“Leave A Cart” Campaign At Wal-Mart

[nosmokes]

i'm thinking the week before thanksgiving would be perfect for this type of exercise - joe
--###--

Fill Up Your Carts & Leave--Innovative Shoppers Protest Against Wal-Mart and the Chains

2005-11-07
Fairbanks, AK. “Leave A Cart” Campaign At Wal-Mart

Activists in Fairbanks, Alaska are engaging in a little Saul Alinsky type
organizing. To show their true feelings -bout Wal-Mart, Fairbanks
residents are going to shop at Wal-Mart--but instead of picking something
up, they’re leaving something behind. While other activists have taken up
the idea of just pushing around an empty cart at Wal-Mart, in Alaska
They’re filling those carts up with merchandise. Here’s their report: “A
modification of the 'shop 'till you drop' action is to not push around
empty carts, but to stuff them full of hard-to-reshelve items and then
simply leave the cart in the aisle. This is an action that we are planning
to do this Saturday, and have a huge action on November 25th. But, quite
simply, this is something that anyone can do at anytime all over the
country at any big box store. It costs the stores to pay their employees
to put those items back. The carts will jam up the aisles and maybe
there'll be a shortage of available carts for consumers. A friend told me
"you know, these businesses aren't socially conscious, and the only way to
reach them is through their pocketbook." She stopped into our Wal-Mart
yesterday and "forgot" where she left her cart. We are working on a
reproducible note that can be left in the bottom of the cart for the
employees to read. Anyway, maybe you can post this suggestion on your
site, and just maybe it can become a nation-wide campaign. Lots of
variation on it, too. My first goal would be to have this 'problem' of
abandoned shopping carts on their board of directors agenda."


What you can do: Sprawl-Busters does not endorse shopping of any kind at
Wal-Mart--but this “leave a cart” campaign is not a form of shopping, so
other community groups may wish to organize an event similar to the
Fairbanks action. Maybe we should “abandon” our shopping carts in the
aisles, just as Wal-Mart has abandoned hundreds of empty discount stores
along our roadsides--just so they could build bigger and bigger
superstores down the block. For local contacts in Fairbanks, contact
[e-mail]




edit because i can't type,

[drhilarius]

1. As a guy who had to restock shelves in high school...

I would kill someone who did this.

[400Years]

32. You get paid by the hour, so what do you care?

[Bunny]

46. You are aware, of course, that Walmart often has their employees

work off the clock? Who do you think will be restocking those shelves, and do you think Walmart will pay each and every one of them every dime they are entitled to for it? I don't believe it for one minute.

This is the dumb-fuckedest idea I have ever heard of.

[Little Star]

51. Why would anyone work off the clock at Walmart?

Even McDonald's does not do that. So go get a job there. Paid hourly=work hourly. If you do not stick up for yourself who should? How many others are being hurt by anyone succumbing to this slave mentality? I really do not get it.

[trotsky]

56. Because they are uninformed and have no other options.

Sticking up for yourself means you get fired, and then where are you? The slave laborers at Wal-Mart generally don't know what their rights are, and do you think Wally World is gonna tell them?

[Red Clydesider]

256. "Because they are uninformed and have no other options."

If You know any one in that Position at any Wal*Mart ..PLEASE tell them to call 1 800 walmart they do not have to give there name .. That phone # and a Few more are at the cutomer service desk wall in all Wal*Mart stores.

[TheGunslinger]

282. Welcome to DU, Red Clydesider!

:hi:

[Bunny]

57. You really are pretty out of touch about this stuff, aren't you?

Do some research on Walmart's practices. Maybe then your eyes will be opened to the plight of their workers.

Leaving full carts around the store is a stupid-assed idea.

[bryant69]

186. It does seem like this would hurt the wrong people.

I more or less agree with Bunny's assessment.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Bridget Burke]

58. Why would anyone work for WalMart at all?

Well, because they must.

Because WalMart put all the other stores in town out of business. Because their husband left/died & they don't have skills for a better job. Because they like to eat & pay rent.

You have led a very sheltered life.

[berni_mccoy]

131. Because they don't have a greencard?

[loudsue]

166. Almost all WalMart employees I've seen in the past 2 years

are white or black Americans, not immigrants. In fact, a great many of the walmart employees I've seen are well educated, college age kids, and young 30-somethings, who have been laid off from better paying jobs.

Walmart has successfully hired MBA's and college degreed kids for $8.00 per hour -- quite an upperscale group of employees for a cheap dime store outfit.

THAT is a result of a republican run country, and predatory business practices that walmart is famous for. They put everyone else out of business, except the Chinese and Indonesians.

:kick:

[Red Clydesider]

259. "Almost all WalMart employees I've seen in the past 2 years"

I worked for walmart for 20 Years. I was earning $29.97 per hour when I retired .No way was I taking a management position'
Plus I had all those profit sharing and medical benefits. Not to mention Stock options .. Stock Splits. I'm sorry the stock is in the toilet .. But I got Mine out before it Did..

Bring Back Sam Walton.
I retired a happy camper.

[Nobody]

290. May I ask what department you were in?

With those wages, you had to be in IT or accounting or something. Or you worked when Sam Walton was still alive. He personally may have run a good company but his heirs are ruining his good name by their unbridled greed.

This is now a company that would rather pay 1 million dollars in legal fees to avoid adding a total of 100k to the front-line cashiers/greeters/etc.

Your turn of phrase is unfortunate: I got Mine.

[LostinVA]

310. Wal-Mart employees do not make almost $30 an hour

Maybe you had some kind of weird job, but my BIL's mom -- no HS diploma -- has worked for them for TEN YEARS, and makes $7 an hour... and is a department head.

One of my friend's niece -- single mon, WM cashier is her second job -- makes minimum wage.

[newspeak]

150. yes, Walmart

has been cited over labor abuses in states such as New Mexico for forcing their employees to work off of the clock. I have worked retail and I don't know if I agree with this type of protest. It is harder on employees who are already being kicked around by Wal-Mart. Another type of protest, such as boycotting, that will directly effect shareholders and CEO's instead of the laborers. Something that effects the top of the pile is something I would firmly agree to, but not the workers who already are getting kicked.

[last_texas_dem]

201. I agree with your assessment

I think this sort of protest would definitely be a hassle to employees, who don't deserve it, but probably wouldn't even reach the folks at the top of the Wal-Mart "food chain" it's targeting.

[Orangepeel]

185. because they don't have a union and Walmart drove the competition out

how easy it is to say, "go get another job!"

[lies and propaganda]

183. shouldnt the dumb fuck idea be

that they arent paying their employees?

[proud2BlibKansan]

209. Hey I agree with you

This only punishes the workers at WalMart.

[Deja Q]

190. Exactly. I've seen too many high school kids not care...

Not put the cans in proper dated order, or neat, or anything.

Do it. It's done. Don't care. Move on.


And get asked how much 24 cents minus 14 cents is too... :eyes:

[LostinVA]

309. Spoken by someone who has never really worked retail

I managed a big box bookstore for five years -- these employees get paid crap, no benefits, and worked their asses off. They needed the job. Read "Nickel and Dimed" -- at least I treated my employees like human. WM treats them like shit. And I never broke any labor laws, either.

This is a bit of an elitist attitude to me. Who cares if they get paid by the hour? It's needless work to do, in addition to having to get a whole bunch of Corporate endcaps, directives, etc. done... or they WILL get fired. So, off the clock they go.

In some towns there's nowhere else to work. Or, tell the 65-year-old laid off when her plant went to Mexico, or the guy in a wheelchair, or the single mom trying desperately to deed her kids to say, screw it. I can get another job in a week... or two... and get a full paycheck in two weeks... or a month.....

This is a campaign started ny people who don't have a frigging clue...

[Nobody]

341. Because if I'm forced to stay after my shift ends...

I might be late for my second job.

Kids are in daycare and if I don't pick them up by Time X, I pay double per hour.

I'm working to put myself through school and tomorrow at 7AM is the big test. Shift ends at 1AM. If I have to stay after until 3AM because some clown knows what's best for me, I won't get enough sleep to be fresh for the test. Do the math.

The last doctor appointment is already going to be a "race the traffic" event even if I leave on time -- and I already had to cancel twice.

A friend is taking me to dinner for my birthday and we have reservations.

And the most important reason of all for getting off when I'm scheduled to....

I have a life.

[Imagevision]

344. Carts? the world should leave all their carts spread out - it'll create

more jobs -- clean up after yourself at McDonald's, Burger King etc...?
hell NO! create more jobs.

Wouldn't it be nice if you helped to unload their trucks, stock their shelves while your at it. my-my how efficient the fast food chain has become.... (heavy sigh...)

[Saphire]

71. yeah, why hurt the little guy??? Wal-mart will only push them harder

to get it all re-stocked before they leave, anyway.

[info being]

142. bullshit...they'll need to hire more people.

Get it? Creating more work for the little guy means hiring more little guys.

[Saphire]

175. trust me..I worked overnight at a Target store...no hiring of new help.

[Mutley]

180. HAHAHAAAA!!!

It doesn't work that way, my friend. Creating more work for the little guys means that the little guys have to bust their asses to get the EVEN MORE work done -- in the same amount of time, because most companies don't allow overtime except for very special reasons -- than before. And even if they did allow overtime, at the end of a ten or twelve hour day of running around like a maniac, busting my ass, and getting screamed at by cruel ruthless customers, I couldn't care less about overtime. I just want to go the F home and get off my feet for the first time since I woke up that morning.

[Zynx]

307. HA! I wish they hired more help when I had to clean up customer's messes.

It is much more economical to have two or three employees that have been their all night take a half hour to restock than it is to hire two or three more to deal with it and it will still take 20-30 minutes. Managers know that there is littl efficiency in hiring more workers and in truth I wouldn't hire any more either. I would help my night crew myself to deal with that, but I wouldn't hire more workers.

[LostinVA]

311. Bullshit right back -- they won't hire one more frigging person

They do their selling cost in like 15-minute increments -- thats' why there's never enough help there.

[hezekkia]

2. this is stupid

people who participate in this are only making the lives of the underpaid workers miserable. whoever thought of this brilliant idea has never had to reshelve stock at a store before. As one who HAS had to restock shelves, I can tell you it won't be the big honchos at Wal-Mart you'll be making suffer.

:mad:

[drhilarius]

4. Thanks for putting this into perspective. nt

[Solon]

9. Have to agree...

It simply puts the burden on already overworked associates who will not benefit from such a campaign. As much as I loathe Wal-Mart, the best thing I can come up with are boycotts, which most Wal-Mart workers do the way, Goodwill is all many can afford. Another idea is to try unionization drives nation-wide, for departments Wal-Mart cannot lose, like Toys, or Sporting Goods.

[linazelle]

54. They get paid for it, so what's the big deal? nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

90. You sure they will?q

this is wallmart who is known for actually not paying all they are owed to their workers

[lies and propaganda]

184. them maybe this will give their employees some balls

and they wont do work they arent being paid for.

[Marie26]

222. Have you ever worked at a retail store?

I don't think so, or you couldn't have said that. Workers don't work over hours cause they love Wal-Mart so much, they do it cause their boss makes them. If they "stood up for themselves" like you revolutionaries are recommending, they'd get fired. There's a hundred new applications coming in - you're expendable. And there's no union to protect them. Are you willing to find these workers a new job or support their family? No? I'm sorry, this protest seems like it was created by someone who's never worked in a crappy job. Why would you want to make someone's life even more difficult in order to make an obscure point no one will get? The managers sure won't care; it's the workers who'd have to do more hours that day to clean up. Hmmm - a plan that is completely useless & inefficient, creates more hardships for workers & allows bosses to get off scot free... are you sure a Republican didn't come up with this? :)

[lies and propaganda]

271. all ive ever worked is retail

from the shittiest of girls clothing to respectful establishments.
I hardly thing youre a revolutionary to at least demand your money for the time you are working.

[LostinVA]

313. Clueless Redux

[Aimah]

136. Why punish the workers...

I can tell you from 7 years of retail Mgt experience that filling carts with merch. and then leave it there is only going to effect the staff. They may get paid but why make them work extra hours whether they are paid or not. With child care costs can you imagine mothers having to stay over an extra three hours to clean up. Picking up their children late and having to pay late fees.

If you really want the message to get clear to Wal-Mart write them or call them and tell them you won't be shopping there anymore.

[Telly Savalas]

233. Ah, the precious wittle riff-raff are soooo cute when they pick up after

the bold revolutionary! I just wanna pinch their wittle cheeks!

[LostinVA]

312. Clueless

[QC]

326. There's an epidemic of that. n/t

[jmowreader]

219. You want to unionize a hardlines department?

Stores like Wal-Mart break down their merchandise into four categories: hardlines, softlines, grocery and specialty.

