Which Retail Stores Are Helping to Destroy Thanksgiving?

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/retail-chains-latest-industry-destroy-thanksgiving-low-paid

There’s an old American tradition rearing its head this holiday season, but it’s not warm and fuzzy and family-friendly. It’s capitalist exploitation of a legion of low-wage workers who are being forced to work on Thanksgiving, as national retailers are joining the travel and restaurant industry with mandatory work and longer hours.

In recent years, many big-box retailers, led by Walmart, have opened at midnight, in the first seconds of what’s called Black Friday. But more recently, a trickle of retailers have started opening after dinner on Thursday. Now, even some chains that did that last year—but closed for dinner hours—are opening early and staying open all day.

Kmart gets the award for rushing to the head of this dismal trend. To try to be fair, the chain—like many retailers—has struggled since the economy crashed in 2008. But is opening at 6am, staying open all day, and requiring employees to work extra-long shifts the way for Kmart and other struggling chains to rebuild their brands? Must low-level employees always bear the brunt of management’s profit-centered decisions?

“No requests off will be accepted for the following holiday dates,” read a sign posted at a Chicago Kmart, then listing November 27, 28, 29, and December 22, 23, 24. When asked by the Huffington Post about these draconian hours, a company spokeswoman said the sign “appears a rogue and unauthorized posting,” adding that workers are paid overtime and the company was asking for volunteers for dinnertime shifts.

[Victor_c3]

1. A labor law that could help curb this (or at least make it sting a little less for the employees)

require commercial businesses to pay employees double or triple time if they work on federal holidays. There are only 12 of them a year and, perhaps, it would lead to people actually recognizing the holidays and not the sales that surround them. Me personally, I take offense at sales on Memorial Day and to a lesser extent Veterans day.

I'm glad I fought, faced struggles, and lost friends on a misguided war in Iraq so that hordes of shoppers could get great deals on electronics and mattresses on a day that is supposed to recognize the pain I feel for our military's often pointless sacrifice

[krispos42]

2. The retail stores seem to suffer from the following delusion

"Sales from Black Friday to Christmas Eve are far higher than the rest of the year. Therefore, if we double the number of Christmas shopping days, we'll double our sales!"

I saw Christmas trees in Kohl's in September, for God's sake.

They seem to think that if they can make Christmas shopping a year-round event the Black-Friday-to-Christmas-Eve sales level will just stretch without diminishing.


I just ordered some stuff from NewEgg. I expect it to wait in a queue until somebody gets around to it tomorrow, or maybe even Monday.