msnbc.msn.com — As the first "named plaintiff" in Dukes v. Wal-Mart, the ordained Baptist minister also is the face of the largest gender bias class action lawsuit in U.S. history ? one that could cost the world's largest private employer billions.
May 2, 2010 View in Crawl 4
emkaysmithMay 3, 2010
"She is claiming racism."No, she's claiming gender discrimination. At my local Wal-Mart here in Louisiana, some of the greeters are white, some are black, one is Vietnamese, and at least one appears to be Arab or Levantine. About 3/4 are male, the other couple are female. All are easily over 65.I don't see any discrimination there -- unless you object to providing gainful employment for retirees trying to stretch their Social Security.I shop at Wal-Mart all the time, for pantry-fillers -- canned goods and such -- though I get my produce at a nearby open-air market and my meat & fish at a small specialty grocery with a good butcher.In other words, I do what most people do: I shop at multiple locations, depending on what I need and whether there's anything to choose in quality and price between one venue and another. I get ketchup and sugar and ginger ale at Wal-Mart. I get catfish and onions and fresh bread elsewhere.I really don't understand what people's complaints are about the Wal-Mart model. Yeah, they undoubtedly put small stores (with higher prices) out of business with their economy of scale. So? It happens with shoe retailers and automobile dealers, too. It happens with airlines and public utilities. It happens with the "family farm." It's been going on a long time, people. And consumers *in general* benefit from it -- especially those at the lower end of the economic range.Don't be such elitists, guys. Unless you live in Manhattan and enjoy walking down to the end of the block to pay $3.00 for a can of beans.
bookantMay 3, 2010
Let's stick it to the evil working people. In the process, let's make a handful of CEOs very, very rich! They could even retire after a vigorous round of downsizing! And, as an added bonus, we can all see the value of our wages and salaries continue to decline just like they've been doing for thirty years now, making "lower" prices an illusion since they actually consume more of our pitiful incomes. So poor people, by which I mean anyone who isn't one of those CEOs, will have an even harder time getting by. This is just a win all around.Fixed that for you.
charlotte_webMay 3, 2010
But if you're nice to them, they'll give you a sticker.
khyberkitsuneMay 3, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
emkaysmithMay 4, 2010
I only ever get asked to show my receipt if I have something in the basket that isn't bagged, like a case of beer. Makes sense.
anixmanderMay 7, 2010
"That's the way things are now in this country -- unless you're living on top of a mountain in northern Idaho, I guess."Even Northern Idaho has high-end retails stores now.
freakflagMay 7, 2010
Yearly evaluations? Interesting ...
freakflagMay 7, 2010
"...they just cap you when reach the limit, which is only a little over $10.00 an hour depending on the job)"Now, I don't ever here a f**king word about Lowes', Targets' or KMart/Sears' hourly caps that were implemented for the same exact reason. Walmart didn't reinvent the wheel by implementing this policy. Does it impact long term employees? Yes, they don't get a raise. It sucks that a person doesn't get any further compensation for their accomplishments but they have three choices available to them. One, stay in the position and accept that they will not receive a raise except for the occasional cost of living raise. Two, promote to a higher hourly rate cap. Three, voluntarily terminate their employment.