Hardlines are things like furniture and cookware.
Softlines are clothes and things like that.
Grocery you can figure out.
Specialty is the garden center, the pharmacy, tire and automotive, and jewelry.

My wife worked at a Wal-Mart when Sam Walton was still alive. She reports that while it was important to keep people in toys and sporting goods, any sales associate in the building could work there. Hence, unionize a hardlines department and they'll just can all of that department's employees and put different ones in there.

You MIGHT be able to unionize the mechanics--I don't think it would succeed, because they can always hire other mechanics--and they've already tried unionizing in the grocery department with no success. (One store tried unionizing the butchers, which caused Wal-Mart to fire all of their butchers nationwide. Note that they still sell meat.)

All together now: the only way to get a union into Wal-Mart and keep it there is to unionize the pharmacists.

[Solon]

278. Not true...

The sporting goods associates are firearms dealers, not just any associate can just work back there, I know I worked sporting goods. You need to be trained to with NICS system for example. Not to mention being in line with federal and state laws in regards to properly regeristing the weapons in question, etc.

The reason I mentioned Hardlines is because they are the departments with the highest level of profitablity as well as being the departments that all stores have. L+G, Sporting Goods and Automotive are the specialized departments, and are also present and profitable, so they are also good targets. Grocery lines(NOT the Food department) aren't good targets because not every Wal*Mart is a supercenter, the nearest supercenter to me, as an example, is an hour away, yet we have about 4 Wal*Marts within a half hour of where I live. The last time a department was unionized for Wal*Marts in a region it was the Meat Packers in Supercenters, Wal*Mart shut down the entire Meat Packing department worldwide to prevent the adoption of any unions. Targeting hardlines, softlines even, as well as the other Specialized departments would be better targets, for they couldn't pull that particular stunt for them.

[jmowreader]

308. Apparently they've had to change. Thanks for the info

My wife did work sporting goods and she wasn't a firearms dealer--then again, this was while Sam was still alive, so things have changed in the wider world of gun selling. (Remember, back then there were no instant background checks for purchasing guns.)

I don't think you can unionize any department that employs easy-to-replace associates. Sporting goods requires firearms dealers now, but remember, a LOT of freepers are law-abiding enough to get a firearms dealer's license, and if there's a job in the world a freeper would love more than to sell guns at their favorite store, I don't know what it is. Hence, they could can all of the gun sellers they have now, replace them all with bona fide freepers, and their unionization problems would be solved. Same deal with automotive: your average freeper loves cars, and they'd love to change oil and mount tires for eight hours per day.

[radwriter0555]

19. Why? They're being paid to work, right? So if the work entails re-stocking

shelves, what's the harm?

[drhilarius]

22. So basically...

One gets paid a shitty wage to do shitty work, and you would suggest getting paid the same shitty wage to do twice or thrice the shitty work. No thanks.

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MadHound]

39. And given Wal Mart's past actions

These people will have to work overtime in order to restock all of this stuff in addition to their normal job duties. Given WalMart's past record of failure to pay overtime, you will just be overworking some poor person who will be forced to work the longer hours with little or even no pay.

There are better ways to fight Wal Mart, this isn't one of them.

[fishwax]

63. the math isn't that difficult. the protest creates tons more work, which

has to be completed along with everything else the employees usually do, either in the same amount of time (meaning working extra hard) or, as other posters have pointed out, wal-mart's traditional unpaid overtime.

[400Years]

81. which walmart has to pay for thus cutting into thier profits

that is the goal of the "protest" method here

value judgements aside it could be effective

[fishwax]

124. But Walmart doesn't have to pay for it

particularly if they just make the employees work extra hard. WalMart's increased spending will not be as significant as the increased work load for underpaid employees. So while it may be "effective" on some level, it isn't efficient.

And it also sucks for the underpaid employees.

[sandnsea]

64. Ever worked for a living??

You just have to do more work in that hour than you would have had to otherwise. Work harder for the same amount of money. It's rush hour all 8 hours. Get it now?

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bunny]

75. Sam? Sam Walton? Is that you?

:rofl:

[400Years]

76. No I hate walmart

that's why I don't have a problem with the OP.

[jane_pippin]

73. No, I normally work my ass off at work and the last thing I need is

a brigade of people coming in making more work for me while claiming they are helping me because "Hey, the worker is getting 5 whole more dollars to stay late and clean up after me! They should be thankful for this mess I made!"

Sorry. I just think this is a lame idea.

[400Years]

84. you are missing the point

they are not doing this to help the worker but to shut down wal-mart

all the whining aside it is an action that could have a real effect and that is probably the reason people are so against it. it is so much better to just bitch and whine on some chat room than actually do something tangible.

[ContraBass Black]

89. And what is the point of shutting down walmart if not to help the workers?

Is it to help the Target down the street?

Is it because you don't like the people who sell to walmart?

Is it to avenge local business?

[400Years]

128. Where have you been?

Maybe you don't know anything about WM's business practices.

[jane_pippin]

91. Ok, I don't see how going to a wal- mart, moving a bunch of stock around

the store and leaving it for people to clean up is going to shut down wal-mart. I also think it's disengenuous to think workers should be happy to have extra work to do because they'll get an extra few dollars for the trouble. I think it's a bad idea for a stunt. That's all.

And please. I do plenty of tangible things so lets not go there.

[TheFarseer]

133. The most effective thing to do is to not shop there

and encourage others to shop elsewhere. That said, I would be curious to find out the effect of this campaign. That has got to make life a bit tougher for the managers of these stores and if they have a grocery section, think about the milk/produce/ice cream sitting in a cart for a couple of hours.

[onenote]

137. you're right about one thing - it doesn't help the worker

I can't believe that anyone would think that this goofy idea would shut down a wal-mart. And if it did, it simply puts people out of work.

onenote

[femrap]

139. If the workers would see that the public is trying to bring attention

to the employment practices of Walmart. Working off the clock is illegal....and the worker needs to file with the Labor Board.

If spoiling milk sits in a cart....or melting ice cream....or stinky cheese...it is the public saying we want Walmart to treat their employees better...provide a decent wage and decent health coverage.

I personally think it's a great idea. Or just leave an empty cart....with a note.

Guess, we don't have a group of Union-minded folks here.

[QC]

143. "Guess, we don't have a group of Union-minded folks here."

Seems to me we have quite a few people here who have never worked for a living. Anyone who has ever done retail knows that an idiotic stunt like this would only make extra work for the employees, who are already overburdened and underpaid.

[femrap]

196. You're making some assumptions about me that are WAAAAY

off. Yes, I have worked retail....hourly and commissioned. I know exactly how it feels to stand on your feet for 9 hours a day and putting up with asshole people who think they are better than you.

To get Management to bow to employee's demands TAKES HARD WORK AND SACRIFICE.....read a little about the history of the Labor Movement in this country.

As a non-employee of Walmart, I would be happy to help....all I do now is boycott.

Maybe Walmart employees aren't ready to fight or sacrifice....just obey. Because it will take EXTRA WORK to make Management bend.

[QC]

203. All I can go by is what you have posted here,

and what you have posted here gives a decided impression of, well, to put it politely, naiveté where low wage work is concerned.

And I have read a good bit about the labor movement in this country, enough that I find it hard to picture Mother Jones trying to help the miners by increasing their workload.

This little prank is pure foolishness, the kind of thing that lets pampered bourgeois liberals feel good about themselves while doing absolutely nothing to change things in the real world.

[femrap]

207. Pampered bourgeois liberal? Well, aren't you Ms. Marx?

That is too funny....I just sent that to my friends....'Hey....someone on DU thinks I am a pampered bourgeois liberal!' ROFL! Honey, if you only knew.....but you don't. And let's just leave it at that...

good luck.

[QC]

211. Like I said, we can only go by what you post here.

And what you post here, besides being smug and self-righteous, is also remarkably clueless.

[femrap]

239. I am not into name calling as you are...

I thought the idea was creative and legal.

If you want to continue calling me any more names, I'd appreciate it if you emailed in private.....do I know you? You remind me of someone. Someone like your avatar.

[jane_pippin]

152. Why is treating employees worse going to convince them you want

it better for them?

Purposely leaving melted ice cream and stinky cheese for them to clean up to tell people you wish they had it better at work is totally disrespectful. People, even low wage workers, have dignity.

[femrap]

197. OK, then I will start shopping at Walmart again....so

everyone can keep their jobs there. Please....this would be an organized effort by activists who would leave a note on the left merchandise saying WHY we are doing it....We are doing it because Walmart underpays their associates. How is that disrespectful?

You better read up on the history of the Labor Movement in this country....it is not pretty. If you really want Management to bend to the wishes of the employees, you have to be willing to FIGHT.

Go rent 'Norma Rae.' Geeeez.

Maybe employees of Walmart aren't ready to fight....?

[jane_pippin]

206. All I'm saying is, it makes no sense to me why one would want to

protest a company's management on behalf of the worker by making more work for the worker while carrying out the protest.

I have no problem fighting for the Wal-Mart worker, or any other worker who is treated poorly. I just think this particular tactic, (in this specific subthread, leaving ice cream to melt in an aisle), is not the best way to go about it.

As far as history lessons go, I live within blocks from a site where workers were killed in the struggle for workers rights, and am reminded daily on my walks to work how bloody and ugly that fight was. But thanks for your concern.

[femrap]

213. OK....forget the damn ice cream....

how about non-perishable lightweight items, OK? And they are left underneath a 'frownie face' with a note that says why we are doing this....to bring attention to the low wages and lack of health care.

It would get some press and bring attention to the workers' plight.

Fighting Management and getting a Union IS GOING TO CREATE MORE WORK FOR THE EMPLOYEES. There is no way around that. It will take hard work, sacrifice, and organization.

You know, after this thread, I am beginning to see why the Labor Movement in this country is where it is. I am beginning to understand.

Maybe you're right....just leave to the employees to figure out for themselves. No hair off my ass.

[jane_pippin]

216. Again, I just disagree with this particular cart-leaving tactic

It's silly and no matter what is in the cart all it does is screw up someone's shift and get them pissed at whoever left it there for whatever reason, no matter how good that reason might be.

I understand that no matter what the tactic, some employees are going to have to be put out by it in some way. However, I believe in my little heart of bleedin' hearts, that there has to be a better way to go about getting these places unionized than what this protest would have us do. There has to be a way to get employees to stand with union organizers instead of getting them pissed at the group of people who are coming into their workplace, messing it up, leaving a note about how bad they've got it and claiming they are doing so in order to help the worker. That's the part of this I find disrespectful.

I'm beginning to repeat myself a little too much here so I'll just leave it at that.

edit: grammar

[Telly Savalas]

234. Since it takes hard work and sacrifice to get a union...

should the terms of such efforts be dictated by the actual worker and not some asshole customer who thinks he's taking a stand by acting like a dick?

[femrap]

236. Yep....I am beginning to see that it would be best to let the

employees work it out for themselves.....

And just what are the employees doing? I know the women employees have a class action suit filed...haven't heard much about that for a while.

Anything else going on? The Big Movie exposing Walmart comes out this week....did employees have anything to do with this?

If you were referring to me as a customer....I am not one of those...but I do carry a big dick..I mean, stick. You still got that sucker, Telly?

[Telly Savalas]

238. Oh so since the workers aren't doing enough...

you'd be happy to force them to make sacrifices, while you make no sacrifices yourself? That's really fucked up.

[Name removed]

240. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Telly Savalas]

242. When somebody leaves a cart at Walmart, what sacrifice have they made?

[Telly Savalas]

243. Ooooh, my feet are sore from leaving all those shopping carts at Walmart!

But at least I know I did it for the good of the People!

[Telly Savalas]

244. I'm a badass fucking revolutionary!

[Telly Savalas]

246. I'm sure the workers will all thank me!

[QC]

261. Obviously you haven't watched Norma Rae enough,

or you would know that leaving your shopping cart in an aisle somewhere is how you become a leader of the revolutionary vanguard.

:silly:

[Telly Savalas]

249. Somebody answer the fucking question.

[Telly Savalas]

247. Holy shit!

Back when I worked fast-food, I just assumed that the large obnoxious church group that came in every Sunday night and left a big-ass mess after themselves were just being insensitive pricks. Silly me, they were at the vanguard of fighting for my labor rights!

[Telly Savalas]

248. And yes, I do work for Rove, asshole

[Dorian Gray]

294. Of course....

That's what I've been thinking while reading this whole thread. Does anybody who actually works at Walmart think that this is a good idea? If they were behind the plan, then MAYBE I would think it was a good idea.

