Walmart shutting down a store in Quebec on verge of unionizing

[opebo]

I saw that.  They shouldn't have tried to unionize.....

Why not?  Working at WalMart without a union is not preferable to being unemployed.  Have you seen what they pay people?

[opebo]

If I were a cynic, I'd suspect the WalMart employees merely tried to extort money from the corporation with the threat of unionization.

What the devil do you think unions are for?! 

Corporations desire to pay workers as little as possible, and workers desire to be payed more than that - the union is how they attempt to do so.  Why would they not attempt to recieve more than a subsistence level wage?

[opebo]

At my Wal Mart its mostly younger workers and older workers.  They are there for some extra cash.  Its not like they are down in the coalmines for eighteen hours a day, six days a week.
And the oldsters I see working there are usually happy and cracking jokes, its nice to see them, they do not whine at all.

Probably b/c those oldsters remember what a real job was like back when they were growing up: Work lasted as long as the sun was out, at 50 cents an hour. And, damned if you complained about it, either with fellow employees or random strangers.

No, back when people who are currently old were in their 'prime', unionization was at record high levels as a percentage of the work force, and wages and benefits were much, much better than now.  It was the Post WW II boom, and redistribution was the name of the game.

[opebo]

At my Wal Mart its mostly younger workers and older workers.  They are there for some extra cash.  Its not like they are down in the coalmines for eighteen hours a day, six days a week.
And the oldsters I see working there are usually happy and cracking jokes, its nice to see them, they do not whine at all.

Probably b/c those oldsters remember what a real job was like back when they were growing up: Work lasted as long as the sun was out, at 50 cents an hour. And, damned if you complained about it, either with fellow employees or random strangers.

No, back when people who are currently old were in their 'prime', unionization was at record high levels as a percentage of the work force, and wages and benefits were much, much better than now.  It was the Post WW II boom, and redistribution was the name of the game.

So, you're saying that workers who made big from unionized income redistribution then are now forced to work for subsistence wages today in WalMart, or McDonalds, or wherever?

Coupled with the fact that those old people really do enjoy their time out in WalMart (working for 4 hour shifts at normal pay) makes that last post of yours truly incoherent.

It is only incoherent if you put words in my mouth.  No, I was making the point that old people remember a previous era when jobs were better, and unions more prevalent, not the converse.

In fact I hardly ever see any old people or teenagers working in Walmart - it is mostly the 20 to 50 year old working poor.  And I have never seen anything but misery in the eyes of a Walmart worker.  A friend of mine used to call them (and anyone trapped in a subhuman existence) 'Potato People'.

[opebo]

At my Wal Mart its mostly younger workers and older workers.  They are there for some extra cash.  Its not like they are down in the coalmines for eighteen hours a day, six days a week.
And the oldsters I see working there are usually happy and cracking jokes, its nice to see them, they do not whine at all.

Probably b/c those oldsters remember what a real job was like back when they were growing up: Work lasted as long as the sun was out, at 50 cents an hour. And, damned if you complained about it, either with fellow employees or random strangers.

No, back when people who are currently old were in their 'prime', unionization was at record high levels as a percentage of the work force, and wages and benefits were much, much better than now.  It was the Post WW II boom, and redistribution was the name of the game.

So, you're saying that workers who made big from unionized income redistribution then are now forced to work for subsistence wages today in WalMart, or McDonalds, or wherever?

Coupled with the fact that those old people really do enjoy their time out in WalMart (working for 4 hour shifts at normal pay) makes that last post of yours truly incoherent.

It is only incoherent if you put words in my mouth.  No, I was making the point that old people remember a previous era when jobs were better, and unions more prevalent, not the converse.

In fact I hardly ever see any old people or teenagers working in Walmart - it is mostly the 20 to 50 year old working poor.  And I have never seen anything but misery in the eyes of a Walmart worker.  A friend of mine used to call them (and anyone trapped in a subhuman existence) 'Potato People'.

But the whole thrust of this thread was old people, namely people near retirement or past it, working for what you think are low wages in a crappy job. I say that if the old people really do remember what life was like in unionized comfort back in the day, then why should they be so eager to (1) continue working at all, if they have the income to actually retire and (2) choose employment at a place as 'exploitative' as Wal Mart?

You don't need to go to a Wal Mart to see misery in the eyes of 20-50 year olds. Most porno theaters offer up far worse in the eyes of their customers.

I never said that workers at walmart were old.  You did.  What I was refuting was your claim that old people would see a $6.50/hr job as a good thing.  Union jobs were paying that much an hour in the mid 1960's, when a typical house cost $15,000 or so!

As for porno viewers.. that's not misery you see, that's arousal.  What're you doing in there looking into guys eyes anyway?

[opebo]

And I always look into people's eyes, no matter who they are. But, for some reason, the people who exit porn theaters seem to avert theirs, probably from the sense of unquenchable shame on their part.

That's not shame, that's fear of persecution by you intolerants.

[opebo]

The only inherent purpose Wal-Mart serves is to increase the trade defecit.

Other than flooding the US with garbage.

Well don't forget the primary purpose - to enrich those horrible Waltons and their descendants.