Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) has plenty of opposition, from union groups to employees to media watchdogs. When issues of employee benefits, pay and overseas sourcing some into the media limelight, many Wal-Mart critics trumpet a multitude of opinions. But, you can only beat a dead hose so many thousands of times. Newsflash: Wal-Mart is not the only company that has these issues, but since it is the largest target, it takes the brunt of abuse.
Now that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, the efforts by some union-backed critics of the retailer have gone into red-hot mode. This time around, the focus is on something relatively new this year -- product safety.
This is something I dedicated an entire column to a few weeks back. Product safety has been in the spotlight this year as recalls involving toothpaste, toys, food items and more have been in the news.. Most of these recalls stem from poor product quality control and Chinese exporters who are apparently cutting safety corners.
Consumers, though, connect product quality to retailers -- not manufacturers. Are there still many dangerous products sitting on Wal-Mart shelves at this very instant? That's the fear campaign WakeUpWalMart.com is pushing this holiday season, and radio ads will be running this month with TV ads in December. Spokeswoman Sharon Weber rebutted by stating "Our commitment to low prices is never at the cost of safety. Product safety has always been and will continue to be a top priority."
Wal-Mart critics begin highlighting product safety issues
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-19-2007 @ 8:56PM
Brockage said...
So now it's product safety -- further proof the union boys will add fleas to any old dog passing by if they can damage Walmerica -- and ironically of course, their deepest desire would be the unionization of Wal-Mart. Alas for the union types, I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night and even he was shopping Wal-Mart.
11-20-2007 @ 6:47AM
NickP said...
What union in it's right mind would want the nightmare of administering a union at walmart with its low paid 46%+ turnover. Nothing but walmart fed propaganda. Unions are looking for walmart to stop destroying better paying jobs and driving down wages and benfits wherever they go. And btw, walmart's uneducated shoppers are THE biggest supporters of the Teamsters in the USA!!
11-19-2007 @ 9:14PM
Joseph Leslie said...
What is amazing to me is that we have "lead free gasoline" but we can't have "lead free toys or eating untensils"! The Chinese have the technology put a man into space, but they can't get the lead out of products they export. They are using the tactics of the tobacco companies, but killing your market does not result in repeat sales!
11-20-2007 @ 10:10AM
Bernie mcfadden said...
Brian, can you not let one day go by without providing the space for the unions to attack Walmart? Do you receive compensation for this?
11-20-2007 @ 10:57AM
Gr33ngurl said...
"NEWSFLASH: Wal-Mart is not the only company that has these issues, but since it is the largest target, it takes the brunt of abuse."
I would alter that statement a bit and say that while it is a large target, it is also a company that CAN make a LARGE difference, and that is why it is targeted?
My take on this is that because Walmart accounts for so much of the country's employment (2nd behind the gov't, I think?!) and so many imports from China (I read somewhere, maybe WSJ, that it is at least 10% of ALL US imports??), just to name 2 biggies off the top of my head, it can and should move to be better to its consumers and its employees.
Walmart could be the gold standard in these categories if it really wanted to. I think that is ultimately what all these groups are after -- getting Goliath to move in the right direction and hope that others follow.
11-20-2007 @ 12:10PM
Brockage said...
The drumbeat of the unions: "What do we want?"--MORE! "When do we want it?" -- NOW! Do we care if customers have to pay, pay, pay more? -- NO!
What's the union goons idea of a great Christmas?-- the destruction of Wal-Mart.