Retail 'Volunteers' - Unpaid Teens in Wal-Mart's Mexican Stores »
Posted by: TechnologyExpert 1 year, 1 month agoThousands of adolescents work as unpaid baggers in Wal-Mart's Mexican stores. The retail giant isn't breaking any lawsââ;¬"but that doesn't mean the government is happy with the practice.
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TechnologyExpert1 year, 1 month ago
This just shows that nothing is beneath Wal-Mart. Technically these are volunteers who work for tips. Technically it's legal. Morally it's offensive, esp. when you look at poverty in Mexico.
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MikeFromCanada1 year, 1 month ago
I wish i could say the same. However I only shop there as a last resort if there is something I really need and no other store has it. I don't entirely avoid Wal-Mart out of protest (although now I think I will), but mostly because the products are junk. My daughter had to take a Wal-Mart brand(Durabrand if I'm not mistaken)DVD player 3(3 different DVD players)times because they didn't work when she got it home.
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lycase1 year, 1 month ago
im sorry some people dont hav the money to not go to wal mart. if the volunteers agree to it who are we to say they shouldnt do it? at least they can get tips so they hav some money an dont hav to steal or sell drugs to get it. this is an entirely biased article slanted to make walmart look bad. sure the stuff isnt the greatest quality but its wat we can afford and we know that going in.
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Tommar1 year, 1 month ago
I also stopped going to Walmart about 20 years ago. At that time I worked for a major toy manufacturer and Walmart was one of my accounts. Rather than pay their invoices they would take unfound deductions and then take several months to repay the bogus deductions. I REFUSE to step into a WALMART store!!
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DrDash1 year, 1 month ago
This is common practice in Mexico. You are making a big deal out of it because its "big bad Walmart". Dont judge what is right and wrong in their country based on your standards here. Everyone loves to pick on number 1, unfounded or not.
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birddog54Comment removed: User banned.
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ballbuster21 year, 1 month ago
you are absolutely right but as the artical mentions the mexican chain store's do the same thing and it's not just the kid's they don't pay. "lay's marcado" is a huge super market chain and they do not pay bagger's, "PH" is another and it goes on and on. several large chain outlet's will allow intire families to work for them but will only pay the the man and if there isn't a man involved then the woman. therefore, this artical really doesn't tell much of anything, just enough to pi$$ people off.
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natashas1 year, 1 month ago
I remember being 14 and having three odd jobs and going to school. As much as I think walmart should pay everyone who works for them fairly, at least these kids found part time work. A lot of these children need to help support there families. I agree this is offensive with the poverty in mexico. I am sure they come home some days with nothing.
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vor1 year, 1 month ago
Nice point and all but these types of labor practices in Mexico are obviously the reason our borders have been overrun. Just another example of Wal-Mart taking advantage of every angle available. That is how they became successful in the first place, by receiving volume discounts based on negotiated purchases by quantity. Sam Walton was not a stupid man but I wonder how he would view the giant he created.
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decipher1 year, 1 month ago
"these types of labor practices in Mexico are obviously the reason our borders have been overrun."
even though this statement is not true. if it were couldn't it be said that walmart is contributing to the illegal immigrant problem in the u.s.? and again, if your assertion was true, wouldn't it benefit us to lead by example and pay these people.
the truth is. the educated urban and suburban kids in mexico are not coming here to pick our strawberries.
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OldRusty1 year, 1 month ago
The Wal-mart in US don t, have sackers, and or carryout, sure I would tip for that service.Matter of fact I would tip for a personal guide, around the store to help find merchandise.
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engineer1 year, 1 month ago
Wal*Mart is one of the lowest morally effete corporations. I guess the Waltons want to Increase their value another 7 Billion dollars at the expense of their workers. I will never shop in a WAl*Mart as long as they don't care!!!
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MikeFromCanada1 year, 1 month ago
A friend of mine often refers to Wal-Mart as "The evil empire"
I didn't realize just how right he was.
The Wal-Marts here in Canada have big signs at the customer service desk that read "Wal-Mart uses Canadian made products when ever possible", I have yet to see a Canadian made product in the store. Most of the stuff on the shelves and racks are made in some Asian country or another, including winter clothing and coats. BTW does Wal-Mart still get their products from countries that use child labour? I remember something about an investigation on the news a while back.
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badnootka1 year, 1 month ago
It's because over 80% of everything walmart sells is made in the PRC. 90% of the goods made in the PRC are crap/contaminated/faulty. The world economy will eventually say it doesn't need crap for it's money and the PRC will have to pull up it's quality control (increased cost) to compete. Surely you wouldn't buy the same item that lasted only a week or so for the second or third time just because it is cheap?
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ballbuster21 year, 1 month ago
VOR, you have obveously never been to mexico, and if you have, you never past the northern border area. if you have ever been in south mexico you would know the majority of the mexican people are well educated and many speak more than one language. my wifes brother's and sister's all speak 4-5 different language's including english, fluently, and all have professional career's.
