Wal-Mart plans to eliminate health insurance coverage for some of its part-time U.S. employees

[kpete]

Wal-Mart Cuts Health Benefits for Some Part-Timers
NEW YORK — Oct 7, 2014, 10:33 AM ET

Associated Press
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to eliminate health insurance coverage for some of its part-time U.S. employees in a move aimed at controlling rising health care costs of the nation's largest private employer.

Starting Jan. 1, Wal-Mart told The Associated Press that it will no longer offer health insurance to employees who work less than an average of 30 hours a week. The move, which would affect 30,000 employees, follows similar decisions by Target, Home Depot and others to eliminate health insurance benefits for part-time employees.

"We had to make some tough decisions," Sally Wellborn, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of benefits, told The Associated Press.

Wellborn says the company will use a third-party organization to help part-time workers find insurance alternatives: "We are trying to balance the needs of (workers) as well as the costs of (workers) as well as the cost to Wal-Mart."




http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002

[belzabubba333]

1. all that wealth in the walmart family and still they do this

[yeoman6987]

7. I think it should only be for new hires

I really wish laws would pass saying that you can't change benefit packages, retirement programs or anything to current or retired employees. At least a new hire can decide what they want to do if they take the job. It is totally unfair to pull the rug under somebody who currently works at a place.

[SheilaT]

2. Just how many of those

30,000 actually buy the health insurance? I've read lots of times that the part timers for the most part simply can't afford it.

[CincyDem]

3. Privatize profits, socialize costs

Just another example of the current American corporate mantra.

As to balancing the costs to workers as well as to Wal-Mart...hmmmm...I wonder how that balance is going to tip ?

My only saving grace is that once upon a time, we looked at GM as the largest corporation in America and if, at that time, someone had said they will be on the verge of disappearing you would have look at them like they were nuts. That gives me hope that someday WalMart will be on the verge of extinction. It would be a better world.

[yeoman6987]

8. Well the problem is

That if Walmart goes under and closes every store in America. Many communities would be without a store. Yes that is how bad Walmart has made many communities. They ran out all the competition so that they would be the only show in town. I am not exaggerating at all.

[leftstreet]

4. Wow, is Walmart looking for cost-saving ideas?

Oct 3, 2014

The Walmart Heirs Are Worth More Than Everyone in Your City Combined
Back in the '80s, their wealth was the equivalent of a small town. Now it's a major metropolis.

...
In 2013, the Walton family's net worth was $144.7 billion, equivalent to the net worth of 1,782,020 average American families,

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/10/walmart-walton-heirs-net-worth-cities

[librechik]

5. hard to believe they ever gave benefits to part-timers.

bastards.

[NCTraveler]

6. In the long-term I think it is necessary to break the cycle.....

of private heath insurance being a part of ones compensation package at work. Compensation should come in the form of the all mighty dollar or other monetary investments and the employee should determine what they want to do with that dollar. It is the ONLY way to go if one feels healthcare is a right as I do.

[Initech]

9. I really, seriously wonder why they have any employees left.

And I wonder why the few that are left haven't risen up against the Waltons. I mean really this is a new low even for Wal-Mart.

[Rex]

10. Of course it does. Billions of dollars depend on it.

Think of the Walmart Family man! Billionaires got to eat too!