If not, then it's just a bunch of people who think that they "know best" acting on the behalf of others who they believe to "know less."

[druidity33]

157. Yes! Unions!

Combined with a couple of long term "salters" (Union moles within the company, set up a couple of months prior to any action... to gather information (evidence), to relay information (workers rights issues), to organize the action from within, (have the customers leave the carts en masse as an organised protest, then have all of the employees walk out together... make the managers clean it up).
I believe part of the reason for the recent Big Union split is because Unite! and the SEIU wanted to do more grassroots activist work, they even specificallly mentioned unionizing Wal-Mart as a stated goal.
This would take a lot of work to be effective and successful...
But we have hope.
If you encounter a naysayer... point to Costco.

[femrap]

199. I like the way you think....

Fighting Management is just that....a Fight! And it takes organization, creativity.....tons of hard work! You're right! And sacrifice.

[Codeine]

277. I'm glad you're willing

to make sure those workers sacrifice on your terms and subject your busy schedule. Hopefully you'll make a big mess over at Starbuck's on your way to work as well; make sure they get their daily dose of rich-boy sacrifice as well.

La lucha continua! Viva la revolucion!

[mcscajun]

334. Union-minded folks wouldn't pit worker against worker.

That is NOT a progressive principle.

Workers are not the enemy, the Owners Are. Target your anger and your actions towards management and stockholders, not low-paid retail workers with few (or No) options.

[philosophie_en_rose]

165. But it doesn't shut Walmart down.

It just forces the workers to do more with less time. It doesn't mean a damn thing to Walmart to have carts in the aisles.

[hezekkia]

168. friend, this ain't gonna shut down wal-mart

you're just gonna make over-worked, underpaid employees stay later than they want. you know, Wal-Mart workers have families they want to go home to, too.

[Redstone]

171. And furthermore, the stuff on the shelves belongs to the store,

not some "protestor."

I don't like Wal-Mart, but I do respect other people's property.

I sincerely hope that anyone who engages in this moronic activity gets arrested. This is not a protest, it's pure and simple vandalism.

Redstone

[fujiyama]

279. I was thinking that myself

Why not just cut to the chase and start smashing windows like those groups that hijacked various peaceful protests in recent years.

[nosmokes]

324. how is it vandalism? i'm not harming anyting. i'm simply

moving item A from locationX to locationY.

[jmowreader]

221. This isn't going to shut down Wal-Mart. Grow up.

Every retailer deals with abandoned carts every day. Someone will come into the store to get fifteen items; we'll have fourteen of them and be out of stock on the fifteenth, so instead of doing the logical thing (buying the fourteen items they spent the good time and trouble to load onto their carts, then going down the road for the fifteenth) they'll abandon the cart with the fourteen things on it, drive three miles down the road to a competitor, and re-pull the fourteen items.

Okay, so you have twenty activists walk around the store pulling items so they can abandon them in their carts. And this differs from someone who abandoned a cart full of merchandise because Wal-Mart ran out of Meow Mix how?

You guys want to shut down Wal-Mart? Get every City Council in America to make them pay their own way. Wal-Mart decided to build a Supercenter on Skibo Road in Fayetteville quite a few years ago. The city decided that a 200,000-sf Wal-Mart would be such a wonderful thing that they...

* helped Wal-Mart buy the land for the Supercenter from the realtor who owned it. (Calm down, there wasn't anything on the land before W-M decided they wanted it--IIRC there were maybe five trees there.)
* gave them a ten-year tax holiday. (Figure that before the 10 years is up, they'll have worn out this store and will need to move into a new one.)
* paid to install two new traffic signals, one on Skibo, one on Yadkin.
and, of course, add in the AFDC and WIC, plus Medicaid, that we already pay to Wal-Mart associates because Wal-Mart doesn't believe in paying its associates enough to eat.

Quit giving Wal-Mart all these tax breaks and incentives, make them actually pay what it costs to operate, and they'll go under.

[ClassWarrior]

129. It's either that or some other shitty work. So what's the difference?

NGU.

[eggman67]

134. No it's

That AND some other shitty work.

No either or about it.

[roguevalley]

25. so someone's grandma who has to work because her husband

died and she has diabetes and sore feet and a sore heart has to do all that they demand plus this. that is the harm. IF we could aggravate the big fat cat family, then I would be there like that. Harming helpless workers won't do it for me.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jane_pippin]

80. You're right. I should be grateful for every scrap I get no matter what.

[Name removed]

85. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jane_pippin]

93. nevermind.

[ContraBass Black]

88. You get paid by the hour.

But you have more work, and the same number of hours to do it.

This is bullshit from people who can't possibly have a clue what it's like to work low-level labor.

WHEN YOU DON'T FINISH YOUR WORK, YOU DON'T GET EXTRA HOURS. YOU GET WRITTEN UP.


I don't give a fuck if you hate walmart. You don't go shit on people and then call it a progressive protest.

[femrap]

144. Think of it like this....

Walmart will have to hire another Restocker or two...giving someone a job they may need over the Holidays. And if we leave a note in the cart...Walmart Managment will get the message.

I don't shop at Target either....in fact I could leave some carts there as well.

Certain Walmart stores required that to become a store manager, the employee had to be able to lift the 50 lb. bags of dog food...now who does that keep out of the higher paying management positions? Women. I have been known to poke my car key into a bag or two at Walmart...

If we all are good little people all of the time, we will never see justice.

Reverend Billy and his crew go into a Walmarts and have a big parade with empty carts...they jam up the aisles and then leave. Too cool...he gives a sermon against shopping while doing this.

Read 'Rules for Radicals' by Saul Alinsky....get creative folks...and stop being so afraid.

[QC]

174. Yeah, Alinsky was all about making life harder for working people.

:eyes:

[femrap]

194. Then what do you suggest?

Am I correct that we don't want people to shop there? IOW, we want the sales of Walmart to decline as well as their profits, right?

I don't shop there...I encourage others not to as well.....pretty soon, we will hurt their sales and all the hard working people of Walmart are going to be out of jobs.....there will be layoffs, right?

Maybe everyone on this thread needs to read a bit about the history of the Union Movement in this country....it was bloody and violent. People had to stick together.

At least the employees of Walmart would have work if we left carts with merchandise in the aisles....not as many would be laid off as sales dwindled, right?

Or maybe I should start shopping there again so the employees can have jobs.

Saul Alinsky always tried to get Management's attention by NOT breaking the law and being creative...the 'leave the cart' idea was creative and legal...and if we left notes in the carts about WHY we didn't buy, it could get some press and Management would get the message. Do it only for a week and only lightweight items.

Fighting Management for employee's rights ain't for the weak of spine. That's a fact. It will take sacrifice...no doubt about that.

[rinsd]

202. What spine are you exhibiting exactly?

Anonymously making more work for people that you claim to be fighting for?

Yeah very brave of you.

[QC]

204. Yeah, it takes a lot of spine to create extra work for the overworked!

And then you get to tell all your friends about your "creative" activism over sushi!

[rinsd]

212. I just don't get it.....

...at least when you're doing the empty shopping cart thing you're actually "hurting" Walmart and taking the sacrifice upon yourself.

But filling a shopping cart and leaving it? That takes all of 5 minutes.

[femrap]

205. The employees of Walmart are NOT going to get

Management to bend to their wishes without WORK and SACRIFICE. Read up on the history of the Labor Movement in this country. Rent 'Norma Rae.'

Something like this could get some press....it would put a light on the low wages and the lack of health care....Every cart left in the store would have a 'frownie face' note in it saying WHY the public was doing this.....

But....hey. Maybe the public should just leave it to the employees to do whatever they want to. But if the employees want Management to change, it will take one big FIGHT. Walmart plays very dirty....the employees will have to as well.

[rinsd]

210. Rent Norma Rae?

Yeah its the same thing :eyes:

That you feel comfortable making extra work for people AND consider that to be a feather in your cap is disturbing.

You want to fight for these people, correct?

Start picketing WalMart. Write LTTEs. This is neither creative nor constructive. At least the empty shopping cart people are making a sacrifice. They're actually walking around and spending their valuable time. This is just lazy and forces the worker to do the sacrifice.

[femrap]

214. I understand why the labor movement in this country is where

it is. I don't see how you are going to fight Management without sacrifice on the part of the employees....do you? Do you think some CEO is going to say...'ah yes, let's give everyone more $.' Making Walmart accept a Union will take lots of sacrifice....and my offering to spend time on that effort isn't lazy.

No, I don't want to fight FOR these people....I will fight WITH them. Maybe, the employees aren't ready to fight yet.

good luck to you....let's agree to disagree. Reverend Billy is calling....

[DoctorMyEyes]

241. as a cashier AND a labor organizer

I just feel I have to tell you that both your logic and your "protest" are full of shit.

[femrap]

254. Well..that was kind of you.....and so how's that labor

organizing going? What do you have planned? Do you work at Walmart? Are you working with SEIU? What would you suggest that the public (laid off, homemakers, consumers, pink-collar, white-collar, underemployed, etc.) DO to help the associates of Walmart?

What? Besides mailing receipts to Arkansas?

This 'Divide and Conquer' that the rich white boys have going seems to really work...Look, here we are on a progressive board and you are telling me I am full of shit cuz I would like to organize a Walmart Protest....an ORGANIZED ACT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE THAT WOULD GET PUBLICITY FOR THE EMPLOYEE'S PLIGHT OF LOW WAGES AND LACK OF HEALTH CARE.

As I asked above...what type of acitivities are you organizing? Why don't you want to work together? I don't get it.

[Dorian Gray]

297. "No, I don't want to fight FOR these people... I will fight WITH them".

Unless they seem willing and able, then you are doing it FOR them. So, what I suggest before you go forward with this silly little plan is to contact all the Walmart workers in your area, inform them of your plan, and see what they have to say. If they think it's a bad idea, then listen to them. If they are all for you doing it, then go ahead.

[Marie26]

230. But here's the thing.

Why don't you do the sacrifice? Why make other people sacrifice for your cause? If you really, really, hate Wal-Mart, you have a perfect right to make sacrifices for that belief - stop shopping there, go to local stores that can cost more, write letters, join the local "Save Main Street" groups. But that would take a significant sacrifice of time, money, commitment. Don't just take 5 minutes to fill a cart and leave. So... you've sacrificed 5 minutes & leave smugly, then a Wal-Mart worker has to spend an extra 2-3 hours to clean up rotting milk, cheese, meat, etc. for your cause. There's no sacrifice there for you - it's the worker, the worker you claim to care about, who now has to sacrifice his time & dignity to clean up after you. Do you think he'll be particularly grateful? I think in general we have the perfect right to sacrifice anything, even our lives, for a cause we believe in. But I have a problem when they start asking (or making) other people do the sacrifice for their particular cause. That's where "protests" or "rebellion" starts crossing the line, IMO. The ends don't justify the means.

[Telly Savalas]

235. To paraphrase Bush, Social justice is "hard work"

It's best left to Walmart employees. Why should we get our hands dirty?

[Marie26]

255. Yes, we can just supervise.

Protests run like a business at last.

[Mairead]

315. No, leaving something in the cart is evidence of bad intent

If everyone just walks away, nobody can prove that it was anything but a change of mind...but leaving a flyer in the cart is evidence and could bring a suit for 'intentional interference with prospective economic advantage'.

[jane_pippin]

66. Because stunts like this set the whole workday back for people.

And it's totally inconsiderate to make more work for people you're attempting to help while expecting them to be on your side because "Hey, they'll get an extra 5 or 7 bucks out of it. They shouldn't care."

It's condescending, and if somebody did that to me in my workplace the first thing I would think of when I heard of their cause, even if I supported the cause itself, would be "Oh yeah, they're the jackasses that pulled that stunt that kept me at work for 2 extra hours that day."

[ClassWarrior]

130. If the store's gonna keep someon an extra two hours for anything...

...that's the store's decision.

NGU.

[jane_pippin]

148. You're right on that. Here's all I'm saying...

I agree Wal-Mart is horrible for a variety of reasons, one of which is the way they treat their workers.

I've worked in retail off and on for about 8 years now. Once in a while you get a slow day with nothing to do, but for the most part there is plenty of work to do on any given day to keep people busy throughout a shift. Sometimes we get a load of customers coming in right at the end of the day who browse, shuffle things around, and leave a bit of tidying up for us to do that we wouldn't have had to do otherwise. No big deal really. We stay a little bit later and clean it up so the people coming in on the next shift don't have extra work to do. We do it out of respect for our coworkers and because we take pride in our store. (I don't work at Wal-Mart and I'm not claiming to speak for those who do, but I am interested in sharing my experience in case it's helpful in some way).

