Were you one of those angry, cranky and probably injured people due to Black Friday madness in Wal-Mart stores last year? As a Wal-Mart greeter, did you almost lose a arm and a leg when the doors opened at midnight and the people flew in like bats outta hell? Well, this may make up for the crazy customers, endless lines and long hours.

The vast majority of consumers love Wal-Mart. The popular superstore chain promises that their shoppers can “save money and live better”. Yes, saving money is always a good thing and the consumer is definitely winning when it comes to finding a bargain at Wally World. But the benefits of Wal-Mart may only be a “one way street” kind of deal and that street is for consumer traffic only; not the employees.

Word on the street is that many Wal-Mart stores are guilty of mistreating workers and paying employees the bare minimum in wages. During the holiday season, Wal-Mart is a top retailer for big consumer stop for days like “Black Friday” and Christmas holiday shopping. This means more work for Wal-Mart employees with seemingly the same unsatisfying conditions. According to the Huffington Post “the federal agency that enforces labor law said Monday it has decided to pursue charges against Walmart for threatening and punishing workers who planned to go on strike last year” during Black Friday.

If you are or formerly were a Wal-Mart employee, you probably remember the strike for Black Friday better then most people because during this time last year The Huffington Post reported that “an estimated 400 Walmart workers took part in Black Friday strikes” because of this, Wal-Marts across the country allegedly sought revenge on its workers.

As reported by The Huffington Post:

According to officials at the National Labor Relations Board, the agency’s general counsel investigated and “found merit” in workers’ claims that Walmart “unlawfully threatened” employees for taking part in walkouts surrounding last year’s Black Friday shopping season. The agency said that Walmart intimidated, surveilled or punished workers in 14 different states, violating U.S. labor law.

There’s a Wal-Mart on every four corners in the Atlanta metro area, so I know this has effected some of my readers or someone they know. If further legal action is taken and Wally World workers are possibly given pay increases and better benefits, how do you think it will affect their reputation of a bargain store (the greeters will probably get the boot first)? Are retail gold-mines like Black Friday and Cyber Monday ruining the holidays for everybody?

Leave your comments below

Dr. O

Picture source: http://motleynews.net/2013/08/09/true-horror-stories-of-life-as-a-wal-mart-employee/