If corporations like Wal-Mart get corporate welfare, shouldn't they have to pay their workers decent wages?

Question

I have seen some here argue that MULTIBILLION-dollar corporations like Wal-Mart get government subsidies, because they help welfare recipients get jobs. That being said, though, it's a known fact that most employees of companies like Wal-Mart aren't well-paid and sometimes STILL have to draw welfare even when they have jobs! If the purpose of corporate welfare is to ultimately get welfare recipients back on their feet, then doesn't it make sense that the government should require that these corporations pay their employees a living wage before they receive any subsidies?

Layne B: Get real! The only reason why people work in places like Wal-Mart is because that's the best they can get and they have to work SOMEWHERE in order to survive!

A few years ago, as I was shopping at a Wal-Mart store, I was talking to one of the cashiers there. She told me that she had been there for about 2 years, and that she was paid $6.00 an hour! That is certainly NOT enough to live comfortably on!

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/20050412-tpcs.html?printable

Answer 1

The walmart by me does pay okay wages compared with many like them meijers and target pay an average of $2 and hour less (I worked at target while going to school).

My personal opinion is that they should pay more because they can afford it. They have so much money and yes they give to charities but wouldn't it be a much greater service to Americans if they just paid good wages.

We have it backwards here in the US we don't want to help people until they lost everything instead of helping those who are working hard and barley making it, we say well we can help you when you loose you home and your car and don't have a dime in your savings account.

When you get to this point the system then doesn't offer you enough help to get on your feet and they sanction you for everything like not coming to you welfare appointments when you have to work or you will get fired BUT on the other hand you will also get sanctioned if you get fired.

Well enough of my rant

Answer 2

You just asked the perfect question, for showing the flaws in conservative reasoning. Nearly every answer you received shows how they just repeat talking points without really thinking things through at all, and they cling to ideologies that are far simpler than the real world is. Let's start with Longing4more and the answer that people should "find a different job". Only about half the jobs in the United States actually pay a living wage, the other half are low wage jobs such as Wal Mart. No matter how hard everyone tries to get a living wage job, only half the people in the US will have living wage jobs. There just aren't enough good jobs for everyone. If one person is finally lucky enough to land a living wage job, another low income applicant for that same job didn't get it. Someone is always going to get the short end of the stick. Is it fair to create a system where half the people in the country will not get paid enough money to live on? The user who claims to be "Exposing liberal lies" posted another argument that is easily refuted, by saying that a higher minimum wage causes inflation and nobody comes out ahead. First of all, many products are made by workers who don't actually make anywhere close to minimum wage. The cost of a house, or a new car, or new appliances, wouldn't go up at all. We wouldn't actually pay twice as much on everything if the minimum wage were doubled. We might pay a bit more for groceries and fast food, but many other products would stay the same. The cost of living would certainly not double. What an increase in the minimum wage would really do is reduce inequality, by giving more money to the people at the bottom. Does inequality need to be reduced? The bottom 50% of Americans make less money than the top 1%, even though those bottom 50% actually work harder. That is an obscene and unjustifiable level of inequality. It is unconscionable. It ought to be reduced. Conservatives say that people ought to earn money rather than take a handout from the government. I agree with them about this. So how about we start by creating a system where everyone is able to earn enough money to actually live on? Minimum wage is not a handout, it is money that people earn through their hard work. Then electripole brought up the "voluntary charity" argument and said you should just donate money to low income people. Really? That's the solution to all the poverty in the United States? For you to be told to dig into your own pocket to take care of the whole problem? Bill Gates couldn't even do that. It just goes to show that these people haven't thought anything through. They're just repeating a talking point that someone else told them, that they have never really given any thought to at all. I used to be like that, years ago... then I started actually thinking for myself and questioning these things with logic and reasoning, and I became a liberal.

Answer 3

Obviously those first two are Wal-Mart corprate heads. Its been apparent in this country for sometime that through the promise of jobs, the Federal government will turn its head in regard to the exploitation of the American worker.

To anyone will a moral conscience, the idea that huge companies getting federal subsidies (through American worker tax dollars, mind you), should fairly compensate their workers is obvious, although unfortunately, is a non-sequitur due to the law of supply and demand. As the law of supply and demand DICTATES, it is the supply versus the demand that determines what will be paid for what is supplied. Too many people after the same job will mean low pay without benefits. The idea that in this country most people have the opportunity to just "find another job" is ludicrous and ignorant (not to mention callous).

Unfortunately blue collar workers should begin to expect the Stalin era and 1984 esque society that is rapidly approaching through the looming cloud of terrorism that the federal government keeps aloft over (our)head.

Stockpile toilet paper now, before its too late!

Check out Michael Moore's 1997 documentary on big business in the U.S. called "The Big One" if you think I'm joking.

Answer 4

The law says a company has to pay minimum wages and pay time and a half for all hours worked over 40 hours a week. That's all. If Wal-Mart had a written agreement with the agency giving them the subsidies that says they have to pay more, then they will. Otherwise all they are legally required to pay is minimum wage.

Answer 5

Walmart is the nations largest employer, and thus sets the standard of the industry. They should not be subsidised by goverment, nor should the oil companies, milk, farmers...hey what happened to competion controls the market place.

Ummm...lobbyists...oh ya.

When Wal Mart moves into town, they drive many of the local established business' out . Thus becoming the major employer...so just finding a better job means relocating...not many folks of limited means can just pick up and leave, nor do the want to leave family and friends.

How about if they do like Sam Walton did and treat his emplyees fairly, and paid them a living wage. He would be rolling in his grave if he saw how his comany is being run now.

Answer 6

We need a large network of poor workers who are reliant on the government .
These people keep wages down across the board .
Most people can learn a trade if given the chance .
The only way to keep people stocking shelves and checking out customers is to keep them so poor that the are in a constant struggle to get by that they need assistance . Its a vicious circle . We have to have these people in this situation and the immigrants flooding in .
If not to many people would have the resources not to participate with the government goals of world domination .
They would have free time on their hands to read and think and come to the conclusion that its all just one big game with winners and losers and you better understand the rules well so you can play to win .

Answer 7

Here where I live, walmart pays around $7-$8 an hour staring and offers discounted health and dental insurance along with a 401k...My daughter works there. Sounds decent to me for a starter wage, the fast food places here only start at about $6 or less an hour and offer NO benefits...

Answer 8

Walmart pays excellent starting wages for the skill set of the employee. What job do you know that doesn't require a degree of any kind and still pays? The term living wage is too loose anyway. My living wage could be higher then yours. Or the other way.

Answer 9

If your only alternative was to live off of $9 an hour, I bet that you could do it just like all of the Walmart employees in the world. We are used to $50K cars, +$350K Homes and so much more . . . . what you consider "a living wage" is probably MORE than you actually NEED to live off of. Walmart is a big business, and is hated for just that reason.

The government does require businesses to pay their employees a "living wage" - it's called Minimum Wage.

Answer 10

Wal*mart is freakin evil and I haven't shopped there in over 2 years. You should read the book Nickled and Dimed. So, far I've gotten a huge following in my state who refuses to shop at Wal*mart. We all need to boycott the hell out of them.