The high cost of Wal-Mart

I was intrigued by the “Stay away from Wal-Mart” letter (March-April issue).

While I don’t question the writer’s dedication to our union and to helping the poor, anyone who has seen the video, “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices,” must disagree with his conclusion. The drive for low prices is fueling the nationwide wage deterioration.

This corporate monster is nothing like what founder Sam Walton started.

Wal-Mart forces U.S. companies to go overseas or out of business in their drive for the almighty dollar. They may save 20 percent to 30 percent but pass on only pennies in savings to the customer.

Wal-Mart’s unabashed anti-union bent is well-documented. Some in rural stores are lucky to earn $5.75 per hour.

Would we like our wages to begin sliding down to meet them? If we support this corporate mentality of Wal-Mart and so many companies, we soon may be giving up much of what our union forefathers fought for.

Phil Brady
UAW Local 2209
Fort Wayne, Ind.

I could not believe that I actually read a UAW member’s letter telling unions to stay out of Wal-Mart. What if the unions had stayed out of Michigan? Would that make it OK for Wal-Mart to move there and the rest of us to say it’s OK since people in Michigan work but they are poor?

I doubt very much that Wal-Mart would go broke if their workers voted to organize. It's more about corporate greed, which is also why this country’s well-paying jobs are going to low-wage companies in countries that do as Wal-Mart does: They pay workers low wages to keep profits climbing and enable those businesses to force lower profits in our country, which in turn has our businesses moving to their shores.

Why are so many so reluctant to see the poor get a slice of the pie? In the fight for a higher minimum wage, why use the excuse that we’ll lose jobs if workers are paid a fair wage?

I could say a lot more, but having been on the poor side of the fence before I got a decent-paying union job, it makes me sick to think that those who may want to organize might be denied the opportunity.

Theodora Klinkhammer
UAW Local 82
Racine, Wis.

I'm sure glad that the UAW member who defended Wal-Mart wasn’t negotiating our first contracts when the union was organizing in the 1930s.

Perhaps if union members wouldn’t shop at Wal-Mart, they wouldn’t be the largest private employer in America.

Remember: Wal-Mart hates unions, but they love union wages and pensions that you take to their stores.

Dick Esper
UAW Local 600 retiree
Carleton, Mich.

Union was there for me

I worked for Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Michigan and was an active member. Without the UAW, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be receiving 60 percent of my income after becoming totally disabled.

People without a union don't realize how important their bargaining rights are and how they affect their real life situations. I sure do, and I tell this story to everyone I can.

When someone makes a negative comment about unions, I always tell them what the UAW has done for me and my family.

Carole Booth
UAW Local 6000
Charleston, W. Va.

Careful what you wish for

The Solidarity article about national health care did not cover the pitfalls. Do you really think the government can provide health care for 300 million people when it can’t provide it adequately for Medicare?

My wife's family lives in Canada, and you should hear the stories. Her 78-year-old aunt waited 18 months for an appointment with a general practitioner.

Be careful what you wish for because it might come true.

Alan Konopka
UAW Local 22
Holly, Mich.

(Editor’s note: We hope our wishes do come true. The fact is, Medicare works, and polls have consistently shown that Medicare participants are happier with their coverage than nonseniors in private health plans. Medicare provides insurance as a tiny percentage of costs – about 2 percent – compared to what private insurers charge. In Canada the provincial government, not the Canadian national government, is the payer.)

Safety is hard-won gain

You ran a correction last issue for a missing photo caption. Regardless of the person’s identity, I have just one question: Where are his safety glasses, and why isn’t he wearing them?

Safety was a hard-won gain of our union, and it’s the responsibility of all UAW membersin the workplace.

Tom Sperka
UAW Local 933
Brownsburg, Ind.

(Editor’s note: The health and safety of UAW members is a top priority of this union, and Brother Sperka makes an excellent point. In this particular case, we checked during the photo shoot and were assured that safety glasses were not required for that job in that part of the plant.)