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me_21 year, 1 month ago
my husband refers to them as the same thing either that or "the destroyers of worlds" lol but honestly if it wasnt for them we would be up sh*ts creek without a paddle. We use to use Shoppers for my son's scripts because the dispencing fee with too high everywhere else, Shoppers would always come up with way to try to make us pay more for our scripts like tell us after 2yrs of them being covered they no longer were...even though our drug company said they were...or over charging us for scripts that werent covered. We switched to Wal Mart after being kicked out of Shoppers for telling the pharmacist he was a liar (he was trying to charge us $125 for a script he charged us $50 for every month before hand). Wal Mart after seeing how many scripts my son had that were NOT covered under the drug plan waved all the fees and give them to us for free which saves us over $400 a month!! lol now we just spend out $250 on caths a month and nothing else!
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hermanng1 year, 1 month ago
Walmart seems to be such a red herring to libs, they are making fools of themselves trying to bash Walmart, even though they are totally ignorant of the subject.
These "baggers" in Mexico are typically school kids you can find in any store in Mexico near the check-out stand. At times, there will be several 'baggers' per stand hanging out together, having a good time. They are NOT employees of Walmart. These 'baggers' will bag anything past the cashier, place the bags into the shopping cart, and even will push the cart to the car outside, if so requested. For this they are paid by shoppers a tip based on the the size of the time / effort spend by the helper.
From what I have observed, these baggers, many times dressed in school uniforms, are having fun, while waiting for their turn, are eager to help (when compared to the kids of same age in America) and most likely are earning as much or more than their parents do.
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MikeFromCanada1 year, 1 month ago
Did you notice the part in the article about the sign at the store that read "Our volunteer packers receive no salary..."?
The use of the word "OUR" tells me that these kids are at least in some capacity associated with the store, the rest of the sign tells me that Wal-Mart has no intention of ever paying them. That whole sign pretty much tells me that the whole Wal-Mart corporation has no problem exploiting people.
Let's look at this in a different light; would you find it acceptable if your local Wal-Mart had sign stating "Our volunteer cashiers and shelf stockers receive no salary, only the gratuity you give them"?
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decipher1 year, 1 month ago
"and most likely are earning as much or more than their parents do."
enter a major misconception. not everyone in mexico is poor. the kids are wearing uniforms because they are being sent to private school... these people are not from the same group as those who come here looking for work.
your comment, "are having fun, while waiting for their turn, are eager to help (when compared to the kids of same age in America)" is quite true. the work ethic in mexico is much stronger than in the u.s. the only thing i'd add is that this strong work ethic extends to the adults too.
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Obaku1 year, 1 month ago
Yeah, the "strong work ethic" of the Mexican people has made Mexico one of the world leaders in...nothing, and made Mexico such a wonderful place to live that... millions flee the country to live 10 to a room and work as landscapers and janitors.
I lived for years in Mexico, and although individuals vary greatly (as they do everywhere), it is not an accurate GENERALIZATION to say that there is a strong work ethic, or any work ethic whatsoever.
Do not confuse the desire to survive, or the desire for money, with the desire for work, or for self-improvement.
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Obaku1 year, 1 month ago
This is the story of the human experience, for millenia.
The amazing part of the story is not that it continues, but that so much progress has been made in changing that story.
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ballbuster21 year, 1 month ago
obaku, the people fleeing mexico to the U.S. are the same as the people that each state has supported for generation's on welfare, s.s.i. and whatever else they can get for nothing. the real working class in mexico does have a strong work ethic, when they have a good employer and not some gringo trying to con them out of 10-12 hour's of work for $5.00 and if you lived in mexico as you say you did you know i am right. i currently live in mexico.
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jumpmaster1 year, 1 month ago
"...but that doesn't mean the government is happy with the practice"
Of course the Mexican government is not happy with the practice. The tips that these kids get are just recycled Mexican pesos. Their preferred program is to get American dollars sent to Mexico by their citizens who have entered the US illegally. That is the revenue stream they prefer.
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Just_A_Girl1 year, 1 month ago
While I don't agree with Wal-Mart's actions, since they are more than capable of taking the high ground, shouldn't it be the Mexican government's responsibility to change their laws concerning unpaid labor? The article quotes government officials who claim to deplore the practice of allowing these workers to go unpaid, yet it doesn't appear that those officials have taken any action to change the law. If not paying certain workers a salary is legal, then doesn't it make sense that the government ammend the law to make that practice illegal? Just a thought...
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ballbuster21 year, 1 month ago
j a g, don't you think the mexican politician's, just like the american good ol' boy's, are getting or have recieved big GIFT'S to look the other way??
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joeblowe1 year, 1 month ago
What's the big deal here? This is just Mexico trying to compete with China.
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ballbuster21 year, 1 month ago
allasam, do you think there may be a chance that american kid's may want to work? i know about 40 year's ago they use to but, i haven't seen any for many, many year's, with the exception of dept. of corrections work release program.
