Because this is Labor Day, I thought I would report on what I have learned about Walmart's much publicized initiative to raise the pay of its lowest paid workers to $9 an hour, and how it is going so far here on Walmart's home turf, Northwest Arkansas, because I live about twelve miles from corporate HQ.
I used to amuse myself by asking the Cashiers in store #1 (3rd Edition) if they had had their dinner break. Ten years ago, as often as not, the answer was NO. These days, with Automated self checkout, I talk to far fewer checkout clerks. But they had pretty much solved that problem before they went to the automated self serve checkout.
NW Arkansas (Benton County) supposedly has the "Best Performing" regional economy in Arkansas.
Discussion below the fold, if it does not disappear like my first draft did.
This is based on informal interviews, just walking around and, well, asking people.
Very basic HUMINT collection.
Walmart did implement the $9 and hour, but in typical corporate fashion, cut the shift differential for overnight work from $1 an hour to $.50 an hour.. So the overnight stockers only received a $1 an hour raise, not the publicized $1.50 (State minimum wage is already $7.50 an hour). Some of the first line supervisors were reported to be unhappy because they did not yet receive any increase.
I am still looking for someone who has been there long enough to coherently report on if they retained their step raises (fogey raises), or just raised everyone to $9 an hour.
I actually have better sources at McDonalds, there is ONE franchisor in NW Arkansas, who as predicted, followed Walmart to $9 an hour on 1 August. With a billboard on the interstate too (Will go out and try and get a photograph).
All the employees I spoke with are essentially new hires since the beginning of summer, mostly High School Students. There are still more "Managers" than line employees when I go into McDonalds to get coffee in the evening (or Breakfast).
The managers at McDonalds did NOT receive a full $1.50 an hour raise.
Tagging suggestions would be welcome.
I may have a revision if I get a picture of the McDonalds billboard. McDonalds are advertising a $250 signing bonus, but not paying it out for ninety days, and only to people working more then thirty hours a week. Hm, no one could see any potential for abuse there.