Then why haven't they done so in the first place, and save some money ? Why have their own trucks & the atttendant hassles ? Why not farm out their transportation completely to the companies that you've mentioned, with strict SLAs ( Service Level Agreements ) ?

 

Wal-Mart is the world's #1 retailer, the largest private employer in the US, and they move 20% of all retail goods in this country. With their massive supply chain and precise inventory controls, a private fleet isn't a luxury - it is a necessity. Whenever you hand business over to a 3PL, railroad, or another carrier, you lose control over that freight. With capacity issues, driver shortages, and let's face it...lack of service from for-hire common carriers, Wal-Mart will always have a private fleet. And while they do outsource a certain % of thier business, there is no way they could outsource their private fleet and keep their supply chain running the way they do. In fact, they have been INCREASING their private fleet over the past couple of years and bit by bit gettting rid of the JB's, Swift's, and Schneiders.

 

My point, precisely!!

 

Thanks for enlightening me, I'm a hypocrite because you said so. Typical ignorance from a typical union moron. For starters, you don't know the first thing about me at all and yet you feel you know enough about me to question my backbone? You are right about one thing though, I wouldn't last 10 minutes during a strike. As a matter of fact I wouldn't last 10 seconds. I'd be the first guy to cross the line. Why? Because I obviously have a little more backbone than you when it comes to what is important, providing for my family. So, let me get this straight a guy who has obviously no belief in personal responsibility to the extent that he has to rely his "army of brothers" to do his fighting and negotiating for him is going to question someone else's backbone???!!! Sorry there Mary, I really don't need your or any other teamsters' help in making myself a very marketable and valuable employee.

Not a hanger-on at all, am a Teamster though, have the receipt to prove it. Truthfully, I wish that I could go into the terminal tonight and find out that the union has been busted and I would have 42 bucks more per month to spend on the things that are important in my life, but I doubt that would happen either.

Show me some evidence that Wal-Mart would pay 20 cpm if the threat of union organization wasn't there. You have any inkling of proof to back this claim up or is this just more of the typical union BS that we've all grown accustomed to receiving from yourself and CFM??? We've already established that they certainly don't pay minimum wage in other areas where their competition does and I'm fairly certain they could get away with it there.

I need to work for Wal-Mart because I believe that they are one of the better examples of free enterprise in this country? Reminds of in the 2nd grade when I said, "Man, I love chocolate milk.". Another kid retorts, "If you love it so much why don't you marry it?". I really like steak also, should I get a job at a steakhouse? Maybe if you had actually earned something on your own in your life instead of falling into a union job and "hanging on" while expecting a steward to do your fighting for you, you wouldn't come off sounding like your typical 2nd grader???

You are also correct that I will most likely never "appreciate" a union contract. Just the same as you will most likely never actually earn an honest paycheck. Why don't you do us all a favor and hold your breath until the day comes that I NEED an agent or steward to save my rear end???

Nanciepants, if you need little time to consult with mommy..er I mean your "steward" before you post again, we'll all understand. I'm sure you'll come back with more useless garbage with nothing to back it up, but your teamsters window decal. As my 8 year old (whom you should definitely be able to relate to) would say, "Brang it on, fatboy!".

 

I've worked for Wal-Mart for nearly 4 years as an hourly associate. The two stores here in LC have among the higher starting wages in the area. The manufacturing jobs here start at minimum wage with no benefits, if you are lucky.

I will never join a union, I went down that road when I worked for Electrolux/Frigidaire (UAW #442) in Webster City, IA and all I got for my union dues was a lot of hot air and bullshit when I had a grievance against my supervisor and no help when I got hurt. At least at Wal-Mart if I wanted to I could go into management right now, whereas at Electrolux, I'd be stuck as a low level peon fighting for the scraps left over by the senior members for the next 20 years.

The last straw was when I bid to get out of the 2nd assembly line where I hurt my back into a pretty nice position on 2nd shift metal press room only to have my job taken away from me because a more senior employee was transferred when they phased out most of the 3rd shift metal press room (thanks to the sloppy new union contract) and I was sent to a worse job in the paint area where the heat index for the entire shift was 110-120F.

