, but they only ever some from District level management, distribution centers, or Home Office Associates? Regular store people don't talk about how great it is to work for Wal-Mart because it fucking isn't great to work for you. Prove me wrong, I really want you to. I will eat a half cup of Hellmans with no chaser if you prove me wrong. I'll eat a raw tomato with no water to wash it down with if you prove me wrong. I really hate tomatoes. Come on, feed me a tomato. I know you can do it, but you won't do it. You don't care enough to make me eat a tomato.