Paul,
Fortune Magazine's online edition dated 7/7/03 provided a table of wages earned by Wal-Mart employees according to both category and gender. Associates (ie, the average Wal Mart employee) earned in the neighborhood of $13,800/yr if they were female, about 15% more if they were male. Unfortunately, I am relying on my memory since the online version seems to be no longer available online, but I assume the print version would have the same info. Since the library is closed, I will stick with my memory, and ask for apologies in advance for any inaccuracy in the wage quote. Much earlier in the Wal Mart discussion, I am pretty sure I posted a link to the online article.
I don't know why your employees say they prefer the cash instead of the insurance. $100 of insurance coverage is an untaxed benefit, while $100 of medical expenses is generally directly out of the patient's pocketbook, unless they meet some pretty high medical costs. Yet, on a minimum wage job, a simple case of strep throat, with office visit, throat culture, and antibiotics, can easily run over $100---quite a lot if you are taking home only about $200/week.
When employers provide health insurance, they are providing a benefit to the worker (and family if applicable), to themselves, and to the community. The workers have better access to routine medical care, helping to ensure that they are healthier and more productive, and more stable, benefits to the employer as well as the employee. Employees with affordable and adequate access to healthcare do not need to rely on public funding to provide their health care needs, a savings to all of us. I am not certain why employers would not see a benefit to themselves for providing health care coverage to employees. Not only does insurance help build loyalty from employees, it ultimately saves money and productivity, unless the employer is so small that group insurance is unaffordable to the employer. This is not the case with Wal-Mart. The other possibility is that the employer considers employees to be disposable, or else knows that employees have no other employment choices. Perhaps there are other reasons. I am not an employer, so I can't speak from my own experience.
I can speak from experience about what it was like to work without health insurance--and to pay for significant medical costs(over 1/3 of our joint and very small earnings) out of our own pocket. I also know what it was like for my son to have to pay a large (for his wages) deductable when he had minor surgery. $500 is a lot to come up with if you are making only a little over minimum wage. I remember when my mother had a long hospitalization and incurred enormous medical bills several times my father's salary, what it was like to pay the 20% left after insurance paid. Thank heavens for insurance then! Health insurance coverage was a significant factor for my husband when he accepted his job here in Winona, and a much appreciated benefit to my son who has better employment (no longer in Winona).
I remember very well what it was like to be forced to work off the clock; to have no insurance; to be told that I didn't need a raise or more hours because I was a woman; I remember very well harrassment I won't detail here. Employees who complained were fired. Why didn't I change jobs? There were no other jobs to be found in that small college town. I am guessing that for Wal Mart associates who must depend upon their jobs to put food on their tables and roofs over their families' heads and not merely as a second, supplementary income, that they work at Wal Mart because they have few other options.
I know pretty well what the employment picture is like now in Winona. I don't see Wal Mart as improving the situation, but rather, as making it worse. When I voted to levy an additional sales tax to pay for the lake dredging and riverbend project, I believed that it was to attract higher paying jobs to Winona, something badly needed. Guess I was wrong.........
Terri Hyle
From: "Paul Double" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: FW: [Winona] Wal-Mart Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 20:52:09 -0500
[Winona Online Democracy]
Terri,
Since when did it become the responsibility of employers to provide affordable "insurance" and what knowledgeable information can you provide that would indicate that Wal-Mart would offer jobs for less money than the other retail stores in Winona and be able to hire people. I have found that most people, given the choice, would rather have the money we would pay out for insurance in their paycheck as they know they can get more bang for their buck. They know insurance companies are not in business to pay out more in claims than they receive in premiums.
It seems to me you are wanting them do just the opposite, raise wages, thus driving up the labor cost for existing local retail businesses as Wal-Mart sets the example. With Wal-Mart setting hirer wages it would force the smaller retail businesses out of business because they can not afford to retain employees, meet a higher payroll cost and provide "affordable insurance", whatever that means.
Paul Double
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of terri hyle Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 3:50 PM
"Wal-Mart will foist its responsibility towards its employees onto the city, county and state by not providing affordable insurance coverage and by paying such low wages that its employees will be forced to turn to community foodshelves and other publicly funded services."
_______________________________________________
This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or suggestions can be directed to
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at
http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
_________________________________________________________________
Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
_______________________________________________
This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at
http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
