Big Gulp! Wal-Mart starts opening small convenience stores.

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Friday September 05, 2008 · 1:53 PM PDT

2008/09/05 · 13:53

I often blog about Wal-Mart killing small business by keeping their labor cost artificially low by illegally violating the rights of employees to negotiate better wages....now they are going to be "small businesses" and directly compete against Mom and Pop!

Heads up... Wal-Mart could be coming to your neighborhood, but you wouldn't know it just by looking at the new stores.

That's because Wal-Mart has gone stealth with a new chain of smaller convenience stores called Marketside. With new colors and designs -- and no mention of the word "Wal-Mart" whatsoever -- these stores are the retail giant's attempt to further saturate communities and creep into urban areas across the country, but without letting people know who's reaping the profits.

Help us spread the word about Wal-Mart's sneaky new efforts. Tell everyone you know to watch out for Marketside stores popping up in their neighborhoods:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/...

Not only is this a 911 for 7-11, it will greatly impact independant stores that don't have a lot of employees or suppliers to beat up for low costs.

Poll

84 votes Show Results

That giant sucking sound you hear

84 votes Vote Now!

That giant sucking sound you hear

is a Slurpee.

9 votes

is more attacks on Small Business and the Middle Class.

75 votes

Big Corporate, WSJ, & CBS vs. Working America and Small Biz

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Monday September 01, 2008 · 12:50 PM PDT

2008/09/01 · 12:50

Jackson Lewis Attorneys and Senator George McGovern to be Featured on Labor Day CBS Radio Show Discussing Issues at Stake With Employee Free Choice Act

Big business and lawyers from the union busting industry sure get a lot better media exposure than small biz and non-union Americans that support enforcing the 71-year old National Labor Relations Act. The WSJ loves to bash labor law enforcement as being pro-union....it isn't. It's pro-law enforcement and returns a competitive advantage to small businesses and the big corporations that DO abide by labor law. Our scofflaw competitors have illegally kept wages and benefits artificially low by consistently violating labor law.

Although the big unions support the EFCA, it isn't really to their advantage. Enforcement of the law takes away the need for a big union war chest to organize. Competition with small independent will force big unions to be more efficient and responsive, not just be able to fight a giant scofflaw employer. Doesn't the GOP like competition and the enforcement of law?

Poll

7 votes Show Results

Enforcing Labor Law

7 votes Vote Now!

Enforcing Labor Law

Protects long established American Manufacturers like Ford and GM from foreign owned plants that can flout the law.

0 votes

Helps protect non- union employees by giving employers a reason to pay better wages and benefits.

7 votes

The Path to Economic Ruin

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Wednesday August 27, 2008 · 11:51 AM PDT

2008/08/27 · 11:51

An interesting point of view from the founder of big box store Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, explaining how enforcing labor law will lead to the ruin of America....I'm not sure how many houses Bernie owns, but in my neighborhood America is already in economic ruin, despite the long decline of unions.

I think the path to economic ruin was caused by the declining wages from Americans competing globally against workers in the third world. Big boxers like Walmart and Home Depot also helped kill a lot of small businesses and entrepreneurs, with their unfair advantage in beating down employees by abusing labor law. Beating down suppliers is okay, but keeping your labor costs low through illegal means isn't. Plus the bulk of the customers for small biz are the middle class. They need fair wages.

Would enforcing labor rights help America back track from the path to Economic Ruin? Maybe. When unions were the strongest in the late 1950's the middle class was thriving. CEO's like Bernie only made about 20 times the average workers salary back then, so maybe not so much from his perspective. Today CEO's rake in 200x the average salary!

Poll

28 votes Show Results

Labor rights are:

28 votes Vote Now!

Labor rights are:

obsolete and the U.S. should join with China and Malaysia and ignore human rights like the right to join together.

1 vote

responsible for the growth of the middle class, the 8 hour work day, sick leave, and other benefits.

25 votes

other, see comments.

2 votes

Big Business vs Mom and Pop and Middle-Class Employees

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Tuesday August 26, 2008 · 10:42 AM PDT

2008/08/26 · 10:42

I'm amazed at the amount of negative press in the Wall Street Journal and other pro-business rags against the Employee Free Choice Act. Today, the founder of famed big box store Home Depot speaks out with his op-ed Bad Labor Law Is a Path to Economic Ruin in the WSJ. A couple of weeks ago big boxer Wal-Mart raised the alarm and started holding mandatory meetings for all managers and supervisors warning about the EFCA, which will add penalties for violating the 71 year old National Labor Relations Act.

One thing Wal-Mart and Home Depot have in common is that they have utilized their humongous size to run Mom and Pop stores out of business. In addition to beating down suppliers on price, they also have an unfair advantage in beating down employees who might otherwise seek better wages and benefits. Mom and Pop don't worry about Federal Labor Law, because they don't have sufficient employees to fall under the National Labor Relations Act.
<more over the fold>

Poll

17 votes Show Results

The Employee Free Choice Act levels the playing field for small business, un-organized employees, and all of America against multinational corporations.

