Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Walmart CEO Mike Duke Pushes Back Against Company's Minimum Wage Reputation

Fast food and retail workers across the country have taken to the streets this year to decry their low wages. But the CEO of Walmart, which is often a target for criticism in that battle, claims a very small share of its workers actually make the bare minimum.

“I think less than one percent of our associates make the minimum wage,” Walmart CEO Mike Duke said in an interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo. "The vast majority of our associates are paid more than that.”

More specifically, less than one half of one percent of Walmart's hourly associates make their state or federal minimum wage, according to a Walmart spokesman.

The company claims that full-time Walmart workers make $12.78 per hour on average, much more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Yet that figure excludes part-time workers, a group that likely makes up a substantial share of Walmart's workforce, thought not its majority, according to the company.

Some argue that Walmart -- with its $17 billion profit last year -- can afford to pay its workers more and is costing taxpayers by not doing so. According to a study released by Congressional Democrats earlier this year, the low wages at one Walmart store costs taxpayers $900,000 per year, because workers are forced to rely on safety net programs like food stamps and Medicaid to get by.

The company also threatened to pull three planned stores in Washington, D.C. after the city council passed a bill earlier this summer requiring big box retailers in the city to pay their workers at least $12.50 an hour.

Walmart is the nation’s largest private employer with more than 1.3 million workers.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com/
Author: The Huffington Post

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