Another WalMart horror story...

[Ilsa]

A friend of the family was telling us this weekend that she works for satan (WM) and hates it, and told us never to shop at any of them (no problem for me as I have been WalMart free for a year now). She fell on the job and hurt a joint (I won't say whether it was wrist, hip, knee, etc), and went to the manager. They sent her to one of their doctors who wrapped it up and told her it was fine, "go back to work." There is still something wrong with her joint, and she has complained, but they won't do anything about it. So today she is supposed to see an attorney (and a real doctor).

Bastards.

[Union Thug]

1. Fight the power!

Everyone should be shopping at union stores or at least local mom and pops. DON"T GIVE A DIME TO WALMART!

[goddess40]

2. Got another one

My niece works nights at Walmart. She does heavy work unloading and stocking shelves in the food department. She broke her arm (not at work) and asked if she could continue to work in a lighter capacity. They told her to come back to work when she was 100% healed. Real compassionate,aren't they?

[Tansy_Gold]

3. Another one

My dad worked full-time at WM at age 75. He took time off for knee surgery related to square dancing. Private insurance covered it, and when he was released to go back to work, his release indicated that he would not and could not come back on WM for workers' compensation regardless what happened to his knee in the future -- the years of square dancing were the primary cause.

He came back to work and a week later they fired him. The real charges were a lie -- they eventually dropped them because he threatened to sue when they tried to deny him unemployment -- and he eventually found out that the REAL reason was they didn't want to take any chances he might injure his knee and file for workers' comp. His past history of knee injuries would have disqualified him from any workers' comp anyway.

My mother still shops there, though she says she doesn't actually buy much, and my dad still goes in to visit with some of the people he used to work with.

I haven't set foot in a Wal-Mart in five years.

They're all stinking rat bastards.


Tansy Gold, with 13 months of personal Walmartyr experience

[Strelnikov_]

4. Sounds Like 'Jackson's Arm' From 'The Iron Heel'

by Jack London, 1907.

A synopsis:

Jackson lost his arm in a mill accident. Not really anyone's fault, just what occasionally happens with tired workers in dangerous occupations. He was trying to pull a flint out of machine before it was pulled in and damaged the machinery (a good company man).

The mill used a top attorney they had on retainer (those damn trial lawyers) whereas Jackson was forced to use that era's equivalent of an ambulance chaser.

Needless to say, Jackson lost, and was left with no job to support his ailing wife and family.

Both supervisors testified in trial that Jackson was at fault for the accident. When later interviewed by one of the main characters in the book both admitted that Jackson had gotten a raw deal. When asked why they testified the way they did, both responded that their children came first, and without a job their children would starve.

Jackson's conclusion regarding the whole episode, "They might a-given me a job as watchman".


The more things change, the more they change back when times get good and people forget.

[chookie]

5. She is so unpatriotic!

Doesn't she understand how frivolous claims against insurance companies are weakening the American economy? WalMart is a very successful company, so they must know best, so she really needs to let it go.

This is the sort of thing that george W is talking about (really) when he says he wishes to grow the economy by creating conditions that are more favorable to business in America than other countries. Like Mexico. Or India. If Americans would just accept that in order to compete in the global economy, that they must earn low wages like those in other countries, and accept hazardous working conditions as those workers enthusiastically do, then and only then can be staunch the flow of jobs to other countries.

WalMart makes it possible for low wage earners in America to be able to buy stuff produced by other low wage earners in other countries. So she's going to hire one of those slick prettyboy trial lawyers like John Edwards to pursue her frivolous lawsuit in a manner that makes it impossible for American small business to succeed?

/SARCASM OFF

Your friend's situation sucks. She may find more strength in teaming up with other workers with similar grievances, rather than take them on herself, because immoral corporations by and large outgun all but the most tenacious litigant. I do not suggest the following to intimidate or discourage her, but only to prepare her: if she presses a suit, WalMart lawyers will attempt to portray her as a disgruntled employee with a grudge against the company, perhaps even mentally unbalanced. These are simply facts of life in George W's 'Murka.

I refuse to buy from WalMart. And I'm not the only one.