More swell ideas from Wall*Mart - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Lebenz · #1 03-09-2005, 10:47 AM

Drive on to lengthen workday of truckers

By Leslie Miller
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart and other retailers are lobbying Congress to extend the workday for truckers to 16 hours, something labor unions and safety advocates say would make roadways more dangerous for all drivers.

U.S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., whose district includes Wal-Mart's headquarters in Bentonville, is sponsoring a bill that would allow the longer workday as long as the trucker took an unpaid two-hour break. The bill was expected to be offered as an amendment during debate over the highway spending bill today.

"Truckers are pushing harder than ever to make their runs within the mandated time frame," Boozman said. "Optional rest breaks will reduce driver layovers and improve both safety and efficiency."

Current rules limit the workday to 14 hours, with only 11 consecutive hours of driving allowed, union leaders and safety advocates say. That gives truckers three hours to eat, rest or load and unload their cargo.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002201313_truckerrules09.html

boneheaddoctor · #2 03-09-2005, 12:05 PM

Ah Walmart..................an Icon of Soviet era socialism.....pay the workers peanuts..., work them till they drop........and let the managers keep all the spoils............

GermanStar · #3 03-09-2005, 12:25 PM

WalMart is the embodyment of a sinister force that has swept across this continent like a plague. We've all lost something valuable when Mom and Pop stores can't complete with megacorporations. Where's the character and the sense of community promoted by WalMart? I don't see it. I just see small retailers dropping like flies and the promotion of trailer park life as the new American dream.

BahnBrenner · #4 03-09-2005, 01:28 PM

Its scary you know.....Wal Mart is so powerful, yet so crooked and slimey....

Kuan · #5 03-09-2005, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GermanStar

WalMart is the embodyment of a sinister force that has swept across this continent like a plague. We've all lost something valuable when Mom and Pop stores can't complete with megacorporations. Where's the character and the sense of community promoted by WalMart? I don't see it. I just see small retailers dropping like flies and the promotion of trailer park life as the new American dream.

To be fair, it's not all Walmart. You can't do the same thing for 35 years when everything around you changes at lightspeed. The typical life cycle of a product is something like this:

Year 1: Innovative, premium, made in USA
Year 2: Competitors copy product, erode market share
Year 3: Product is commoditized, made overseas

Stainless Steel, Cashmere, Leather, routers, the list goes on.

The key to competing with Walmart is innovation and service. Have a premium product and service and keep reinventing yourself. Take advantage of all the SBA products to retool, rework, and expand your business. Walmart can't force you to do anything if you have a true corner on your market until they buy you out.

wbain5280 · #6 03-09-2005, 01:38 PM

You don't have to shop at Wal Mart.

EdzBenz · #7 03-09-2005, 02:25 PM

Stop shopping at WalMart.

benzboy87 · #8 03-09-2005, 03:07 PM

I don't know what the feelings are of other forum member (religious wise) and I am not a particularly religious person - but..... you know how it says the AntiChrist will return in the form of a friend etc..... (forgive me, I don't know the quote) ? Maybe this is Walmart? (not to say Walmart is my friend - far from it - but many unsuspecting communities think Walmart is the deal at first....)
Something to think about....

sfloriII · #9 03-09-2005, 03:25 PM

Hey, COOL!! You can click on the link at the bottom of this page to buy stuff at WalMart. They're everywhere! (Yes, I'm being facicious.)

I don't shop there either. Like Ron said, I miss the little local shops. There's a little hardware store near my house that I shop at instead of Home Depot (when I can). The people are nice and knowledgable and the money spent there supports the community in ways other than generated taxes.

aklim · #10 03-09-2005, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GermanStar

WalMart is the embodyment of a sinister force that has swept across this continent like a plague. We've all lost something valuable when Mom and Pop stores can't complete with megacorporations. Where's the character and the sense of community promoted by WalMart? I don't see it. I just see small retailers dropping like flies and the promotion of trailer park life as the new American dream.

Where's the one stop shopping? Where are the better prices? Where is the better selection? I go to Wal*Mart and don't have to drive around to 5 other stores. Their prices are often better than the little stores. They have 5 brands of oil to choose from when the little store has 3. Character and all that is fine. It will not make up for me having to hunt around for my items, AKA convenience. Why should I go to 5 stores to do all my shopping when I can go to 1? I can do my shopping and get groceries. Why should I want to drive to the grocer or 2 of them, go to 3 other places to get what I want? Will you make up the difference? All the character and community will not pay for my time.

Wal*Mart started from a small store too. Just like Best Buy was once a small stereo store that burnt down. Compete or die. It is that simple.

As to what the union wants. Let me ask you this. Less hours worked means more people needed. More people needed means what? More union membership. Think that safety is all they have on their mind?

Flash Gordon · #11 03-09-2005, 04:38 PM

We stop going to Walmart for almost 2 years. The local Walmart is messy and dirty with long lines and only a few cashiers. We joined Costco. Costco has much better quality products at very reasonable prices, plus Costco pay their people a lot more than Walmart. At Walmart, only the store managers make decent wages and the associates, the ones that do the grunt work, make peanuts and get discriminated also!

TX76513 · #12 03-09-2005, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

Ah Walmart..................an Icon of Soviet era socialism.....pay the workers peanuts..., work them till they drop........and let the managers keep all the spoils............

Yes if you are a lazy, no drive hourly employee you will stay at that. However, if you have drive, ambition and guts you will move throught the ranks like a bullett and make buckets of money.

boneheaddoctor · #13 03-09-2005, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TX76513

Yes if you are a lazy, no drive hourly employee you will stay at that. However, if you have drive, ambition and guts you will move throught the ranks like a bullett and make buckets of money.

Problem is in too many parts of the country you don't have a lot of other places to get a job...any job........And too many places like that try to keep their employees dumber than they are so their jobs are safe and secure.

TX76513 · #14 03-09-2005, 05:41 PM

I don't know how applicable that is to W*M as their current trend is only the heavy populated areas where there is income to run their cash registered. But back to the root - an ambitious young person who wanted a career in retail and was "portable" could accomplish about anything. The internal communications on careers, promotions, and opening greatly out number any over zealous manager.

boneheaddoctor · #15 03-09-2005, 06:03 PM

I only walk in to a Walmart about twice a year............

I don't think to much of a place who would rather close up a store than alow its people to unionize.

A place that is as profitible as walmart claims to be should be able to spread a little of that wealth to people below that level of Vice president.

Hell they throw enough money away on the doorstops at the top...there is no reason they can't spread the wealth ot the people who make all the money for the company.

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