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Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

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Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#131

Post by enraged_camel »

randomdata wrote: post #120
enraged_camel wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>The funny part is that not a single reply to my comment (so far) touched on any of the points being made The funny part is that if you're genuinely curious about the topic, you can do some introductory research yourself. The information you seek is a single Google search away. To demonstrate: http://i.imgur.com/E6Prs3R.png

I tried your search. I did not find anything that relates to my comment.

Your comment was, literally, "What, exactly, is unfair about the current compensation?"

And literally the first option in the search I linked ("walmart unfair wages") will lead you straight to the answer.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#132

Post by state_less »

BurningFrog wrote: post #105
state_less wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Were I a slave and then given an opportunity to be a indentured servant, sure I'd agree. That doesn't mean I live in good conditions. Yea, I could terminate the agreement and move on to being a slave again, but why would I? It's an agreement made under duress, we can do better for these people. Don't you agree?

> That doesn't mean I live in good conditions I think this is the core misunderstanding of the left in this area. Choices are only thought to be voluntary if they are between "good" alternatives, where "good" is measured by the standards of US college educated middle class.

Hopefully most us agree indentured servitude is not a good condition to be in, so neither option is good here and yet you might come to some agreement.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#133

Post by jimmywanger »

hammock wrote: post #81
jimmywanger wrote: post #3

Just to play devil's advocate here, this is from the article: > The app, called WorkIt, invites users to register by providing a name, email, telephone number and ZIP Code. Users can also s hare (sic) their job title and Wal-Mart store number.... That is a bunch of personally identifying information. You can easily steal somebody's identity with those bits of information, or at least have a good idea of who they are.…

"Invites here to register...this is a bunch of personally identifying information..." Yes. Of course. Isn't that the definition of "register"? It means to input your identifying information. Cf. First definition under intransitive verb (the sense used here): http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/register

Your definition wordplay makes no sense.

It says "to enroll one's name'. Not enroll one's real name or any ancillary information. Try again.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#134

Post by jimmywanger »

anigbrowl wrote: post #116
jimmywanger wrote: post #3

Just to play devil's advocate here, this is from the article: > The app, called WorkIt, invites users to register by providing a name, email, telephone number and ZIP Code. Users can also s hare (sic) their job title and Wal-Mart store number.... That is a bunch of personally identifying information. You can easily steal somebody's identity with those bits of information, or at least have a good idea of who they are.…

I'll take your concerns seriously when you post that about every single app that gets mentioned on hn. If you only care* about it for this particular app, then you might want to re-examine your biases and motivations. * and by 'care' I mean 'go to the trouble of writing a long comment on why it's such a bad thing.

I said I was being a devil's advocate. And the fact that an app requires such personal information to pretty much access an expert system raises my hackles.

Are you really unable to tell the difference between merely registering for a site and given them your phone number and zip code?

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#135

Post by jahaja »

randomdata wrote: post #114
jahaja wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what you actually mean here, could you please clarify? Do you by fairness strictly mean the initial compensation being offered, but not what the workers believe is a fair compensation after-the-fact? Do you by freedom strictly mean individual freedom to bargain, but not the freedom to organise and bargain collectively?

Which part of the original comment did you not understand? Fair means everyone is operating in their own interests, as they choose, which can include expecting more in the future. I did ask in the comment what is more fair than that, and you didn't mention anything when you initially replied, so presumably you agreed with that part. Freedom means that everyone is able to operate in their own interests, as they choose…

Do not assume I agree with you because I did not respond to something. Especially when I wrote that I did not understand your answer fully.

You're either too vague in your comments or I'm just living in such a culturally different place on this subject that I just can't understand what your points are.

We seem to have different definitions of fair and freedom. For example it's usually in peoples interest here to join a union rather than to not join one. And that's excluding the factor of solidarity with your fellow workers.

Furthermore, firing people for being in an union is blatantly illegal where I live.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#136

Post by matchagaucho »

randomdata wrote: post #64
darpa_escapee wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the same company that shows employees videos that are equivalent to "Unions = bad, yuck, gross, not even once" during training. They have every incentive to prevent unionization. If workers have room to negotiate, that means they could negotiate for fair compensation. Reminder that our country's labor history is rife with straight up mass murder of workers because they demanded fair pay, safe working conditio…

> they could negotiate for fair compensation. What, exactly, is unfair about the current compensation? Walmart pays exactly what they and the employee agreed to at the onset of the employment agreement. Those who couldn't reach an agreement have do not provide work for Walmart at all. I really don't know how you can get any more fair than that? Everyone equally has the ability to decide what works for them and are fr…

Walmart typically puts small Mom-n-Pop shops out of business when they move into a community... and they pay far lower wages than the businesses they replace.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#137

Post by anigbrowl »

jimmywanger wrote: post #134
anigbrowl wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll take your concerns seriously when you post that about every single app that gets mentioned on hn. If you only care* about it for this particular app, then you might want to re-examine your biases and motivations. * and by 'care' I mean 'go to the trouble of writing a long comment on why it's such a bad thing.

I said I was being a devil's advocate. And the fact that an app requires such personal information to pretty much access an expert system raises my hackles. Are you really unable to tell the difference between merely registering for a site and given them your phone number and zip code?

Of course I'm able to tell the difference. I'm also able to tell the difference between a labor union trying to organize workers and other forms of commercial activity.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#138

Post by mtberatwork »

masklinn wrote: post #94
vacri wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Trump goes up against Walmart and actually makes life better for those blue-collar whites, I'll literally buy a hat and eat it. I doubt Trump will want a second term - he's made it now, and thumbed his nose at everyone. He'll find out that he can't just do what he wants as president and his days are ridiculously packed, and won't go for a second term.

> He'll find out that he can't just do what he wants as president and his days are ridiculously packed, and won't go for a second term. Or he'll find out that he can leverage the position into making money and let his VP and cronies do the ruling work. The former is how things seem to be shaping up, and the latter is how Kasich reported the VP pitch he got (also matches Trump's desire to keep doing big rallies, not m…

This is the playbook of virtually every Eastern European nation. Achieve power through demagoguery, enrich self and loyalists once in power. Rinse and repeat.

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#139

Post by lazerwalker »

moron4hire wrote: post #126
bunderbunder wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." - Steinbeck

Ronald Wright, not Steinbeck.

"When reading a pithy observation about the state of the world, never assume the attribution is correct" -Mark Twain

Re: Wal-Mart Tells Workers: Don’t Download Labor Group’s Chat App

#140

Post by darpa_escapee »

briandear wrote: post #112
darpa_escapee wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the same company that shows employees videos that are equivalent to "Unions = bad, yuck, gross, not even once" during training. They have every incentive to prevent unionization. If workers have room to negotiate, that means they could negotiate for fair compensation. Reminder that our country's labor history is rife with straight up mass murder of workers because they demanded fair pay, safe working conditio…

Their duty to employees? Those employees have the right to quit. If the supply of labor decreases, the prevailing wage will increase. Also not mentioned are the effects of Obamacare and the unintended consequences of companies cutting hours.

When the ACA was passed, Walmart hired enough people to make sure that everyone worked less than the required average of 30hrs a week per month so that they would not have to pay for health benefits or be fined. They relieved themselves of their duty to provide benefits to their full time employees by going out of their way to eliminate full time employees.
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