Did they not pay you what they said they would?

 

The union walkout on Walmart last Thursday seems to have been a bit of a flop. I think stores should stay closed on Thanksgiving, and I don't approve of any of them opening on a day set aside to thank God for our blessings just to make a few extra bucks. On the other hand, I think it's stupid to walk out on a job in these economic times, but then, what do I know?

 

At any rate, Chris Riley is a Walmart employee who decided he wasn't going to work his scheduled shift last Thursday. He "rallied" outside the store in Lancaster for about 30 minutes, then sashayed over to tell the store managers that he had a right to come back to work if he wanted to. I suspect he was trying to get them to say he couldn't so he could make a scene, but the managers said, "OK."

 

Chris makes $8.10 an hour. He's a part-time stocker. He says he doesn't like the low wages and work schedules. I don't know what he thinks a stocker should make, but I would imagine making any more than minimum wage on that job is decent. Chris says, "It's a frustrating thing to come to work and work as hard as you do and it doesn't show on your paycheck." I'm not sure what he means by that. Doing one's best at a job is a sign of good character, no matter what the pay is. Is Chris saying that Walmart isn't paying him the $8.10 for each hour he works? If Walmart is paying him $8.10 for each hour he works, then Walmart is fulfilling it's end of the employment agreement, so what is the gripe? If Walmart isn't paying him for each hour he works, then he should report them to Fair Labor Standards. If Chris wants to make more money, maybe he should get more education. Since he works part-time, that certainly should be an option.

 

I guess the main point is that if Chris isn't satisfied with the working conditions at Walmart, he's free to look elsewhere. Walmart can't hold him there against his will.

 

"Area Wal-Mart employees rally." The Dallas Morning News; November 24, 2012; p. 1D.