Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

[Bada0Bing]

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I just watched it.

Here is the Amazon review:

Editorial Reviews

About the Actor
Robert Greenwald is the director/producer of "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" (2004), a documentary exposing the right-wing bias of Fox News. The film was initially distributed via internet DVD sales, but strong viewer demand led to an unusual post-DVD theatrical release in the summer of 2004. His new documentary is "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" set for release in November 2005.
Greenwald is also the executive producer of a trilogy of "Un" documentaries: "Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election" (2002), directed by Richard Ray Perez and Joan Sekler; "Uncovered: The Iraq War (2003)", directed by Greeenwald; and "Unconstitutional" (2004), directed by Nonny de la Pena, about the post 9/11 erosion of American civil liberties.

In addition to his documentary work, Greenwald has produced and/or directed more than 50 television movies, miniseries and feature films, including: The Book of Ruth (2004), based on the best selling book by Jane Hamilton; The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (2003); Blonde, a miniseries based on Joyce Carol Oates' fictionalized biography of Marilyn Monroe; The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett as an abused housewife; Our Guys, based on the true story of a rape in a small town; Shattered Spirits, starring Martin Sheen, about alcoholism; Forgotten Prisoners, about the work of Amnesty International; and Hiroshima.

Greenwald also produced and directed the feature film, Steal This Movie, starring Vincent D'Onofrio as 60's radical Abbie Hoffman, as well as Breaking Up, starring Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek.

Greenwald's films have garnered 25 Emmy nominations, four cable ACE Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, the Peabody Award, the Robert Wood Johnson Award, and eight Awards of Excellence from the Film Advisory Board. He was awarded the 2002 Producer of the Year Award by the American Film Institute. Greenwald is the recipient of awards and honors for his political work by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California; the L.A. chapter of the National Lawyers Guild; Physicians for Social Responsibility; and the Office of the Americas. He is a co-founder (with Danny and Victor Goldberg) of RDV Books, as well as the co-founder (with Mike Farrell) of "Artists United," a group of actors and others opposed to the war in Iraq, which continues to work toward publicizing progressive causes. Greenwald also has lectured at Harvard University for the Nieman Fellows Foundation for Journalism.

Product Description
Everyone has seen Wal-Mart's lavish television commercials, but have you ever wondered why Wal-Mart spends so much money trying to convince you it cares about your family, your community, and even its own employees? What is it hiding?

WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price takes you behind the glitz and into the real lives of workers and their families, business owners and their communities, in an extraordinary journey that will challenge the way you think, feel... and shop.

 

[Dan H]

/ double post.

 

[Dan H]

So what did you think of the documentary?

I dislike shopping at Wal-Mart, but I also dislike dishonesty in documentaries . . .

Google Cached article

"A scathing documentary on Wal-Mart's business practices focuses its cameras squarely on Middlefield, zooming in on a family-run hardware store forced out of business by the retail giant's recent arrival.

There's only one problem: H&H Hardware shut down nearly three months before a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened around the corner in mid-May."

 

[Bada0Bing]

I can't get your first link to work.

I don't remember the specific story of the H&H Hardware. If it was false, then that sucks.

 

[Dan H]

First link was the same thing, I'm just an idiot.

The whole antipathy towards Wal-Mart makes me laugh. It's much the same as the Microsoft hate (and even Yankee- and Cowboy-hate) of the 90's.

Sometimes I think the American way is to complain about the guy on top.

Don't get me wrong, I try to avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible. Our Super Center is crowded most of the time, the cashiers are slow, etc., etc. But on the bright side, if you need something at three in the morning, Wal-Mart is the place for you. But by way of preference I try to stick to Target. My time is worth the small amount more it costs.

 

[Bada0Bing]

I don’t like the fact that they exploit cheap labor and leave their employees to rely on state aided healthcare. They seem to be doing okay as a company . A typical person would think they would have a very competitive benefit package.

I stopped shopping there years ago because their customer service sucked. For the last 5 or so years I've made sure that no penny that I earn will go towards this company.

 

[Bada0Bing]

So what did you think of the documentary?

I thought it was pretty easy on Walmart. It only focused on a few specific cases of how Wal-Mart employees were affected. I am more concerned about how Wal-Mart affects a community.

I’m not as sensitive to the individual employees because they could leave their positions and find work elsewhere. However, communities just can’t up and leave.

 

[CardFan67]

Most California WalMart employees are Teamster Union Members... I don't really understand the problem.. At least here...

 

[Bada0Bing]

Most California WalMart employees are Teamster Union Members... I don't really understand the problem.. At least here...

Do you have a source regarding this? I was under the understanding that WalMart didn't deal with Unions.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Most California WalMart employees are Teamster Union Members... I don't really understand the problem.. At least here...

Here's what I got from a quick google:

http://www.walmartfacts.com/walmart_and_unions.aspx

Walmart and Unions
There is no formal relationship between Walmart and unions because at Wal Mart, unions are not necessary.

With Wal-Mart's open policy between our associates and managers and executives, we believe there is no need for third-party representation.

Wal Mart believes in taking personal care and responsibility for our associates. A relationship between Walmart and unions is not necessary because we believe in fostering an environment of open communications and encouraging associates to express their ideas, comments and concerns to their managers where they can be addressed in a personal and timely manner. Since our founding in 1962, Wal Mart has taken seriously fair labor practices and believes that a connection between Walmart and unions is unnecessary.

For these reasons, our associates have access to management at Walmart and unions are unneeded. Wal Mart and our associates have consistently chosen not to have a union step into the middle of our partnership.

 

[CardFan67]

I'll find the local.. Have to call someone I used to work with... The local that my old company was with was almost entirely WalMart employees... I posted all of that info on here before on another anti WalMart thread...

 

[Russ Smith]

I just watched this Saturday, and then Sunday my girlfriend and I watched a 2 hour show on walmart on CNBC from 2004. THe 2nd piece was more a pro Walmart show but had quite a bit of the negative thrown in.

The documentary pretty much confirmed a lot of things I've always thought about Walmart based on what I've read, that in a lot of cases they completely decimate areas they move into by closing all the other competitive stores, taking away those jobs and replacing them with part time jobs that pay less and have no benefits. Yes they're cheaper, but if you earn less or have no job, that doesn't matter much.