What bothers me about this idea is that it isn't just a few customers coming in and putting a few things back in the wrong spots or leaving a few things here and there. It's that it's asking many people to come in and move cart fulls of things around which somehow sticks it to Wal-Mart. If something like that happened in my store on my shift I'd have to stop what I was doing, go to one of the full carts left randomly somewhere, reshelve all that stuff, and then if I'm lucky I'd still have time to finish what I was doing in the first place before closing time--something I'd probably have finished already if it hadn't been for this cart filling business. If I have a nice boss s/he might not make us stay late to put all the stock back. But that's kind of beside the point because someone still has to put it back and someone still has to do all the original work anyway.

I get what people are saying, that it could stick it to the company by making them pay employees who might have to stay late to clean up the mess, but I don't think this tactic will actually make a significant dent in a company as large as Wal-Mart. And, as others in the thread mentioned, chances are it would only breed resentment in the employees toward the people participating in the stunt so in the end I just don't think it's a useful tactic. I know I'd be mad at anybody who pulled something like this on my shift even if I was getting paid to stay late. Sure I'd get an extra 5 or 10 bucks out of it, but I'd be pissed as hell at whoever caused it. Especially if it was done on purpose, purportedly for my benefit in the long-run. I'm not working retail because I'm stupid or uninformed. I'm working retail because I have to eat and pay for heat, and I get tired of people who think they know better treating retail workers as expendable little cogs. I just find it insulting how people who work in retail are treated by some people on all sides of the spectrum.

I'd rather see people picket Wal-Mart constantly instead, help unionize it, speak out about what's going on there, and work with local officials, reps, and senators to try to make things better. I'd rather see employees getting treated well right off the bat, but that's wishful thinking.

I really didn't mean for this to become a rant and it's not meant to be directed at you, but I just had to get it off of my chest. Thanks. I actually have to go start my shift now, so I guess that's it outta me today. ;)

[Aimah]

193. I know what you mean...

I was always pissed at people who would tear things up even staying well after closing and not buying anything. We usually referred to those people as snooty assholes who probably never worked retail because they didn't understand how we have to stay after to clean. We felt that they looked down on us because of these actions. I remember having a girl take apart an entire table of the same shirt from it's fold. Her friend said "Why don't you put that back", the girl responded "Oh they get paid to do this." She left never buying a shirt. In my mind I'm thinking I have 1 hour to close this store before the last bus comes but thank you for staying in here 20 mins after closing time and messing up my area.

I don't think people are really seeing how these actions are totally disrespectful to retail workers. WalMart won't think twice about this. Someone will have to stay later missing the last bus, have to pay extra for late daycare fees, not be able to pick their kids up on time from school. More payroll and less sales means fewer workers, lower pay and more work for those left.

Please if you hate WalMart don't shop there. Give your money to the company you favor. Write WalMart a letter telling them why you won't be shopping there.

[mcscajun]

335. Great rant...and you hit the nail on the head for those who need something

to do...

"I'd rather see people picket Wal-Mart constantly instead, help unionize it, speak out about what's going on there, and work with local officials, reps, and senators to try to make things better."

That's the real work, the hard work, that slacktivism like 'leaving a cart' ignores.

I'd like to see all the cart folks pick up a sign and a good pair of walking shoes, and show up at Wal-Mart every weekend, certainly their busiest time. :)

[JVS]

274. Why don't you ask a Walmart employee about it and then see?

One of my former co-workers works there now, I think I'll go find her sometime and ask

[Perky]

53. I agree it is certainly is asinine and sophomoric

Boycott...don't boycott..picket...don't picket. vut this is chidish and makes no one suffer other than the hour employee.

[hfojvt]

113. there is nothing like engaging in anti-social behaviour

to prove that yours is a cause all decent people should support.

[Momgonepostal]

182. Thank you for saying this

ITA. I feel the same way about people who think they are sticking it to businesses or agencies when they pay in pennies. Do they really think the guys in charge are the ones they are inconveniencing?

[HeeBGBz]

250. Gotta agree with you there.

Fucking over the wrong people.

[fortyfeetunder]

302. agree- also stupid

Crack the asses of the top rungs of Walmart instead. The power of a letter will have more impact than a bunch of wasted merchandise waiting for one of their minions to sort out.

[tritsofme]

3. Make life harder for the minimum wage worker...

Great people...

[B Calm]

20. Great Idea leaving carts, workers might be able to get in a full 40 hr

work week!

[Solon]

24. And still get paid for 32!!!!

Brilliant!!!! :sarcasm:

[B Calm]

26. So what is your latest idea about helping Walmart employees?

Are you helping to bring in the union?

[Solon]

27. Tried and was fired for it...

Actually I was fired for "not being a team player" but then again it was a day after I distributed flyers, what a surprise.

[rinsd]

191. Grea idea....

Attack Walmart by simultaneously making more work for the employees and call them lazy!

Briliant!

[entanglement]

5. Very bad idea; it will just hurt Walmart workers

who have enough troubles, as it is

On edit:
"...stuff them full of hard-to-reshelve items"
whose brilliant idea is this??
:mad:

[slay]

12. They are getting paid either way

and since they get paid by the hour, extra work means extra money. I'm not saying it's a great idea, but it doesn't sound like a particularly bad idea to me. I don't agree with the "hard to reshelve" comment, but I think the idea of hitting Walmart in their wallets is the only thing they are going to understand. :shrug:

[drhilarius]

15. Don't agree w/ the hard to (re)shelve items?

do you realize the kind of strain that motion puts on your back and knees after a couple of hours? I found this hard work as 17/18 year old kid. Considering how shitty their benefits are, I'm pretty sure the average Wal-Mart employee couldn't afford a wrenched back.

[slay]

108. Um.. they shelve items ANYWAYS

I take it you won't be participating in the "leave a full cart" protest then huh? :P

[MessiahRp]

16. LOL

what world do you live in? When I worked at Wal-Mart overtime was never approved. All you're doing as making a worker's day harder because most workers are assigned certain other responsibilities that they are to try to complete within their shift. If they cannot, they will take the brunt of management's blame.. not these ridiculous protesters.

Rp

[Solon]

23. Not to mention that if they work the overtime...

They may not be paid overtime for it at all. I know, worked Wal-Mart myself.

[400Years]

35. If you work the hours they have to pay you

Do you normally work for free?

[Solon]

62. You haven't heard have you?

Look here to see what I mean, BTW, I've contacted the law firm about me joining in.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/workplace/story/0036ACF973692D6A862570AD00504622?OpenDocument

[400Years]

72. Go for it, I wish you the best of luck.

They need to be held accountable.

[slay]

111. I live in a world

where I can say I never worked for the evil Walmart. Ahem. :P :evilgrin:

[QC]

138. How fortunate you are to have more choices in life than others!

http://www.classmatters.org/2004_11/from_our_mouths.php

[Bake]

188. If you want to hit them in the bottom line, don't shop there.

Simple as that. This cart thing is the most asinine idea I've heard yet. All it does it hurt the hourly employees. That's REAL progressive. NOT!

Bake

[slay]

231. I don't shop there

and I won't be shopping there if I fill up a cart and just leave it either. :evilgrin: :P

on edit: I'm kidding by the way. Hence the "evilgrin" and "tounge out" smilies. I never knew people would be this sensitive over - get back at Walmart theories.

[Mutley]

281. It doesn't work that way.

These people just want to go home at the end of a very long and very trying day. If the payroll costs go up, the managers get crapped on by the Corp guys, and guess what, shit rolls downhill. So the managers will crap on all the hourly workers; cut their hours, give them the work of two or three people that has to get done in 30 hours or less a week, write them up when that doesn't happen, and eventually they will be fired. Yeah, wonderful idea! :eyes:

[mcscajun]

336. Extra work doesn't translate to extra money in Wal-Mart's world.

Unpaid overtime is a long-standing tradition, and don't let their press releases tell you any different.

[realisticphish]

6. No...

Because I want to HELP the employees, not fuck them over. The losses to the corporation would be inconsiquential, but the inconvenience to the employees would be immense

[nosmokes]

10. they're paid by the hour - re-stocking the shelves is the

same mundane job. yes, it's possible it would be a minor inconvenience to a clerk, but it's gonna be a major inconvenience to the people that shop there. it's gonna be a pain in the ass to the mid mgmt types that are gonna hafta get out on the floor and work, and what difference does it make to the poor stock clerk? s/he's gonna be stocking/restocking shelves the whole shift regardless.

[realisticphish]

13. not true

there's a difference between stocking items that have been bought, and quickly clearing and restacking items that are left all over the store, instead of organized so they can be stocked quickly

[MessiahRp]

17. 100% correct...

If you've ever done returns carts you know what a bitch it is to find where everything goes and how time consuming it is to do a cart like that.

This is an irresponsible protest that hurts the very people we're supposed to be speaking out for.

Rp

[radwriter0555]

21. It's just a job. It's not a difficult or technologically challenging job,

it's just putting things back on the shelf.

[MessiahRp]

30. Test that theory out.

Go to a store with a friend. Have the friend fill a cart with items from all over the store. When they have filled the cart have them bring it to you. Then you take all the items and match where they go... not just generally but by UPC codes and prices. Make sure you "face" all the items (bring everything to the front for proper presentation).

Now time how long that took.

Not as easy as it sounds. Even worse, try doing inventory in February for the store.

Rp

[Solon]

31. Oh shit, inventory!

I HATED inventory time, had to get everything perfect, sometimes crazy assed hours, scanning everything with the Telxons etc.

[400Years]

36. I worked in stocking at Walmart, no big deal

You get paid by the hour so who cares. Just more money for the worker.

[Bridget Burke]

49. Gosh, why didn't you mention this earlier?

Please let us know what it was like working at WalMart!

[400Years]

69. sucked ass in some ways

but I worked with some nice people that became friends.

This was a very long time ago.

[sandnsea]

67. There's working and there's working

Maybe you're one of those lazy workers who workers like my son have to pick up the slack for. I don't know. But he would definitely not appreciate the added work load, he's got enough to do to earn his meager wages as it is.

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rinsd]

192. Seriously....

You're pissing off what should be your ally...in fact the workers are who this campaign claims to fight for.

I just don't get it.

[Bridget Burke]

60. No, it's not as technologically challenging as debugging code...

Watch out, you might get carpal tunnel syndrome!

[ContraBass Black]

95. Please, I beg you.

Go to any warehouse or big box store, get several carts of random crap, and try it.

Take a 30 minute break after 4 hours, and then try it again.

Then try it the next day.

If you can't do it, start selling your posessions.

[ROH]

179. Agreed. Two wrongs never make a right. (n/t)

[MojoXN]

7. Clever...

But juvenile. Why not surreptitiously unionize Wallyworld workers, rather than creating extra work for them? That'd be my preferred approach.

MojoXN

[democracyindanger]

8. Ingenious. nt

[donheld]

11. Sure that'll show'em

The poorly paid workers will have to clean up the mess, and the executives will never know what went on. :spank:

[Skittles]

14. I could not do this

because I know it will cause angst for the little people who very likely have few choices - f*** that

[Codeine]

18. That's just fucking stupid.

We already know WalMart doesn't properly pay it's employees. I can just about guarantee the folks that work there will be putting in extra labor off the clock to complete the restocking of these items. Maybe a few will be paid, and maybe Wallyworld will be out a handful of dollars as a result, but it will ultimately have no effect whatsoever beyond making self-righteous asshole yuppies feel better about themselves between trips to Starbucks and making a couple of people who have already difficult jobs a little more miserable.

Gawd pretentious people piss me off. :mad:

[NuttyFluffers]

28. hee hee, this is great! i used to do restocking and love this!

do you realize how much more fun restocking is compared to dealing with annoying customers? :evilgrin:

sure it's "more work" but i always thought of restocking as a vacation from being enslaved at the register (which i enjoyed once upon a time because i was good with people -- but now i found people aren't always good with you).

and if it's from merchandise from all over the store, meh, more time to idle about "working hard." far better than doing shipping/receiving, pricing, organizing shelves, etc. restocking just involved walking around the store and dropping shit off -- it's like the opposite of shopping which can be kinda relaxing. get to look at stuff from all over the store, meandering around instead of stuck at one dept.

... and if any of the product is perishable... :evilgrin: ... what can you do? sometimes people just forget or change their mind.

seriously, these poo-pooing responses make it sound like all y'all were uberemployees wanting everything to be efficient and hate having your time wasted. pshaw! nonsense, i say! you get paid by the hour, so who cares about "working hard" and high productivity. once you're done with one thing you're gonna be saddled with another. and if not you'll be sitting around bored with your coworkers and gonna be yelled at by the boss to do some petty stupid shit later. might as well look busy and get to idle in the aisles.

i think the idea kicks ass! think of it as free 5 minute breaks to poor overworked Wal*Mart employees! sweet!

ps: don't pick up large cumbersome things though. heavy lifting makes me grumpy, so i'm sure it'd piss off others, too.

