[Vision2020] The CO-OP Sells Stuff From China/Wal-Mart Salary

[keely emerinemix]

Donovan,

I think the difference between foreign goods sold at the Co-Op and foreign 
goods sold at Wal-Mart is probably the difference between fairly traded 
products and sweatshop production.  My guess is that the Co-Op extends its 
fair-trade, sustainable, high-quality ethic to handcrafted goods, not just 
coffee and other staples.

This year I bought most of my Christmas gifts from Third World artisans via 
a catalogue put out by a ministry we support.  I am pleased to give my money 
to small, worker-owned local cooperatives that make sculpture, jewelry, 
kitchen textiles, household goods, clothing, etc., and I consider it a 
privilege to do so, especially at Christmas.  Many of these cooperatives are 
women-owned, all are locally managed, and the profits are distributed 
fairly.  Sweatshops are generally even worse for women than they are for 
men, are owned by foreign or largely absent conglomerates, and profits are 
rarely, if at all, distributed back to workers.

In the end, it's about dignity, justice, quality and empowerment.  When 
those words can be applied to Wal-Mart's suppliers, I might consider going 
back . . .

keely


From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] The CO-OP Sells Stuff From China/Wal-Mart Salary
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 14:57:04 -0800 (PST)

  As Tom Hansin's article points out, Wal-mart employees are making 
$7.50-$8.50 an hour.

   So my question is, how much should a worker that needs no experience in  
life or work get paid at a job that has little or no responsibility?

   $9 or $10 an hour? $15, 20? Let us put this in perspective shall we?

   A senior at UI with 3 years of research experience can only make a  
maximum of $8.15 an hour. A Certified Nurses Assistant at Gritman  Hospital 
makes $8 an hour. A Certified Nurse Assistant at Aspen, who  has the lives 
of other people in there hands makes $6.50 an hour  starting out. A student 
worker at the Student Union Building makes  $6.25 an hour. A person who 
cares for a person with server behavioral  disabilities makes $7 and hour.

  So for an unskilled,  uneducated, inexperienced worker at Wal-Mart to be 
pulling $7.50+ an  hour, that is better than most people that have some 
skills and  training. And MOST the jobs I have worked in this area do not 
pay  medical unless you work full-time for at least 6 months. Which you  
would imagine is less than 1/2 the workforce of most businesses.

   Wal-Mart pays the prevailing wage of an area. It is not going to pay a  
stock boy $12 and hour in area where most unskilled jobs only pay $7 or  
less, it isn't gonna happen. The minimum wage in this state is $5.15 an  
hours, so $7.50 an hour is about 50% higher then state law. People  might 
think that many people do not make $5.15 or less than $6 an hour,  but they 
do, if you go into places like Southeastern Idaho, that is  what they pay, 
$6 an hour, and rent is about $350 a month.

   The Grocery store comparison is crock I am afraid. First of all, a  
cashier to become unionized and get the pay of $10 or more has to have  
years of experience before they qualify, many 1000s of hours working  for 
the same company doing boring, laborious work. Second, when they  get the 
$10+ an hour they cut your hours down to first about 15 a week  and slowly 
they get up to about 30 as other union members retire or  move to another 
union store. So $12 an hour is very little if you only  work 25 hours a 
week. Third, Wal-Mart is not a grocery store, it is a  retail store.

   If Wal-Mart did not pay prevailing wages they would not be able to keep 
their stores and factories full or employees.

   In terms of not being able to support a family of four people on a  
Wal-Mart salary, that has got to be a joke. No, in this country, it is  not 
possible to raise three children on most salaries. If someone is  trying to 
have a family, they need to get an education and a skilled  job, or be 
willing to work 60 hours a week like many other people in  the country and 
world do.

  Another question to ask yourself  is; Why is it OK for the CO-OP to sell 
stuff from China, Bolivia, and  other third world countries but just 
horrible and awful when Wal-Mart  does it? It just doesn't follow, I am 
hoping maybe Joan Opyr or Bill  London can explain this to us. I like both 
stores very much. However, I  think the rules should apply equally to 
everybody.

   Take Care,

   Donovan J Arnold



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