WPCNR WHITE PLAINS VOICE. September 17, 2004: WPCNR has received a second critique of Wal-Mart, a potential occupant of the former Sears building, this second letter lists negative effects Wal-Mart has allegedly had on American labor benefits practices:
A few more provable assertions...
High premiums and deductibles keep more than two-thirds of Wal-Mart workers
from participating in the company health plan.
Most Wal-Mart employees cannot afford to pay the expensive premiums and
deductibles required for coverage. The average worker would have to pay one
fifth of his paycheck for health care coverage at Wal-Mart. On a wage of
about $8 an hour and 29-32 hours of work a week, many workers must rely on
state programs or family members or simply live without health insurance.
Nearly 700,000 Wal-Mart workers are forced to get health insurance coverage
from the government or through spousesą plans. Wal-Mart shifts the cost of
health insurance to taxpayers and other employers, driving up the health
costs for all of us.
When other companies get tired of paying the bill for Wal-Mart, they drop or
reduce health care benefits for their employees. There are more than 40
million uninsured working families. The more Wal-Mart grows so do the number
of the uninsured.
The Walton family is worth about $102 billion--less than 1% of that could
provide affordable health care for associates.
White Plains downtown would not be served by a Wal-Mart.
Please reveal the story and let the discussions be had by all.
A Union Executive,
Anonymous