[TahitiNut]

104. I agree.

I wouldn't pick large items - fewer items to restock. Wal*Mart pares its workforce to the bone anyway, paying little and trimming workforce when there's any chance.

While, in an ideal world, the employees of a company can and should take an 'ownership' interest in doing their best, we're in nothing approaching that "ideal world" and even further when speaking of a company that preys upon its employees. Working off the clock? Report it. Blow the whistle. Anything else is complicity. In my view, there's almost nothing lower than an employee that's complicit in such predation, pond scum that scurries to pick up a few scraps from the carnage where others are the victims. Male employees who happily benefit from workplace sexism and white employees who happily benefit from workplace racism and younger employees who happily benefit from workplace ageism are merely bottom-feeders throwing their fellow humans to the wolves.

[NuttyFluffers]

264. oooh, now you're bringing up really cool side topics.

people taking advantage of injustice and not fighting it. that's one of the few things that really pissed me off, seeing real injustice (y'know, like discrimination, unlike petty restocking) and hearing several of my fellow coworkers letting it slide because "it don't hurt me. i get the benefit..." that shit bugged me to no end, i'll tell you! reminds me of scabs and union busters. f^#$ers deserve nothing more than a swift kick to the ass, in my opinion.

this petty restocking stuff is just small fry entertainment. irritating to the company, a relaxing break to most employees, and a kick to the groin to stick in the muds (who should be kicked in the groin regularly on principle :P :evilgrin:). all i ask is no big stuff, and don't fill the cart to the brim with crap. a few stuff from all over the store and then leave it in some aisle... it's mostly about the cart being in the way and products being out of circulation.

[femrap]

153. OK...it's a deal. Just lightweight stuff...

socks, toothpaste, cereal, cheese (limburger)...any other suggestions? But I think we should leave a note so Management knows what is up...how does that sound? It would be cool to have the note written on a 'frownie face.'

[NuttyFluffers]

266. haha, dig the frownie face. or frownie with a smile :D

}( <-- like this guy!
it's mostly about the carts and a few good being misplaced. just enough to give a much needed break to employees. i'd also probably recommend to pace it out. like if 1-2 people do it, maybe 10-15 small products per cart; but if like 20-30 people enter the store (which is great in wasting shopping carts), just 3-5 items per cart...

besides, if this is gonna be done on any holiday shopping, like after thanksgiving day sale, it's gonna be like this ANYWAY :D so people complaining here either have a nimrod up in a very shadowy place or haven't ever been to/worked retail during after thanksgiving day sales (to those tight-ass, whiney people -- i worked holiday season in 2 toys stores, at the same time period, during pokemon craze, and release of several major video game systems. and unless you've had several squadrons of ignorant but belligerant parents, dipstick "wrasslin'" gamer twits, gibbering 40-year-old-virgin socially inept gamers, and a legion of screaming, crack-addled pokemon kids overwhelm you for over 48 hrs at a go in bouts of overlapping shifts, trust me i've had it worse than you'll ever see. so you can kindly blow it out your ass about "restocking shelves are cruel and unusual punishment.").

honestly, outside of misplacing product to be lost and taken as a deduction -- which only hurts the company, there's little to do on those days to really make employees lives any worse. unless you can magically morph into a gaggle frenzied soccer moms searching for the season's "it" toy, with a litter of scrambling brats tipping the entirity of AISLE AFTER AISLE over there's really nothing you could do that'd be worse.

if you wanna help us though, next time you see a spastic "i must have it NOW!" veruca salt and republican soccer mom combo make a scene at a store, publicly assault them. that'd make my day 10x over.

[Mairead]

320. No, no notes! Notes prove intent. (nt)

[chat_noir]

29. Wal-Mart's off-the-clock record

Wal-Mart is already on the record (http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIC,HPIC:2005-21,HPIC:en&q=Wal%2DMart++off+the+clock )for off-the-clock abuses. If they still encourage/demand this illegal activity by their managers, then they are setting themselves up to be investigated again. They have been put on notice.

[bj2110]

37. Idiotic. Yeah, punish the low-paid workers even more than Wal-mart does. ?

[justabob]

38. Very bad idea

The only people who are going to notice that are the 'associates'. Working retail is bad enough this time of year... don't add more misery to it.

[Bouncy Ball]

40. I guess I'm just not mean enough or whatever to do this.

[Ladyhawk]

83. Me either. Do you have a better idea?

I'm not saying this in a snarky manner. I'm asking because you usually have good ideas. So, do you have a better idea? :)

[MercutioATC]

112. How about patronizing Costco and encouraging others to do the same?

http://www.laborresearch.org/page_src.php?id=391&src=costco

[Ladyhawk]

115. I would, but we don't have one in the area. It would be a 2-hour round

trip just to go shopping.

[MercutioATC]

117. That IS a problem. Costco just doesn't have enough stores yet.

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart, but I have the means to make that decision. I know people who don't like what Wal-Mart does, but can't pay the prices most local stores demand.

It's a quandry.

[Bunny]

116. That's a great idea. Problem is, in all of Western PA, there are only

two Costco stores. Both of them are in the northern Pittsburgh suburbs. When you live more than an hour away from each one, it makes it hard to patronize them on a regular basis.

Just sayin'...

[MercutioATC]

120. Ladyhawk brought up the same issue.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer...it's an idea that'll only work in some areas (where there are Costco stores).

[Bouncy Ball]

156. I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart,ever, and I constantly refer to them

as "Satan's Five and Dime."

I've convinced several people to stop shopping there, too.

[LaraMN]

41. Shitty.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I worked at Wal-Mart- on my feet for hours with NO extra breaks. If there wasn't stock to put away, I could walk around and help customers and moving about really helped. I was there until five days before my baby was born, and do you have ANY idea how much it HURT to have to bend down over and over again to put things away? It isn't about the quantity of work this effort is creating, it's about the TYPE of labor involved and the people who are forced to do it.

[Ian David]

42. I posted something like this ages ago. n/t

[newportdadde]

43. Cancel your Dr. Appt I need you to do extra restocking...

or cancel your friends funeral/picking up your kid from daycare... etc etc. What you have to get the kid by 5pm.. too bad stay till 6 or your fired.

Or maybe while you are restocking that hard to stock crap you are injured and get a nice back disk problem for the rest of your life. Stupid idea, just stupid.

When are folks going to realize that Walmart is fulfilling a market demand. We may not like that demand, we may hate it but they are doing it. If its not them, it would be some other ****-mart. If you want to punish Walmart don't shop there, deny them your money, that hurts them and tell them WHY your not shopping there. If you want to help the workers then get the workers to push for a union.

[insane_cratic_gal]

44. Yay lets torture the walmart workers!

:sarcasm:

please come on.. all you've done is added undo stress on the employees.

Sure they get paid, but can't you find something to do that effects their reputation. Like pass out anti walmart flyers showing all of their sins at a local walmart vs punishing the workers?

[qanda]

45. I think that's just terrible

Why would they want to hurt the employees? What have they done to deserve that?

[Texasgal]

47. This is the dumbest thing I have heard

in a loooong time.

Bottom line, cart or not... this is not going to stop wally world from being corporate donors to the right. This will only put a dent in overworked and underpaid employees. It serves no useful purpose except for that.

I TRULY hope that people don't actually do this. I am simply AMAZED at the stupidity of this so called "protest".

[Bridget Burke]

48. The Daring Career of the Suburban Radical. Next: Order Sushi & Don't Pay!

This stupid proposal just makes more hard work for those who may not get paid overtime. It won't inconvenience the Walton family in the slightest.

Besides--who wants to hang out at WalMart? I thought the stores were dreadful before I knew anything about the company.

[QC]

82. LOL! Suburban Radicals indeed.

It's obvious that these people have never had to restock a shelf in their lives.

[JVS]

275. How about ordering pizzas and not answering the door!

We'll bring down the whole fucking system

[THUNDER HANDS]

50. fuckin' assholes

You know who restocks most of the shelves at Wal-Mart?

The cashiers. After they have just stood on their feet ringing up people for 8 hours.

And starting the day after Thanksgiving, the store is going to open at 6 AM and close at midnight.

So these cashiers will be restocking the shelves until 2 AM or later.

Fuck these people. They know nothing about protesting. Fools.

[jane_pippin]

52. No. No. No. Clearly whatever big brain thought this up never worked retail

Yeah, you get paid by the hour, but that's not the point.
My retail job involves shelving items. It also involves keeping the store neat and clean, helping customers, filling special orders, putting away tons of new stock, answering the phone, creating displays etc.

If some jackass came into the store, filled a cart worth of stuff and walked out in some kind of protest I'd be beyond pissed even if I agreed with the cause. Why?

Because in one shift I already have plenty of stuff to do without re shelving cartloads of stuff some person (or many people) moved on purpose to make a statement. I'd have to stay late to put all that stuff away. Or leave it for the morning people which is no way to respect your co-workers. So yeah, maybe I'd get another $7 dollars out of it. Big deal. I'd also get home an hour later, eat an hour later, miss my bus, and be that much more exhausted at the end of the day. It might not seem like a big deal to you that lowly counter jockeys and stockers would be so put out by an hour of extra work, but when it's a deliberate stunt that purports to be on my (the worker's) behalf yet all it does is make things harder for me, then guess what? I'm that much less likely to support your cause or listen to what you have to say because to me you're just the jackass that messed up my shift.

(Sorry for the rant but I've worked in retail for years and I just can't stand how employees are often treated as non-existent by management AND customers. And no, I don't work at a Wal Mart.)

[tammywammy]

217. I agree with you on this:

I've worked in retail for years and I just can't stand how employees are often treated as non-existent by management AND customers

That's exactly right. I worked at Starbucks for 3 years, and I spent plenty of time cleaning up after people who looked down on me.

And all this crap about how it's about more hours, give me a freaking break. After someone's worked 8 hours, the last thing they want is someone "helping them get a few more dollars" by leaving full carts everywhere. Oh, and really, they're not going to get more hours, they just going to have extra work loaded up on them.

I'm sorry, a lot of posts I've read here, sound really condescending to retail/hourly workers. I'm still an hourly worker (though, not in retail), and if someone decided it would be fun to add extra work to me I would not be a happy camper (since I can't stay late, I must leave when we close, it would just be extra work to finish in my normal hours).

[Gemini Cat]

55. What a stupid idea.

Making the lives of the working class harder, in order to make ourselves feel better.
Fuck that.

[Name removed]

59. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madokie]

61. count me in.

[joe_sixpack]

65. Never worked there, don't shop there.

I've always been a little reluctant to join in on these things against Wal-mart because I've never had the chance to talk to those that work there or those that shop there. I'm sure that as large as Wal-mart's sales figures are, it's not just right wingers who frequent the stores. Some people might need the low prices they provide due to their financial situation. I'd talk to those that work there and ask them how they felt about boycotts and actions like these before I supported them.

[madokie]

68. I as I, You as You

And I respect your reasoning
:toast:

[Straight Shooter]

77. It's hard to believe this ignorance-based idea is picking up steam.

Like the posters above, my first thought was that it's the stockers who will be paying the price.

It isn't funny and it won't be effective.

[LuCifer]

78. OH NOW THAT IS AWESOME!

Appologies to the restock people, they're already payed by the hour, so, uh, sorry! And I'll be nice, I'll only fill my cart with BIG shit. That way, despite being bulky, it'll still be EASIER to restock. See, I'm not THAT much of an asshole...

Lu

[nini]

79. Their time would be better spent educating the masses

to what Wal-Mart really does and helping shoppers find alternatives.


Make life even a bigger hell for the employess.. real smart :eyes:

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nini]

87. what the hell is that supposed to mean?

can you elaborate a bit?

[400Years]

92. "revolutionaries" have been calling for educating the masses forever

we've made alot of progress on that front.

I wouldn't set foot in walmart but if these people want to, fine by me.

[nini]

97. well, I won't shop there because I what I learned about them

I have told people of their crap and they wont' shop there either now.

What made you decide not to shop there? (other than their stuff is crap). Somewhere along the line you learned how corrupt they are and then you made a choice. Others will do the same.. some won't because they just don't give a shit.. we'll never reach them, but you will reach some.


So, I don't agree that getting the truth out doesn't help. Makes a lot more sense than filling up carts and cluttering the store up.

[Name removed]

94. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[philosophie_en_rose]

99. How compassionate and insightful!

:sarcasm:


The reason that Walmart sucks is because of what it does to its employees. Why contribute to their suffering? If you don't give a rats ass about "wage slaves," then your proposal serves no purpose.

