Spring Break
At Wal-Mart, students trade social concerns for convenience
Audrie MacDuff
Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: Opinion
On October 31, 1969, the Walton family helped incorporate Wal-Mart stores into American society. After a long period of controversy and debate, Potsdam, NY became home to a Wal-Mart "Super Center".
Over the years, Wal-Mart has come to be the largest corporation in terms of annual revenue and can now be found in countries such as Mexico and the UK. Despite the rapid growth of Wal-Mart, they are currently the reason for many ongoing human rights and fair-labor violations. Groups, such as Wake Up Wal-Mart (http://www.wakeupwalmart.com") have been formed to combat the corporation's negative synergies. The group's main purpose is to educate the general public about the Walton family's company.
According to the Wake Up Wal-Mart website, in 2006 alone, the company faced fifty seven pay wage and time clock lawsuits. Over 775,000 Wal-Mart employees are currently without health benefits, and when health insurance is provided, it is not adequate for one trying to provide for one's family. The corporation has been known to violate environmental standards and recently had a lawsuit filed against them in Connecticut for improperly storing pesticides. The company also just so happens to be the largest "storm water violator" and has been charged in nine states for disobeying the Clean Water Act. Also, Wal-Mart obtains most of its merchandise from China, and a class action lawsuit was recently filed against the company for not offering employees the legal minimum wage.
Overall, Wal-Mart is currently suffering from many lawsuits dealing with the violation of labor based human rights. The corporation has received numerous warnings saying that they are violating the fair Labor Standards Act, but have yet to change working conditions for their employees.
So, what is such a socially abrasive corporation doing in small-town Potsdam? The answer is quite clear: convenience. It is hard to argue that the new superstore has better prices than local shops and it is only a ten minute drive from campus. Even students who boycott the Walton's corporation have found themselves shopping at the new Wal-Mart since returning to school. When asked the question, "Are you an avid Wal-Mart shopper," a first year student who chose to remain anonymous replied "No, I am not an avid Wal-Mart shopper, but the new store in Potsdam is really convenient for students, despite Wal-Mart's negative reputation."
Just think: the town of Potsdam's tax dollars are now supporting the growth of the company. On the contrary, while having a Wal-Mart store is known to decrease the revenue of small-town businesses, Potsdam's placement of the corporation is not showing a grave effect on the well-being of our town. It is hard to fight the presence of the store since it already has a steady stream of customers, but if you would like more information on the ongoing battle against Wal-Mart, visit Wake Up Wal-Mart's website.
Over the years, Wal-Mart has come to be the largest corporation in terms of annual revenue and can now be found in countries such as Mexico and the UK. Despite the rapid growth of Wal-Mart, they are currently the reason for many ongoing human rights and fair-labor violations. Groups, such as Wake Up Wal-Mart (http://www.wakeupwalmart.com") have been formed to combat the corporation's negative synergies. The group's main purpose is to educate the general public about the Walton family's company.
According to the Wake Up Wal-Mart website, in 2006 alone, the company faced fifty seven pay wage and time clock lawsuits. Over 775,000 Wal-Mart employees are currently without health benefits, and when health insurance is provided, it is not adequate for one trying to provide for one's family. The corporation has been known to violate environmental standards and recently had a lawsuit filed against them in Connecticut for improperly storing pesticides. The company also just so happens to be the largest "storm water violator" and has been charged in nine states for disobeying the Clean Water Act. Also, Wal-Mart obtains most of its merchandise from China, and a class action lawsuit was recently filed against the company for not offering employees the legal minimum wage.
Overall, Wal-Mart is currently suffering from many lawsuits dealing with the violation of labor based human rights. The corporation has received numerous warnings saying that they are violating the fair Labor Standards Act, but have yet to change working conditions for their employees.
So, what is such a socially abrasive corporation doing in small-town Potsdam? The answer is quite clear: convenience. It is hard to argue that the new superstore has better prices than local shops and it is only a ten minute drive from campus. Even students who boycott the Walton's corporation have found themselves shopping at the new Wal-Mart since returning to school. When asked the question, "Are you an avid Wal-Mart shopper," a first year student who chose to remain anonymous replied "No, I am not an avid Wal-Mart shopper, but the new store in Potsdam is really convenient for students, despite Wal-Mart's negative reputation."
Just think: the town of Potsdam's tax dollars are now supporting the growth of the company. On the contrary, while having a Wal-Mart store is known to decrease the revenue of small-town businesses, Potsdam's placement of the corporation is not showing a grave effect on the well-being of our town. It is hard to fight the presence of the store since it already has a steady stream of customers, but if you would like more information on the ongoing battle against Wal-Mart, visit Wake Up Wal-Mart's website.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Brandon Mendelson
posted 9/15/08 @ 3:20 PM EST
"Just think: the town of Potsdam's tax dollars are now supporting the growth of the company. On the contrary, while having a Wal-Mart store is known to decrease the revenue of small-town businesses"
Uh. (Continued…)
Audrie
posted 9/18/08 @ 9:45 PM EST
Thank you for you comment, as a writer I appreciate feedback in whatever form it happens to come in. The reason I focused more on personal opinion rather than the opinion of local businesses for this article is due to the fact that there was a previous article (last spring) about the affect Wal-Mart would have on those businesses and I didn't want it to be too repetitive. (Continued…)
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