Tim,<br> <br> The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) are the owners, operators, and financiers of WakeUpWal-Mart.com. They are in direct competition with Wal-Mart and make money, cash, $$dollars$$, when they convince people to shop at a union store instead of a non-union store. That is not an unbiased source of information.<br> <br> The article is very carefully worded to make it appear that 60% of Wal-Mart employees do not have health insurance. The UFCW then shamefully says that those 60% are all on Medicare which costs the taxpayer $1.4 Billion a year. That is bullshit. It also neglects to mention that 30% of Wal-Mart employees were pulled off Medicare when they were hired by Wal-Mart. IIn addition, it fails to mention that they really have no clue as to the total percentage of Wal-Mart employees are actually on Medicare, they just assume that everyone that works there and does not have Wal_Mart health insurance is on!
it. That
is again, bullshit. <br> <br> There is a reason why these unions are hiring political spin doctors for their campaigns against their competitors. <br> <br> Take Care,<br> <br> _DJA<br> <br> <br><b><i>TIM RIGSBY <tim.rigsby@hotmail.com></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> Visionaries,<br><br>There are quite a number of factual errors with Donovan's analysis of the <br>two articles posted earlier today by Mark Solomon and myself. When I have <br>more time, hopefully tomorrow after I get done teaching for the day, I will <br>post a response supported by CDC research. Until then, enjoy your Thursday <br>night fun times.<br><br>Tim<br><br>P.S. Donovan, the UFCW is actually the third largest union in the United <br>States. Paul Blank is not the head of the UFCW but actually the Director of <br>wakeupwalmart.com and a former member of President candidate Howard Dean's
<br>campaign. If wakeupwalmart.com were run by the largest union in the US, the <br>head of wakeupwalmart.com would actually be the head of the NEA, Reg Weaver.<br><br><br>"Revolution is not a word but an application; it is not war but peace; it <br>does not weaken, but strengthens. Revolution does not cause separation; it <br>generates togetherness." -John Africa, Strategic Revolution<br><br><br><br><br>>From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 @yahoo.com=""><br>>To: Mark Solomon <msolomon @moscow.com="">, TIM RIGSBY <br>><tim.rigsby @hotmail.com="">, vision2020@moscow.com<br>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Wake Up WalMart Update<br>>Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 18:16:10 -0800 (PST)<br>><br>>What I find interesting is that many people would give any credibility to <br>>WakeupWalMart.com when it is headed by the director of the largest union <br>>in the United States. This guy is making lots of money on this <br>>anti-Wal-Mart campaign.<br>><br>&g!
t; The
fact that 57% of Wal-Mart employees do not get their health <br>>insurance from Wal-Mart is not SHOCKING. According to the US World Almanac <br>>60% of all Americans do not get their health insurance from their <br>>employees.<br>><br>> Going to Wake Up Wal-Mart dot com for factual information about Wal-Mart <br>>is like going to North Korea to find out about US foreign policy or a KKK <br>>rally to learn about diversity.<br>><br>> I understand Wal-Mart has some problems, and has lots of room for <br>>improvement. But let us not lose sight of the fact that Wake-Up Wal-Mart <br>>dot com was a website generated by Wal-Mart competitors that are making <br>>millions off attacking Wal-Mart with distorted information.<br>><br>> _DJA<br>><br>>Mark Solomon <msolomon @moscow.com=""> wrote: Re: [Vision2020] Wake Up <br>>WalMart Update and right on the heels of the report is this.<br>> mark.<br>> *********!
<br>>
Wal-Mart to Loosen Health Insurance Limits<br>><br>><br>><br>> By MICHAEL BARBARO<br>> Published: February 23, 2006<br>><br>> Wal-Mart Stores, facing a raft of state legislation that would require <br>>it to increase spending on employee health insurance, will lift several of <br>>its long-standing - and most-criticized - restrictions on eligibility over <br>>the next year, the giant retailer said this morning.<br>><br>> The changes, which Wal-Mart's chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., will <br>>formally announce before a meeting of the nation's governors on Sunday, <br>>underscores how big a public relations threat the health care issue has <br>>become for the nation's largest private employer.<br>><br>> Wal-Mart insures less than half of its 1.3 million employees in the <br>>United States and has come under growing criticism for skimping on <br>>benefits and shifting the cost of health care to sta!
te
governments. In the <br>>past two months, the Maryland Legislature passed a law that would force <br>>Wal-Mart to improve its benefits and legislatures in a dozen more states, <br>>including California, Washington and Rhode Island, are considering similar <br>>bills.<br>><br>> The new eligibility rules at Wal-Mart are intended to increase the <br>>number of employees who can access the company's insurance plan, but it <br>>was unclear how significant the impact would be because Wal-Mart released <br>>little detailed information.<br>><br>> What is clear is that Wal-Mart would still require workers, whose <br>>average pay is less than $20,000 a year, to pay hefty annual deductibles <br>>and monthly premiums.<br>><br>> Wal-Mart said it would "significantly" reduce the waiting period before <br>>a new part-time employee is eligible for insurance, but it declined to <br>>specify by how much. Today, part-time work!