If find it curious that someone filling carts and leaving them would matter at all to Walmart corporate. Why should they care that the "wage slaves" that you also detest are burdened? Why wouldn't Walmart management just think that someone filled a cart, left their wallet at home, and then left? Why would they care about such idiotic tactics.

Now, if you wanted to park a cart of bricks behind Walmart's CEO's SUV, that might cause some inconvenience.

Your comparison to a battered spouse indicates a lack of comprehension regarding domestic violence. Women are often forced to return to a spouse that beats them, because they'd rather be hit than have their children starve. They do not deserve to beaten, regardless of whether or not they return to a house. No one deserved to be abused.

If you think that Walmart employees deserve abuse or that victims deserve domestic violence, then I can see why you would enjoy adding to their misery.

[nini]

101. Excellent post

:thumbsup:

[Jane Austin]

140. "What it does to its employees" is by no means the only reason

Walmart sucks.

Consider the way Walmart treats it's wholesalers: It decides how much to pay for merchandise, the terms of payment (a month? a year? never?) using their size and influence to bludgeon the wholesalers into compliance.

Consider the way Walmart puts smaller businesses out of business` with it's cost-slashing methods. It lowers the tax base in your town when all those gifts stores, photo developers,fabric stores, pet supply stores, and grocery stores throw in the towel, unable to compete against Walmarts unfair labor and wholesale practices. The local citizens have their taxes raised to make up for the small business losses.

Consider the burden on the local goverments for the welfare and medical costs of those underpaid employees.

Consider the tax rebates Walmart squeezes out of municipalities, getting ten-year sale-tax rebates, and as that period approaches its end, abandoning that store and building a new one with new tax incentives.

Yes, Walmart treats its employees abominably, but that is only a fraction of the damage they do to the economy.

There are a plethora of reasons to avoid Walmart and to keep it out of your town.

[philosophie_en_rose]

162. I did not mean that Walmart only sucks because it mistreats workers.

The post that I responded to was, in sum, "Screw you wage slaves. You're like stupid abused women going back to their spouses," which is ridiculous.

But of course Walmart sucks in many other ways. It gouges its employees, destroys collective organizing, and contributes to the stagnant wages across the country. But it's also evil because its products are made by enslaved workers. It builds in communities that don't want it. It destroys local businesses. It donates to Repukes. It censors music. It's an eyesore. And on and on.

I believe in confronting Walmart, but it is not effective to attack regular workers for something that they have no power to influence. (especially absent the ability to form bargaining units).

[CANDO]

284. My "deleted" post did not say "screw you wage slaves"!

Thanks for showing integrity and honesty. And neither did I say "stupid abused women", I simply used an analogy. In the future I'll be sure to check with you first. Have a nice day.

[madmom]

96. If everyone thinks this is a bad idea because it puts a bigger work

lot on the stock personnel, how about actually buying something, and then turn around and return it,fill them up with paper work and extra inventory, would hurt them especially around xmas.:shrug:

[NuttyFluffers]

267. hee hee! that's funny, too. :D

personally, i'd prefer people just went around and picked up items and hid it somewhere else in the store. it's like a big game of easter egg hunt. besides, what you can't see you can't restock, right? so no extra work!

:evilgrin:

the only thing that'd worry me is you'd have to be pretty damn up to date and in the clear in doing purchase and returns. i'd hate to be stuck with something i didn't want.

though out of all these ideas: leaving carts w/ stuff, buy and return, giving receits to the CEO to show the loss, and just plain ol' hiding merchandise i dig hiding merchandise the most. it's a direct loss to the company, it doesn't create extra work (for those who can only see it that way), and doesn't waste time and my precious stamps with deaf ears (it's an interesting idea, but mostly wishful thinking they'd care -- and i'm no longer in the passive, wishful thinking mood).

but no one said we couldn't do what we want in whatever way we can. it's not like it's gonna be "endorsed by DU" or some nonsense like that. so i really don't care how people wanna go about doing this, as long as they get in the spirit of it.

[Generic Other]

98. I wouldn't set foot in a Walmart even if they GAVE me money

The more abuse wALMART EMPLOYEES accept just to keep a crappy job, the worse other employees are treated elsewhere. It is all interconnected where management is concerned. The big domino theory of workers as serfs.

I am not going to be the one who shopped the American worker out of a job.

If I went into that store, I'd be hard pressed not to manhandle the products. Poke the shrink wrap. Break the stuff. Test the strength of the items. Are they WORTH buying or just cheap crap? I can try on clothes and test them for strength. Oops, ripped out the armpit. Sorry, not the one I want to buy. Shake the fragile items until they break. Oh darn. Drop stuff. Oh, too bad. Open products to smell, test, taste. No one else wants to buy? Gosh. Who knew?

I want Walmart to go out of business and don't care how it happens.

If I want crappy junk, I go to Goodwill where all Walmarts stuff ends up eventually anyway.

[Arugula Latte]

100. A better idea:

Grab a cart. Tape a flyer onto the little basket part in the front outlining why people should not patronize Wal-Mart. Then leave.

[LiberalPersona]

102. This only serves

to hurt the poor workers that have to restock the items. It does not affect Wal-mart in the slightest.

[QC]

103. So this is what the Revolutionary Vanguard is up to these days?

Only someone who has never worked an hourly job would come up with something like this. May the spirit of Eugene Debs save us from these clueless Suburban Radicals (thanks for that wonderful phrase, Bridget!).

[uncle ray]

105. one thing all the naysayers have ignored

is the note in the bottom of the cart. i think that is a key part of the strategy. once the underpaid associate is done restocking all that merch, he is ready for a break, and finds this piece of paper, which he's likely to read to find out WHY he just spent two hours putting back a cart full of mechandise. the note can point out walmart's labor practices, tell the associate what to do if he has been required to work unpaid to do the task he has just completed. chances are he'll realize how bad he's getting screwed and quit, or sue, even better.

[QC]

107. The associates are far more likely to end up hating the "progressives"

who just created hours of pointless labor for them. Working retail sucks bad enough without naive do-gooders adding to the burden. Only someone who has never done it could believe that this kind of "protest" would accomplish anything.

[pmegan]

118. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[MercutioATC]

126. Hey! A newbie! Welcome!

We usually come up with better ideas than this...


...well, sometimes...

:hi:

[tammywammy]

218. Exactly!!! n/t

[MercutioATC]

110. Right. Because Wal-Mart employees have SO many employment choices...

Once they've been illuminated by the note at the bottom of the cart they'll suddenly realize that their working conditions suck and they'll explore the myriad of other employment opportunities they have.

Is that about the size of it?

[tkmorris]

169. LOL it wouldn't work that way

Trust me, by the time that poor Walmart employee gets to the bottom of that cart they are going to be ROYALLY pissed off at the person who filled it. Of course they don't expect to ever have any focus for that anger, said mystery shopper being long gone.

But wait! What's this? They left a note. Oh you did this because you want Walmart to suffer. Well guess what asshole, it's MY feet that hurt and MY daughter who's sitting at day care an hour after I was supposed to be there, and it's MY manager who's pissed off that I'm still on the clock and even though it isn't my fault I'm the only one here for him to take his anger out on since you blissfully drove off after leaving this cart full of work in my area.

You want me to unionize? Well fuck you Mr. or Mrs. Drive-by Shopper. And the next time one of you morons ask me where the diapers are while standing under a "Pampers" sign, I'm sending your dumb ass to the Auto Parts on the other side of the store.

Fucking do-gooder Liberals.

It's so obvious how this idea would work in practice I would seriously question the motives of anyone who actually did it.

[Beaverhausen]

178. are you serious?

I'm sorry but if you think anyone who just spent two hours putting shit back would be open to what some piece of paper at the bottom of the cart said, well...I have no words.

[T Town Jake]

280. That horseshit "note in the bottom of the cart"...

...is likely to be the "key part" of "a strategy" that will yield exactly one thing: a lifetime GOP voter.

Still poor and voting against his/her larger interests, to be sure: but a confirmed Repug nonetheless. Good Work.

All you keyboard "To the Finland Station" types need to get a clue.

[Loonman]

106. So punish the workers because their company sucks?

Yeah, that makes sense.

:wtf:

[Fescue4u]

109. Yea, that'll destroy Wallmart for sure!

Worst case is that they hire somebody for $30 a day to repack shelves at each store. Yup, that'll bring down the worlds largest employer and retailer.

Reality is, it'll just cause some poor smuch some extra work.

[CANDO]

245. Excuses, excuses! Grow a God damned backbone and organize!

I think my earlier post was deleted. It said something in regards to wage slaves going back for more just like abused spouses go back for more "because he loves me". Grow a backbone for god's sake! Bring this world-wide behemoth to it's knees. You think the broken sculls inflicted by the Pinkerton thugs was a picnic? I see it ever so clearly now. You wally-world employees really do love being good little lemmings whooping it up at your morning pep rallies. Enjoy your lives as wage slaves and know that you will never benefit from this TEAMSTER'S support ever again.

[hippywife]

263. I was raised in a Teamster

household. My dad was a steward and I suffered thru strikes with my family. No Teamster would ever have agreed to pull such a stunt that would cause harm to their fellow workers except those who would abuse the protections the union provided. You are way off base and abusive yourself.

[CANDO]

283. Way off base and abusive?????

You get nothing out of life if you first don't sacrifice. I've put home mortgage payments on credit cards during strikes in the past, so don't cry to me about restocking a little merchandise. The idea is an outstanding one. It is simply and purely wasted resources for this soulless corporate behemoth. That is all they understand. And like I said already, if you good folks can't sacrifice a little extra work and see the benefit of it costing your employer dearly, than you can just pack it in, I will no longer feel sympathetic to your plight. I'm being abusive? PLEASE!!!!!! If you need a hug, go get it at your wally-world forced pep rally. They love you, they REALLY do.

[hippywife]

286. You can only make sacrifices

for yourself. You can not hoist sacrifice unwillingly upon the backs of someone else. That's where you are being abusive. You are making the workers there the victim, not the corporation. Since most of the WallyWorlds are open 24 hrs a day, the stuff will be put away across shifts if necessary so there will be no harm done the company at all.

BTW, I haven't shopped at Wally World for over two years. I do pay extra and drive out of my way to shop elsewhere so they're not lovin' me either. But they can't help but love the misguided stupidity that this kind of protest will take when it alienates the workers and shoppers from your "cause."

[CANDO]

295. Hello, Hippywife. My apologies for being abrasive.

I fully acknowledge my sometimes abrasive manner. To further my point on whether this tactic hurts wal-mart or any other company. Are you aware that these companies go to nearly insane lengths to further productivity? For instance, UPS has computer programs that set up delivery routes with as few as possible left hand turns because they usually cost more in terms of fuel and time waiting for the light to turn green. Hence wal-mart being hurt by carts having to be re-shelved and they got absolutely nothing in return. But they had to pay the employee in the process. And here I go with my abrasiveness, to hell with any employee of any company willing to do work off the clock or for less than time and a half if they have it coming. The sacrifice comes in when the person does so in hopes of gaining a greater good out of their efforts. This tactic alone will not suddenly make wal-mart change their ways, but it can be a part of a concerted effort. If employees aren't willing to stand up for themselves, then what more can be said but enjoy your life as a wage slave? That's not abusive, it's the truth as I see it. Have a nice day!

[hippywife]

300. Thanx for the apology

and lest you've missed many of the other posts here, many people have no choice in the place of their employment due to geography, ability, or education. They have famiies to feed and bills to pay, too. Not everyone who works there does so because they just LOVE the company and all it stands for. All this form of protest does is give the company the license and reason to squeeze even more work out of them, nothing more.

I beg you, don't make their lives any harder than they already are.

Shit, having to do this every morning at the start of the day when you already feel trapped is enough punishment for anyone's dignity.

[pointblank]

114. While this sounds like an awful lot of fun

and a protest that I could easily and happily take part in...I will not participate until someone can show me some ACCURATE long term data showing that this in fact will have a lasting and harsh economic impact on Wal-Mart Corp itself. If the case is made that it would in fact have that kind of impact, then the worker's inconveniences should become secondary to a greater cause and we should all participate.

Until then, it is a prank and should not be participated in IMO as it would suck to have to be the guy to put that shit away for no good reason.

[MercutioATC]

119. It's a ill-advised plan to make people feel better about themselves.

It won't hurt Wal-Mart as a corporation, it'll just make life more difficult for the workers.

...but some suburbanites get to feel good that their "activism" helped to "make a difference".

:eyes:

[pointblank]

121. I agree completely

I meant to sound more sarcastic about the accurate data and the long term study needed to show its actual impact...

Will that ever happen?: NO!