17 votes Vote Now!

The Employee Free Choice Act levels the playing field for small business, un-organized employees, and all of America against multinational corporations.

Yes

17 votes

0 votes

See comments

0 votes

American-style Democracy for U.S. Corporations

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Wednesday August 20, 2008 · 2:01 PM PDT

2008/08/20 · 14:01

The Chamber of Commerce and Right-wing attack machine is in full court press against the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill with bipartisan support which would add penalties for wide-spread violations of the right of employees to join together.

The extreme Right objects to a provision of the EFCA dealing with "card check" procedures, a method of showing majority support for a union that was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in 1969. Currently an employer can challenge a "card-check" election for no cause. The Employee Free Choice Act would require illegal coercion or another cause before an employer could challenge the results of an election.

Chambers of Commerce and GOP'ers like Presidential hopeful John McCain say that card check organizing doesn't resemble American Democracy and insist that secret ballot elections are necessary to ensure workers have a democratic right to vote like in normal U.S. elections.

Ignoring for a moment that U.S. employees do not have the same rights at work that they have as citizens, lets give the GOP the benefit of the doubt and make union elections more democratic by simply holding secret ballot elections for employee organization on an annual basis.

Poll

24 votes Show Results

U.S. Labor law should be enforced

24 votes Vote Now!

U.S. Labor law should be enforced

to ensure law abiding businesses are not placed at a competitive disadvantage to scofflaws.

1 vote

to ensure that Americans have the right to join together for mutual benefit

4 votes

to set a good example for developing nations like China, India, and Malaysia where labor rights are weak.

0 votes

All of the above

19 votes

Kudos and Diggs for CBS's Balanced Reporting on an out-of-state 501C group

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Thursday June 26, 2008 · 8:10 AM PDT

2008/06/26 · 08:10

Its so rare for traditional media to analyze anything, so Kudos and Diggs to Raj Cohan of CBS Denver for challenging this anti-employee rights scare ad:

Ad: What if labor bosses controlled class elections. Thanks for your vote. I want to assure you that a vote for me is best for you. Ms. Hudgens has just agreed that there isn't gonna be any secret vote. Sign these cards showing us who you like the best, and my campaign committee will collect and count em.

Here's the spin. The ad attacks legislation in Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). If approved, it would amend the National Labor Relations Act to make it easier for unions to organize. How would it work? If a simple majority of workers sign cards saying they want a union, EFCA would essentially require the National Labor Relations Board to certify the union, assuming there was no illegal coercion involved in gathering the signatures. Under these circumstances employers would be barred from demanding a secret vote.

http://cbs4denver.com/...

Poll

38 votes Show Results

Labor Rights are good for Americans and without them we are at the whim of the market

38 votes Vote Now!

Labor Rights are good for Americans and without them we are at the whim of the market

Yes

37 votes

1 vote

PreZ GasBag and his Exploration for Cheap Oil

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Wednesday June 18, 2008 · 8:10 AM PDT

2008/06/18 · 08:10

Getting cheap oil is real simple economics, which of course Bush and his lapdog McCain will never understand.

Econ 101:
Low Supply + High Demand = High Prices
Low Supply + Reduced Demand = Reduced Prices
High Supply + Low Demand = Low Prices

You want oil cheap fast? Reduce consumption.

A gas tax raises consumption, which is why McCain is an economic idiot.
Exploring for oil won't lower prices now, and it won't lower it in the future because consumption will continue to grow, which is why Bush and McCain are economic idiots.

A President with some leadership ability would ask the American people to sacrifice a bit and slow down on the freeway. Driving 55 mph saves a lot of gas, especially if you've got a big SUV.

A President with some real leadership wouldn't ask to reduce gas taxes for a few cents of savings. He would add a $100 penalty for any American that can't stay under the legal speed limit of 65.

If you're driving your Hummer 85 mph, not only are you wasting a ton of gas but somewhere there is a veteran missing a leg because he was sent to fight for your cheap gas and his Hummer had less armour protection than yours.

So pay an extra $100 for speeding and help fund the VA hospitals. And slow down too!

Poll

14 votes Show Results

Want cheap gas fast? Then slow. the. f***. down.

14 votes Vote Now!

Want cheap gas fast? Then slow. the. f***. down.

Speeding wastes gas and puts our soldiers at risk.

0 votes

Speeding and no sacrifice by the American public is the GOP way

1 vote

All of the above.

11 votes

pie

2 votes

The Kiss of Death to Small Employers (with Poll)

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Monday June 16, 2008 · 3:46 PM PDT

2008/06/16 · 15:46

More scary PR from the Union Busting industry below on labor reform coming from Dems. Although the PR doesn't say it, most Small Businesses are exempt from Federal Labor law, and ALL Small Businesses would be exempt if Congress adjusted the NLRB's 1959 interstate trade threshold of $500,000 to an inflation adjusted $3.1 Million.