 

I believe the reason they haven't gone all outsource is the SLA's they require. I believe they have tried to outsource previously and were not as successful as they had hoped. I think if they found the right partner that could meet their requirements consistently I believe they would.

I just don't see the threat of organized labor as the reason the keep Walmart on the up and up with the drivers. Just my opinion, but I think it has a lot to do with the public presence of the Walmart trucks on the road, the public liability of having bad drivers on the road, and the reliability factor of their driving fleet. Does Walmart want the 100% turnover rates that the transportation sector experiences? No Do they have issues with their drivers that many of the driver mill companies have? No This all plays a part in the success of their business and the reliability of their feet operations. But the threat of organized labor? Doubtful.


Longsnowsm

 

Unions are just as corrupt as the companies they're "organizing" they have their own agendas and cliques. I worked a union job for 7 years so I know the score. Stewards are worthless when they are golf buddies with the mgr. that's writing you up. But feederfred wont talk about that. I live in a "right to work state" which means

A: I don't have to join a puke union if I don't want
B: If there's a strike I can tell the union to stick it up their ass and walk right past that picket line.

The teamsters is the most corrupt union out there. They have a history of corruption. Alleged ties to the mob. Violence against so-called "scabs" who just want to support their family.

It's just a matter of time before they go bust and all you lil buster brown drivers will have to actually work for a living like the rest of us.

 

That's the whole point. Did you read anything that I wrote? Hello...they CAN'T find that partner because it doesn't exist!! Wal-Mart is too big and their requirements are too precise to outsource too much of their freight. They need an in-house fleet and they always will.

According to your logic, then why outsource at all to the Swifts, Schneider's, US Xpress, JB's, etc and have these common carriers pull "Wal-Mart"-branded trailers all over the highways?

You are clueless. It's no secret that Wal-Mart fears unions and the Teamsters have historically had their greatest sucess in organizing trucking companies.

 

Huh? You dislike the Teamsters and unions in generally and yet you pay union dues at a Teamster-represented employer? What a moron! If you had any hint of a backbone, you would quit that job out of moral principal. But you come here bitching about $42.00/month like its big money and you won't quit.

Hey, it's a free country. If you don't like it then man up and do like Fred said and quit and go find a non-union position. There's certainly plenty of those around. Go back to OTR living out of a shoebox and pissing in parking lots for .37 cpm.

Not worth arguing with these guys, Fred. They've got their minds made up. Who cares anyway - less competition for better-paying jobs. Let them sit at the dock of the bay for no money and brag about it. Enjoy your retirement and your Teamster pension! :lol:

 

I would also agree. It would actually be cheaper for walmart to have its own ENTIRE fleet instead of outsourcing, but because walmart is expanding at such a huge rate, the high turnover rate and shortage of truckers in the trucking industry, it wouldn't be possible in the near future.

Also agree.

There were some produce workers in a SuperCenter down in Texas that wanted to organize into a union. Since it is illegal (Federal Law) to fire workers who want to organize, guess what walmart did? The next best thing... They decided not to serve produce in that store anymore. Problem solved.

When I worked at walmart and wanted to have the break room to myself, all I had to do was say the word "union" and it would clear out in a hurry....

Walmart has an "Open Door" policy. That means management are required to listen to you, but that means they don't have to do anything about it. It is a lot easier to ignore 1 person then 1000.

Each store has its own pay scale. One reason is because each state has its own minimum wage. Most states have a higher rate then the federal minimum. Some stated even have a $8/hr or more minimum wage!

Another big facter, told to me by the store manager himself, was that the higher the turnover rate and the harder it is to hire associates in the area, the higer the pay. If the turnover rate was average and a high unemployment rate, the wage was lower. The store I worked at was the only store in the whole district that payed $2.00/hr prenium for working overnight. Everybody else had a $1.00/hr prenium. This was because they couldnt get anyone to work overnight...

If drivers really do make 70k+ at walmart, I wouldnt mind going back to wallyworld as a truck driver.