Will I ever participate?: NO


;-)

[Redstone]

122. That's REALLY fucking stupid.

You don't like Wal-Mart? Then don't fucking shop there. fight to keep them out of your town as well.

But disliking Wal-Mart doesn't give anyone the right to act like an asshole.

Furthermore, the stuff in the store doesn't fucking belong to you unless you buy it. Leave other people's stuff alone.

For Christ's sake, could there POSSIBLY be a dumber idea?

Redstone

[begin_within]

123. I say DO IT and make sure there is plenty of ICE CREAM in that cart, and

leave the cart in the sporting goods section which always seems to be empty of employees.

[MercutioATC]

125. Great! Add mopping the floor to the list of inconveniences...

With ideas like these, it's no wonder Wal-Mart is doing so incredibly well.

[eggman67]

127. Idiotic

I don't even do that when I change my mind about an item in a store. I always go back and return it to where I got it.

My mother worked in retail for years and raised me to care enough about the workers to be a polite shopper.

[cry baby]

132. Sure, why don't we annoy the very people that we are trying to help.

I really don't like this idea, the workers are already being taken advantage of by Walmart. I don't want to add to their misery.

Go ahead with that childish prank, I won't be participating.

[_testify_]

135. thank you...that's exactly what this is!

A PRANK.

This isn't protest no matter how loose the definition.

These hourly employees will have to finish their work in the time allotted, or else face reprimand that eventually could result in loss of their job.

It's naive to think anyone above shift managers will be more than mildly annoyed, and even more naive to think WalMart will just allow these employees to work overtime. They'll either get it done or get fired.

[hippiegranny]

141. I hate Wal-Mart with a passion, but

who does this action really affect? Not those rich fucking Republican bastards who own it, that's for damn sure. Just boycott.

[RobertSeattle]

146. I agree

I realize there are some very enthusiastic activists here at DU but I think this is just silly.

[ArkDem]

145. I am an hourly employee at a Wal Mart in Arkansas. I can't get

another job because I have no education. At our store every time a full basket is left to be restocked the managers, who are holding our pet dogs and cats hostage, kill a little puppy or kitten.

[babsbunny]

167. If this is true, you have one hell of a news story!

Here in Ohio, we have plenty of places to work, no education required, and they don't kill your animals!

[ArkDem]

173. If it wasn't for my kittens I would go there.

[Ladyhawk]

147. How about an empty cart with a list of stuff you would have bought?

That will save the worker, at least.

It's not much effort to throw the list in the trash, but I couldn't make the employees pay for what their corporate overlords do.

[ArkDem]

151. What about the trees?

[Ladyhawk]

154. How about I leave a URL where the list can be found? n/t

[ArkDem]

163. Then you are burning oil to make electricity or worse getting

it from a dammed river or a nuclear plant.

[montana500]

149. so lets punish Wal Mart workers more?

Are the CEO's and managers going to come down into the isles and put the goods back?

[babsbunny]

155. I Can Do This!!!

Thanks for the idea!

[Codeine]

158. I can feel good about myself!

And at the same time accomplish nothing! I'll drive by in my late-model car with air-conditioning and a nice stereo and a latte in the cup-holder after my day of white-collar work and make some poor slob miserable while pretending I'm a REVOLUTIONARY! Maybe I'll even wear my Che shirt under my work clothes and listen to a little Rage Against the Machine on the way over! I'll be a progressive performance artist/activist with a unique way to single-handedly destroy the system!

Thanks for the idea!

[insane_cratic_gal]

187. LOL

nice one.. I could see yuppie starbucks rebel written all over that.

:rofl:

[donheld]

161. Please do not do this

You can't possibly be that mean.

[Catherine Vincent]

159. Sorry. I think that's silly.

[Borgnine]

160. This is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

All it does is make the person pulling the prank feel good for "making a difference," while leaving the shit behind for the people they're supposedly trying to help. It's disrespectful and ignorant.

[KitchenWitch]

164. Interesting idea

However, this really does nothing to the management. They will get the poorly paid employees to work off the clock to return the merchandise.

[Vinnie From Indy]

170. LOL! You think the Wal-Mart employee has it bad?

You should count your lucky stars you aren't one of the millions of chinese workers slaving, and I do mean literally slaving, to stock Wal-Mart's shelves with cheap crap. The Grandma at the front entrance to Wal-Mart greeting you isn't gonna catch a bullet in the head because the output of NASCAR Bubba Blankets is down like the Grandma in China working in a factory might.

I think the "I stocked shelves once and hated it so don't do it" proposition of another poster is silly. I guess we will see if the protest in Alaska has any impact. Certainly trying this on a small scale and judging the affect seems a bit more prudent than rejecting it out of hand.

[QC]

172. So what do you do for a living,

if you don't mind my asking.

[Vinnie From Indy]

225. Well, I am a professional live cat juggler right now, but

I am thinking about adding other animals to my show like small dogs or maybe marmots or something.

[sysoprock]

176. That's just fucking stupid.

Please leave dealing with Wal-Mart to the grown ups.

Thanks.

[Mutley]

177. This is the worst idea, ever.

EVER!!

I'd like to see one person who has worked in retail, and has had to spend countless freaking hours putting away JUNK that people left behind in their carts endorse this idea. And with Christmas coming?!? Why don't you just hand these people a loaded gun with which to blow out their brains, because the ONLY ones you are hurting with this little scheme are the workers. Walmart Corporation won't give two shits about it.

[newportdadde]

181. Just thought of something, Walmart does some Scan Based Trading.

Which means up until the point the item is scanned at the register the supplier owns the inventory.

The items, if perishable or other items for that matter that may get destroyed/ruined will more then likeyly come right out of the suppliers ass not Walmart.. or depending on contract a portion may come out of Walmart.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

273. Wow. That's an all-new low, even for Wal-Hell.

I'd heard that they basically dictate at what price they will buy stuff from suppliers, but to make the supplier responsible for the inventory even after it's left their control entirely? Ridiculous!

[Deja Q]

189. A year ago I made a similar post on DU...

and got a lot of complaints about the workers having to do more...

So, what should people do - litter notes all over the floors and perched on shelves and taped on merchandise instead?

[flvegan]

195. Different idea here, if anyone's interested...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5336395

I just can't purposely put more work on folks that work there.

I know that at my job, I have a workload. Anxiety steps up a notch when things get really busy. I sense future anxiety from those folks subject to this campaign.

If it works, I'll be all for it, though.

[Aimah]

198. What do you do for a living?...

You don't really have to answer. I know how some people get about personal info. Think about it, if you work with customers or other co-workers what aspects about your job are time consuming. What do you have to do every evening or night before you leave? Imagine that those things are and then multiply it. Customer service ranks high on the list of most stressful jobs. They are paid to stock but they are paid to stock within reason. The stores don't expect a large amount of people to come into a store and fill up a cart and leave. It happens but not on a grand scale. It's not in their job description to restock carts after a protest. Whoever set up the protest is basically shooting themselves in the foot. Angering the very people they are trying to help.

[noamnety]

200. Historical Precedent

This is exactly the tactic that was used by the UFW when the grape boycott was at its height. People would go to stores that didn't uphold the boycott, fill their carts with perishables, and forget about them or announce in the checkout line that *oops* they forgot their wallet.

At laborfest in Detroit last year, I had a chance to talk to one of the fellows who was actively involved in that (successful) boycott - he's a member of the Detroit Historical Society. They would put grapes as the first layer in the cart, then frozen goods on top of that, and leave it to thaw, drop on, and crush the nonunion grapes.

The same nonviolent form of protest was used in the early 60's at the Lucky Supermarket in California to protest racist hiring tactics.

[U4ikLefty]

220. This just shows how soft people have become in America.

Today, those tatctics are attacked by the left as anti-poor...how low we've sunk into the corporate mindset. They would rather not make waves & save a $8/hr job rather than unite. The REAL workers-rights folks from the 20's & 30's are probably rolling over in their graves. Shit, people had to suffer hired-mobs, violence & murder of their leaders if the dared go against the company store.

I hear many supposed liberal say that they HAVE to shop at Wally Mart because they would starve if they didn't take advantage of their "low prices"...along with a million other excuses, fucking sad!!!

[noamnety]

226. That's true - good point

We went from laborers risking their lives to demand fair wages and benefits, to "please don't make me restock a cart, I'd rather do without the health care, thanks."

Where are the heros of the labor movement? Not in the "don't make me restock a cart" group, nor in the "what can I do, they have good prices" group, I'm guessing.

[NuttyFluffers]

268. :) it's amazing how soft we've become

hell, just a holiday season is rough in retail because of all the @$$hole customers. restocking from a cart is a vacation in comparison. and to think before they faced down armed goons and worse... how far we've fallen indeed.

[LookManLook]

227. Wouldn't that just make the grocery store order more nonunion grapes?

[noamnety]

228. Read up on Cesar Chavez

The table grape boycott began in 1967, and three years later, the last major table grape producer signed on with the UFW, as a direct result of the boycott.

If they hadn't pressured the store owners to switch to union grown grapes, they wouldn't have succeeded.

[DoctorMyEyes]

296. No, it's not *exactly* the tactic

and aside from the involvement of a shopping cart I fail to see how you can equate the two.


I hope some of you never get an inkling to "help" me, in any way.

[noamnety]

305. abandoning shopping carts full of food

IS exactly a tactic (not the only, but one of them) used by the United Farm Workers.

I am equating filling a cart and leaving it in a store ... with filling a cart and leaving it in a store.

Not such a big stretch, is it?

[DoctorMyEyes]

332. Uh.... yeah...

Uh....yeah.... it's QUITE a "stretch".

Did the farm workers have to put in extra hours cleaning up the mess left in the shopping carts?

No. I didn't think so.


Cowardly abandoning carts full of merchandise with anonymous "notes" does nothing to pressure or raise the awareness of consumers. In the case of the grapes - it put pressure on the grocers and caught the attention of consumers. This PRANK does neither. The only thing that's going to be "brought to it's knees", as too many of you have said, is possibly the overworked slob at the bottom of the walmart food chain. Who will in turn resent you for your "humanitarian efforts on their behalf".

Congratulations assholes.

[noamnety]

337. The UFW didn't clean it up, no. I don't see your point.

During the grape boycott, the people working at the grocery stores had to clean up the carts, and the people who owned the store were out the money of any perishables that were ruined.

No different than this time. Puts pressure on the grocers, and catches the attention of consumers.

And, once again, if you think this is solely to benefit the people currently working at Walmart, you are missing the larger picture.

[roseBudd]

208. To really make a difference flyer car windshields to educate WalMart

shoppers and call for a boycott.

[seabeyond]

215. it is a bad idea and it is wrong, for many reasons. do NOT play this game

no one has the right to do soemthing like this. i hope this isnt the direction we decide to go as a people. i could never do something like this. dont like walmart, dont give them your money. what you suggest is wrong in a number of ways. i am sorry you cannot see this

[Vinnie From Indy]

223. Maybe energy would better be spent supporting union efforts and

legislative reform.

[LookManLook]

224. Yeah, let's piss on the working guy!

Lord knows all Wal-Mart entry level employees are the ones making the decisions that screw their workers and screw the economy. This is a great campaign to get the support of the workers. Nope, not coutnerproductive at all!

[stevietheman]

229. I agree with the opposition to this idea, but...

the smaller idea of just pushing around empty carts, I think, sends a big message, without creating more work for the employees.

Just clog the store with protesters silently pushing around empty carts, then put the carts back where they belong once they're done.

[Horse with no Name]

232. Gee what a wonderful idea

NOT!
Do you ever look at the employees at WalMart?
They are people, just like you and me. Their kids go to school with my kids. They live next door. They live down the street and across town.
Most hate their jobs but have grown accustomed to eating and paying their bills, so since there isn't any other place to work in this town, they are forced to work there.
They are my neighbors, whether I know them personally or not.
WalMart doesn't give five flying fucks about merchandise being left in a basket...their employees will have to restock it...off the clock if necessary.
Instead, my neighbors will get home from work late, have sore backs,and will have worked all day without a break because I decided to pull a prank that will be ineffective.
No thanks.
This is one of the worst ideas...ever.

[Snotcicles]

291. Wal-Mart can make people work without paying them?

Thats slavery. We must surely keep unions away at all cost.

[Horse with no Name]

322. Hurt management

Leave the little guy alone.
They don't deserve it.
And yes, WalMart has been known to make employees work off the clock.
And you know that...it has been mentioned upthread many times.

[RoyGBiv]

237. This is asinine ...

I suppose if one worked hard at it, coming up with an even worse idea might be possible, but I'm having trouble imagining it right now. This is so bad it's making me angry just thinking about it taking place. I would be tempted to whip someone's ass from one side of the parking lot to another if I caught them doing it.