Mom and pop shops can't afford anti-union lawyers, and tend to play by the rules. The union busters, chambers of commerce, and the GOP aren't trying to protect "small business." Their neglect to adjust the $500K exemption proves it. Big Business are the ones who want to keep $0 penalties for labor law violations, but they also want the support of small business owners by putting more of them under Federal jurisdiction.

The Employee Free Choice Act adds penalties for firing union supporters. It also levels the playing field for small business as well as law-abiding big businesses against scofflaw corporations.

The unionbusters PR over the fold...

Poll

76 votes Show Results

Which employer is more likely to successfully abuse labor law and benefits from keeping $0 penalties?

76 votes Vote Now!

Which employer is more likely to successfully abuse labor law and benefits from keeping $0 penalties?

The corporation with thousands of anonymous employees spread over multiple sites.

70 votes

The small business where there are only a few dozen employees that all know each other.

6 votes

Union-Busting Industry worries about a devastating Obama Presidency

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Wednesday June 11, 2008 · 6:46 AM PDT

2008/06/11 · 06:46

Here's a press release from some attorneys who are worried about the Employee Free Choice Act crippling their industry. Union busting strategies are built around the premise of $0 penalties for labor violations and prolonging contract negotiations indefinately until employees give up and leave. By adding fines for harrassing or firing union supporters, the EFCA would make it too expensive to violate the law, and it wouldn't be cost effective to hire expensive union busters.

Sen. Obama vowed to stand by re-elected SEIU president Andy Stern and union members by ushering in a union- friendly administration. He also vowed to pass the Employee Free Choice Act if elected to presidential office.
...
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis LLP is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law. With offices in 37 cities and 500 attorneys, Jackson Lewis has developed a specialized expertise in every aspect of employment, labor, benefits and immigration law. Additional information about Jackson Lewis LLP can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com .
http://newsblaze.com/...

Poll

55 votes Show Results

Obama supports the Employee Free Choice Act

55 votes Vote Now!

Obama supports the Employee Free Choice Act

to help the middle class

31 votes

because he isn't part of the corporate sponsored government

24 votes

Dems: Helpful facts to counter GOP lies

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Friday June 06, 2008 · 9:38 AM PDT

2008/06/06 · 09:38

A couple of articles continue to perpetuate a GOP lie which might undo some Democrats.

Maine has been targeted because of the expected Senate race between Representative Tom Allen (D-Maine) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). They are on opposite sides of "The Employee Free Choice Act."
http://www.wcsh6.com/...

This is in the boring details of labor law, but the truth usually is a sleeper compared to a good scary lie. As Forbes says, "Who's afraid of a little organized labor? U.S. business, that's who."

The scary lie: Democrats want to eliminate secret ballot elections for union elections.

The boring truth: The Employee Free Choice Act does not change current labor law regarding secret ballots and majority card check.

Poll

11 votes Show Results

Labor Law has allowed majority signature cards as a form of electing unions since the inception of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935.

11 votes Vote Now!

Labor Law has allowed majority signature cards as a form of electing unions since the inception of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935.

True

9 votes

False

2 votes

Secret Ballots As a Campaign Issue

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Friday May 30, 2008 · 11:24 AM PDT

2008/05/30 · 11:24

From the GOP dominated National Association of Manufacturers

Card Check: Secret Ballots As a Campaign Issue
We've commented before that support of the Employee Free Choice Act is a losing issue in general election campaigns because most Americans will recoil from the idea of eliminating secret ballots in the workplace. Polling conducted for the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace indicates as much.
http://blog.nam.org/...

To clarify for "most Americans", current labor law requires a secret ballot election if over 30% of employees have signed a statement saying they want to be represented by a union. If over 50% have signed a statement, the Labor Board considers a secret election superfluous since majority rules in a democracy.

The Employee Free Choice Act doesn't change the process of majority rules. What it does is add penalties for illegally harrassing and firing union supporters.

Poll

17 votes Show Results

Majority rules in a Democracy

17 votes Vote Now!

Majority rules in a Democracy

Yes

10 votes

7 votes

Why is Small Business so Anti-Labor and Anti-Democrat?

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Saturday May 24, 2008 · 5:00 PM PDT

2008/05/24 · 17:00

As a small biz that supports Obama, I had to resign from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which gave 96% of campaign contributions to the GOP. The US Chamber of Commerce, also plans to spend $60 Million to defeat Obama or Clinton.

US News and World Report recently reported on a group called the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, which both Obama and Clinton support.

Most Small Business Orgs oppose enforcing labor rights despite the fact that 3/4 of ALL businesses have NO employees, and 97% of those with employees are so small that you can feed the office with less than 2 dozen donuts. Hardly the faceless environment where workers lack a voice.

Poll

79 votes Show Results

Why do Small Businesses hate Democrats and enforcement of labor law?

79 votes Vote Now!

Why do Small Businesses hate Democrats and enforcement of labor law?

They don't. Only their GOP dominated groups do.

43 votes

Because someday they might get huge and want to abuse the law with impunity like Wal-Mart

36 votes

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