Several negative stories out recently on Wal-Mart. We previously referenced the Fast Company article, which was extremely negative. This weekend saw the start of a 3 part L.A. Times article.
Could this be the start of a new trend?
The Wal-Mart You Don’t Know
By Charles Fishman
Fast Company, December 2003
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html
Essentially blames Wal-Mart for a massive exodus of jobs to China. While there’s some truth in the accusation, it is an all but inevitable consequence of ongoing globalization regardless . . . Still, makes for compelling reading — and a damning indictment of the occasinally heavyhanded (even clumsiness) out the retailing giant.
An Empire Built on Bargains Remakes the Working World
By Abigail Goldman and Nancy Cleeland, Times Staff Writers
Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2003
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-walmart23nov23,1,2729555.story?coll=la-headlines-business
Not surprisingly, WMT is not a union shop. Part I of this series looks at the impact Wal Mart has as “the third party now that comes to every bargaining situation” — even for the California supermarkets now in their 7th week of work stoppage. Why? Fear of Walmart!