Also, to those above who've ignorantly suggested there's no harm in this to the workers because they get paid hourly, let me offer you a bit of education in how the real world works.

Employees at hourly jobs like this are assigned a certain amount of work to be done during their shift. If they don't get that work done, they get reprimanded, and after enough reprimands, they get fired. Typically, the amount of work they are assigned will fill their entire shift plus a little if the employee works at a normal pace and nothing unusual occurs, which in management's mind cuts down on "slacking" and forces the employees to work slightly above a normal pace just to make the bare minimum. If anything unusual occurs, such as this idiot's dream of an idea, they have to work even harder, again, just to do the bare minimum. Invariably, enough unusual events will occur that the employees are constantly having to work at their maximum possible pace just to keep up, and no one can do that indefinitely, especially those for whom a "normal pace" is not the same as that calculated by management when they determined how much work an 18 year old physically fit individual could accomplish after a full night's sleep.

Eventually, the time for evaluations come, or management is making decisions about who to keep or let go after the holiday temp season. Seems employee A always got all his or her work done while employee B didn't. Employee B gets a bad evaluation, a lower raise if one at all, or is out the door entirely. More details management doesn't bother considering involve the fact that employee A worked off the clock an hour a day to make sure everything was done while employee B "stood up for him or herself" and refused.

Employee B, knowing this, goes to the EEOC with a complaint. So sorry. You can't sue because another employee worked off the clock. Only the employee who did so can, and he or she only can if the employee reports being forced, directly, to do so by management. You also can't file for unemployment after being fired for not meeting the goals set for you by your employer. And to make it even better, you probably can't even put this place of business on your next job application because you'll be asked why you left and be forced either to lie, admit being let go for poor performance, or go into a justification of why you were fired that would instantly turn off any prospective employer.

So, Employee B, if finding employment at all, ends up with an even worse job. Some victory.

Finally, for all those who also suggested no one should work for WalMart on principle, I'll be waiting for your hard offers of employment for these people to be listed immediately.

[Quixote1818]

251. I worked at a grocery store and this would not have bothered me

We were always looking for something to keep us busy. If I had to spend 30 minutes putting items back in their place I wouldn't have cared at all. Not to mention it would eat up wages because the stores would be paying employees to do this then to do the other necessary things. As an adult I would never do this as I don't have time but for collage students who have some extra time after class and want to have a little fun I think this is an awesome idea.

[NuttyFluffers]

269. :) i knew i wasn't the only one...

me thinks plenty of the people here doth protest too much... or never worked in retail.

were you ever held in thrall of the dread fear of "restocking merchandise"? :P sounds like you weren't. i know i wasn't. i dreaded rush traffic (usually had an asshole or 5 in the bunch to bring everything to a screeching halt) and needy customers who couldn't even wipe their own ass to save their life. as long as you aren't 1 of those two things, a banshee or a mongoloid, you're cool in my book.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

252. They can't have it both ways...

Either you feel bad for the employees and want to help them or you don't. You can't punish THEM for how badly their employer treats them by making them do more work. :wtf: does that solve ANYTHING? God, whoever thought this up is a dumbass.
Duckie

[Norwood]

253. The only people you would be hurting are the low level employees

The CEO's and the corporate bastards wouldnt care. Wal Mart is a shitty enough place already, dont make it any worse for the employees.

[hippywife]

257. What a fucking idiotic

selfish idea this is.

[LoZoccolo]

258. Activism for lazy people. n/t

[Telly Savalas]

260. "Let's go get some sushi...and not pay!"

[LoZoccolo]

262. I barely hear anything about getting pro-labor candidates in office.

Until maybe presidential primary season, when pretty much most people here are sitting around arguing about it like the collective opinion on DU has much impact on anything.

Right now, primary candidates for the 2006 election are trying to get on primary ballots, and this requires signatures in a lot of places, which would require people to do real work. Do I hear a lot of people talking about walking around asking people to sign petitions for a congressional candidate who would help labor? No...but ask them to do this cart stunt and they'll spend all this time defending something they probably still wouldn't even bother to do anyways late into the night.

[Snotcicles]

289. LOL

[NuttyFluffers]

270. that's fun too, you should try it! :P

:evilgrin:

[mb7588a]

265. NO. nt.

[LaPera]

272. Just don't fucking shop at Wal-Mart for any reason, to save a few pennies

or more, AND support the movie this weekend...

Truly, Buy Blue! You'll feel better and you'll help so very much!!!

http://www.buyblue.org/

[LittleClarkie]

276. Fuck no.

Don't punish some minimum wage worker. Stupid idea.

[sleipnir]

285. Leave a dump! Make the employees clean up your shit on the floor!

n/t

[William Bloode]

287. What a dumb ass idea!

Make hard for the little person on the totem pole. This won't hurt Walmart very much. Best case scenario would be they would come up with some kind of in store solution. You would just have to bar those from the store known to do this, and then threaten to prosecute for trespassing if violated. That would soon diminish the pool of protesters, and to Wally world it would be barely a bump in the road.

Having been a working man myself i can tell you this. If i was a stocker and caught someone smugly making more work for me i would be tempted to thank you with a nice fine ass whopping.

At a place like Walmart a stunt like this will have these poor stockers working through their breaks, getting their lunch time taken, etc.

[Nobody]

288. I sent a polite email to Sprawlbusters

asking them to please rethink this. This is nothing more than a bored rich kid prank.

[misternormal]

292. Are we Dems or Repukes here??

I always thought that Dems looked out for people. I have a son that works for Wal-Mart, and the only reason he is still there, is that he is in the process of buying a house. Once he's in the house, he's outta there. I am well aware of WM's lies to the employees, and their shoddy practices.

Put Wal-Mart out of business?? I think not. Get employees fired? I think so.

I think we need to keep our ideas in perspective.

[Mr_Spock]

293. I'm gonna do it - and add anti-WalMart & pro-union literature to the cart

as well. I think this is a great idea. WalMart needs to know that they are destroying this country with their giving $5000 to Tom Delay AFTER he was indicted. These RW hacks must go.

[QC]

299. Just don't identify yourself as a Democrat,

because the surest result of this juvenile stunt will be to make the workers hate whoever is responsible for leaving a mess for them to deal with.

[Mr_Spock]

301. This had NOTHING to do with Democrat vs Republican!

I would never ever imply that this was a partisan issue - it's a pro-worker, pro-American issue. Believe me, there needs to be no partisanship when opposing WalMart. You should hear the workers complain at the local bar - and they're mostly Repukes. Accountants who can't get a job anywhere else - managers make $11.50 an hour, $12 on Sunday. Sounds awful to me...

[QC]

317. Yeah, but we don't need to lose votes,

and these people are going to--quite rightly--hate anyone who makes life even harder for them.

[Solon]

304. That's a great way to alienate people...

Do us all a favor, don't be a coward and leave your name and address on it too, that way the workers can "thank" you personally.

[donheld]

333. Please don't do it

:banghead:

[architect359]

298. WTF?

Don't like Wal-Mart? "Vote" with your business - take it away from the establishment. Don't take it out on the workers - especially those that go around collecting the carts. Do you think that the shareholders and the coporate officers go around the parking lots doing this?

Sorry, but this is one sorry ass idea.

[Strelnikov_]

323. Don't Take It Out On The Same Workers That Will Be Laid Off

when enough "vote with (their) business"?

Ok. Got it.

[WildClarySage]

303. If you really want to help Walmart employees,

write lttes, raise money for local TV and newspaper ads getting the message out to people who think Walmart is just about low prices, form a coalition of local business owners to fight for fair community ordinances and practices, and organize picket lines against management practices. Get the word out, and you'll attract more attention and sympathy to their plight. Either get seriously involved, or forget these half-assed "we'll show them" plots. You don't get something for nothing, and spending a half-hour 'shopping' at Walmart before abandoning your cart is doing nothing, except making life harder for those you want to help.

[noamnety]

306. This isn't just about helping "walmart employees"

For every part time worker at walmart, one and a half full time workers in the same community have been put out of business. The majority of people affected by Walmart policies aren't Walmart employees at all - they are small business owners and employees that have been put out of business, as well as subcontractors whose jobs have been outsourced, as well as citizens whose only involvement is paying taxes that support social welfare for Walmart employees who can't afford health care, etc. on their own.

Anyone thinking this is solely about the direct employees of Walmart is missing the boat about Walmart's larger impact on society.

The employees are one of many potential beneficiaries if Walmart's business practices are changed.

[QC]

318. True--it's really about letting suburban libs feel better about themselves

without having to make any real sacrifice of time, convenience, or effort.

[noamnety]

321. Did you get that phrase from O'Reilly?

Suburban libs ... the UFW guys who did this during the grape protest will love that characterization, I'm sure.

[QC]

325. No. Do you have anything intelligent to add to the discussion?

If you want to accuse me of being a freeper, at least have the guts to do it openly. This genteel, indirect approach of yours is about as gutless as leaving a bunch of carts around a store in the name of "activism."

[noamnety]

328. I don't see the purpose of demonizing liberals as a group

or of stereotyping them. I certainly don't see why you would assume a labor activist of any sort lives in suburbia versus inner city, or even what difference it would make. Are inner city liberals better than suburban ones? Are the opinions or actions of people that live in the suburbs more or less valid than rural folks? Would you prefer that people in suburbia vote republican?

I just couldn't figure out why you would pick that particular phrase.

[QC]

330. I'm not demonizing liberals here,

only clueless people who know nothing about what it is to do low-wage work yet think they are the revolutionary vanguard. One of the real problems we have in the progressive movement, I believe, is that the working class voice is seldom heard, while the conversation is being dominated by that of comfortable, pampered people who think they know better.

I knew too many of these people in grad school, where I was a rarity--a blue-collar, union family kid who got into academic life. They could talk all through the night about Marx and the like yet never gave the slightest thought to, or had the slightest clue about, the lives of the people who cleaned their offices during the night. And then there were the aging hippy professors who waxed long and eloquent about their campus activism days but slunk away when we needed their support to unionize....

This cart prank is the sort of thing they would have loved.

[noamnety]

338. It SOUNDS like you are demonizing liberals

In this post as well.

[QC]

340. Nope, just the clueless ones.

Ever considered taking a remedial reading course?

[noamnety]

342. and the "clueless ones" = "the liberal elite"?

the all-too-common latte-drinking out of touch liberal members of academia (excluding yourself, of course).

Are those the words you're looking for?

Why spend your time advancing the memes of the right?

[QC]

343. Why spend your time deliberately misreading people?

It's hard to believe that someone could be this obtuse without putting a lot of effort into it.

There are comfortable, pampered people who think they are down with the proles. The world is full of them. They are the sort of people who would go for a juvenile prank like this cart business, and for quite a few years now they have been the dominant voice of the left in America.

Do you think it's a coincidence that the Left in this country became irrelevant right about the time when the bourgeoisie took it over? I don't.

[Mairead]

314. This is a SUPERB idea, and literally right out of Alinsky's manual

I see a lot of people here outing themselves by their opposition to it.

This is a no-win situation for Wal-Mart: either they open themselves to charges by trying to get free labor, or they allow their cost of doing business to rise, or they have to alienate customers by creating an 'enemies list' and screen everyone on entrance.

This is a brilliant tactic, and could do a number on WalMart if practiced worldwide.

[Walt Starr]

316. I've got a better idea, how about we just stay the hell out of Wal-Mart?

eom

[QC]

319. Please post similar protest ideas in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5339989

I'm just itchin' to apply some of this newfangled suburban radical activism to some local problems.

[Blue_In_AK]

327. With all due respect to my fellow Alaskans...

I don't think this is fair to the stockers.

[ulysses]

329. no. poor idea.

others have already listed the reasons.

[laureloak]

331. This is mean. I don't like it at all. n/t

[Nobody]

339. Sprawlbusters send me a response, here it is

Yesterday I send a polite email to Sprawlbusters asking them to please rethink this. Here is an excerpt of the response that they were kind enough to send me.
______

Leave a cart forces WM to pay their people to restock. For those WM workes who hate their company, they should thank the people coming in to fill up a cart and not pay, rather than the ones come fill up a cart and pay.

Using the same logic, my telling people not to shop at WM also hurts the poor, overworked employee--in fact, it could cost them their job.

Do you want to tell me to stop telling people to boycott WM?

_____

I agree with the goal: to stick it to Wal Mart. I do not agree with the above. Upper management is never going to notice any of this. They are not the ones having to drop everything to put back merchandise deliberately left around the store. They are not even in the stores to see it.

I still think this is a bored rich kid prank taking the exit onto the 6-lane highway to hell paved with good intentions.