ers must
wait two years, <br>>compared with 180 days for full-time employees.<br>><br>> In addition, the company will allow part-time employees to enroll their <br>>children in the company's health insurance plan. Until now, Wal-Mart <br>>covered only the children of full-time workers.<br>><br>> At the same time, Wal-Mart said it would make a new health-care plan <br>>introduced in several regions this year, with premiums as low as $11 a <br>>month, available to half of its employees by next year.<br>><br>> That plan allows for several prescriptions and doctors visits before a <br>>$1,000 deductible kicks in. But it is unlikely to cover a complicated <br>>illness or expensive hospital stay during the first year, when there is a <br>>$25,000 insurance cap. In addition, out-of-pocket payments range from $300 <br>>for prescriptions to $1,000 for hospital stays.<br>><br>> Wal-Mart also said it would expand the use of in!
-store
clinics to treat <br>>employees. Such clinics, which the company set up in Northwest Arkansas as <br>>a test six months ago, are intended for non-emergency medicine, like flu <br>>shots.<br>><br>> "We are trying to make our plans more relevant, accessible and <br>>affordable," said Mona Williams, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.<br>><br>> Asked how many workers are expected to enroll in the company's health <br>>insurance plan after the changes, she said: "We think these enhancements <br>>are a step in the right direction for associates but don't yet know how <br>>they affect take rates."<br>><br>> It is unclear how much the new plan will cost Wal-Mart, a number that <br>>investors will be anxious to learn given Wal-Mart's no-frills business <br>>model, which emphasizes low labor costs. Ms. Williams said the plan was <br>>factored into Wal-Mart's profit forecast for 2006, which the company <br>>announced earlier this
week.<br>><br>> The changes represent a significant victory for Wal-Mart critics, <br>>particularly organized labor, who contend the retailer has skimped on <br>>benefits and shifted health costs to state governments.<br>><br>> The groups have tried, with apparent success, to turn Wal-Mart into a <br>>symbol of what is wrong with American health care, triggering legislation <br>>in numerous states that is directed squarely at Wal-Mart.<br>><br>><br>> At 2:14 PM -0800 2/23/06, TIM RIGSBY wrote:<br>> From Wakeupwalmart.com<br>> <br>>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>> You are not going to believe this. Wal-Marts health care spending per <br>>employee actually went down, and the number of Wal-Mart workers without <br>>company health care has risen to a whopping 775,000 workers or 57% of the
<br>>company.<br>><br>> In response, our campaign is releasing a shocking new report titled, <br>>America Pays, Wal-Mart Saves: The Growing Cost of the Wal-Mart Health <br>>Care Crisis. The report estimates the Wal-Mart Health Care Crisis cost <br>>American taxpayers nearly $1.4 billion in 2005 with a projected cost over <br>>the next five years of $9.1 billion.<br>><br>> Please download your copy of the shocking report and take action today:<br>> http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/redirect/healthcrisis<br>><br>> As you know, we have been working vigorously to enact Fair Share Health <br>>Care legislation all across America to stop corporations, like Wal-Mart, <br>>from shifting their health care costs onto taxpayers. Although Wal-Mart <br>>and its allies are spending untold sums of money and hiring lobbyists in <br>>every state to defeat us, the will of the American people cannot be <br>>stopped.<br>><br>&g!
t; We
are launching a new tool on our website to help you make your voice <br>>heard in your local community. You now have the ability to find your local <br>>newspaper and submit a letter to the editor by going to WakeUpWalMart.com<br>><br>> Please make your voice heard on the Wal-Mart health care crisis by <br>>going to:<br>> http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/redirect/healthletter<br>><br>> Wal-Marts shockingly bad health care numbers prove more than ever how <br>>important it is to build public pressure to change this corporation. We <br>>need your help now! We have to grow our movement from 182,000 supporters <br>>today to 1 million supporters. As our grassroots army becomes larger, we <br>>will become an even more powerful force for change.<br>><br>> Only you have the power to change Wal-Mart and change America. Make <br>>sure to download your copy of the America Pays, Wal-Mart Saves report <br>>and ask your fri!
ends,
family members and co-workers to join our movement <br>>to change Wal-Mart and build a better America.<br>><br>> Thank you for all that you do,<br>><br>> Paul Blank<br>> WakeUpWalMart.com<br>><br>> </msolomon></tim.rigsby></msolomon></donovanjarnold2005><div>Revolution is not a word but an application; it is not war <br>>but peace; it does not weaken, but strengthens. Revolution does not cause <br>>separation; it generates togetherness. <br>-John Africa, <em>Strategic <br>>Revolution</em></div><br>><br>> _________________________________________________________________<br>> Dont just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! <br>>http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/<br>><br>> _____________________________________________________<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>>
http://www.fsr.net<br>> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<br>><br>><br>><br>>---------------------------------<br>><br>> What are the most popular cars? Find out at Yahoo! Autos<br>><br>>---------------------------------<br>> Yahoo! Mail<br>> Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments.<br><br>_________________________________________________________________<br>Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! <br>http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/<br><br></blockquote><br><p>
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