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evelyna1 year, 1 month ago
American kids are now filling the jobs no one wants. No one will work a job 10 hours a week here.
Businesses should be able to hire people off of the books-why not if the mexicans can work like that in the usa.
The kids would not be working there unless they were making something. I bet they make more than the hourly workers.
Meals on wheels gets volunteers. I do not know how-gas is so expensive and the crows bark at you when you deliver. They are angry you do not make them a home cooked meal.
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getreal11 year, 1 month ago
Wal-mart has very heavy new carts. Made out of heavy metal. I bet bullets could bounce off with out a dent. Children working for free. That's about as low as a rich one can get. China has caused them a problem with the peanut butter and Dog food. I doubt they pull out but other trade will help. I have heard that their aim is to downsize their full-time into part-time here in the US. Maybe some of these slave labor countries should be forbidden to trade under NAFTA, till they start to treat their people right.
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getreal11 year, 1 month ago
Mikeformcanada You are right and so is he. The tax deductions they make of hiring the poverty line are vast. In the meanwhile they and other corporations help our government to down size the population. There are just so many people you can hire to work in a store. With the cost of living being three times over the limit and the under the table jobs that Americans are forbidden to do, No wonder the poverty rolls keep going up. They even take out life insurance policies on their employees. The older you are the closer to death you are in their book.
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bluesfan4731 year, 1 month ago
I certainly don't like the idea of this practice but if it is not uncommon in Mexico then why is Walmart the one taking the heat? Any business will save money if it can. Lets see a list of Mexican or other nationality businesses that do the same thing.
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Truzseeker1 year, 1 month ago
Got to inject some humor into this, but isn't Walmart completing with the blue light specials at K-Mart ? (sorry)
I do agree that Mexican working conditions when it comes to pay is deplorable and corrupt, and I have worked in that country enough to know the difference. Besides the little amount of pay a worker receives, they also receive something like food stamps.
Wait until the NAU is implemented...bye bye sovereignty.
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getreal11 year, 1 month ago
It's time to save the American dream of a comfortable honest life. How many more crooks do you want in this country? Honest hard working people are having to get down and scrape by dishonest ways because of no work period. Jobs we would have if they weren't overseas.
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broad-ley1 year, 1 month ago
Unfortunately, seems you are so distraut over youth volunteering at =-0 Wal-Mart!!.Question is why? I commend the youth. It is learning and growing with maturity. The elderly do it, I did it and enjoyed the learning experience. It keeps them productive and out of trouble. I do know that some are (exploited) or could be. But, realistically what is the probability in this time. Not that it could not happen. Yet, personal choice is sometimes not honored and we often don't have each person's story and purpose. Just a media short to "hook" you. You live in a Brave New World and you typify what is such a rampant part of the industrialized world of the progressives. Short and sweet but not quite as full as it should be to make meaningful decisions. We should be happy they have a place to go to learn work and we have such businesses. It may not last. Thank You Wal-Mart.
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broad-ley1 year, 1 month ago
Of course, if we shut it down due to this atrocity, many I'm sure will snap-up the youth. Gangs and street-wise cons and others will gladly put them to use. If the ones who are right and productive don't teach them, you can be sure others will.
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assian1 year, 1 month ago
Habo No Espano' "WalMarto",maybe they should specilize in hiring US ileagal workers back to Mexico......but of course then they would have to pay them a salary..... How Un-American. ....:(
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skeptic2711 year, 1 month ago
This is the least of the problems. Do you think U.S. companies go to other countries just for lower wages. Mexico has no laws pertaining to discrimination. Employers, including U.S. companies, often advertise for workers 'between the ages of 18 & 35', 'single female and good looking' or 'men only'. By moving their operations to Mexico, U.S. companies can not only take advantage of the low wages by also reduce their medical costs by employing only young workers. Even Manpower Inc. who claims to be non-discriminatory has online ads to this effect, in Spanish.
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Obaku1 year, 1 month ago
Now for the REAL hypocrisy.
Wal-Mart crows about their 'partners' and gloats to their shareholders about 'the customer experience' - but if it saves them a buck, they are more than happy to turn all that over to unpaid, untrained kids, hanging around the store.
Among the many falsehoods in this story, is the fiction that the kids are "volunteering their services to Wal-Mart." Idiocy.
They are soliciting Wal-Mart's customers, essentially acting as independent contractors to provide a service that Wal-Mart is not providing.
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cluefull1 year, 1 month ago
Walmart's bottom line is exploit to the max. When you have the cheapest prices that undercuts everybody else because you've underpay your workers and get volunteer workers who work for handouts, then your PR doesn't mean a thing to you. Walmart counts on the stupidity and ethically depraved consumer, like Mexicans and Asians, who, like Walmart themselves, don't care about their fellowman, who they regard as less than human, like themselves.
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