Walmart Moms Make the Case for $25,000 a Year
In the coming days, you will be hearing a lot about working women. Not the women leaning in, not the women opting out, but the working women living in or near poverty.
The retail industry alone employs about 1.3 million women who live close to the poverty threshold, according to a new report from the public-policy group Demos. Amy Traub, the author of Retails Choice: How Raising Wages and Improving Schedules for Women in the Retail Industry Would Benefit America, argues for an increase to $25,000 a year, or $12.25 an hour. The average hourly wage for saleswomen is now $10.58.
The report arrives as Walmart Moms head to the headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) for the retailers annual shareholder meeting on June 6. The union-supported group is asking for $25,000 a year for full-time work. Traub says one of the reasons she chose to look at the effects of an increase to $25,000 is because that was the number the Walmart Moms had chosen. Walmart is always the elephant in the room when talking about retail, she says. But were looking at all large retailers.
Traub notes that as of 2012 almost 93 percent of low-wage female retail workers are at least 20 years old and more than a third have children at home. Almost 40 percent contribute at least half of the familys income, and 19 percent are the sole source of income for their household.
She cites all sorts of convincing studies to show that companies could afford to pay workers more because doing so would improve employee productivity and give the workforce more money to spend at those same stores. Lashanda Myrick, a Walmart worker in Denver, said the same thing at a press conference to announce the upcoming protests: If Walmart paid us at least $25,000 a year for full-time work, our stores and our economy would improve.
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http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-02/walmart-moms-head-to-wal-marts-headquarters-to-make-a-case-for-25-000-a-year#r=rss
CrispyQ
(36,231 posts)If Walmart paid us at least $25,000 a year for full-time work, our stores and our economy would improve.
the Walmart heirs might have to do with fewer vacation homes. Greedy, evil fucks.
$25k is not a lot of money & to think how much it would lift people's lives. Can I say again how much I hate Walmart & that every American should watch the documentary "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price." It touches on so many aspects of Walmart - how they destroy local businesses, how they discourage collective bargaining, what their factories in China are like, low wages. Netflix has it.
One of the more interesting segments was the factories in China where Walmart (& other manufacturers) have two production lines - one for product going to Europe where certain chemicals or raw materials are not allowed, vs. the one for the US where our govt doesn't care as long as it means more profit for the multi-nationals.
pipoman
(16,038 posts)What would keep Walmart from working them 60 hours per week?
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)I have been and know many salaried people who aren't eligible for overtime. ..Most don't even track hours.
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)If it's over $455 a week they're in the ineligible for overtime group.
Obama's trying to lift the cap, but of course the usual suspects are pitching a fit.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)I haven't seen a low wage full time job in years. Always part-time without set hours so it's almost impossible to work 2 part time jobs.