An Authentic, Reactionary Episode On Walmart’s Anti-Union Training Video

Click here to view the video.

Joe: This music is great.

Todd: None of this looks fun, by the way. Anyone watching this would say this sucks. Why am I doing this with my life?

Joe: They're sitting on boxes in the stockroom, with a rolling cart with the TV on top.

Todd: Exactly.

That's one of the things I enjoy about this job; The way Walmart associates can really make a difference in someone's day. I also love that the people in the store are like a second family to me. We really pulled together to take care of our customers and each other. It's not just a place to get a paycheck. No matter how big the company gets, this place is special to us. It's special because of the people, and we all work here for different reasons. Some, like me, want a steady, secure job with benefits and a safe work environment.

Joe: Great benefits like going on Snap.

Some want to get promoted and go on to long-term careers at Walmart. Some just need a part-time job. We have senior citizens, and we have students working to pay for school. It's kind of amazing when you think about it. I mean, all of these different people with different goals and yet, somehow, it all works. I guess that's what our Founder Sam Walton had in mind from the start, you know, you're just beginning your career with us, and it's hard to grasp everything that's available to you, like great benefits.

Joe: So, it is worth mentioning again that when they talk about their flexible jobs and their opportunities, Walmart and McDonald's are among the top employers of beneficiaries of Federal Aid programs, like food stamps and Snap. And that's not just for the part-time workers. We keep using the part-time thing as a metric because so many of their part-timers don't have any benefits whatsoever. But 70% of the people who are getting those programs are full-time workers already. So it's full-time workers who need that extra boost.

It’s just a really friendly and fun place to work. Just see for yourself. A job at Walmart is a good job. In fact, no retail company offers more advancement and job security than Walmart. Almost 70% of our managers started out as hourly associates.

Joe: They also say no retail company offers more advanced job security than Walmart. According to an article by The Daily Herald from 2019, 70% of part-timers said they wanted to go full-time and couldn't because 90 days is a really long time to go without insulin.

Todd: 70%; that's pretty high.

Joe: In the video, they're like, almost all of our managers and our officials are promoted from within; most can't even go full-time. Imagine being a part-time pyramid builder. That's terrible. 

Plus, Walmart jobs are flexible, allowing associates to balance personal life with our work life.

Joe: One of my favorite talking points is that Walmart jobs are flexible, giving associates the opportunity to balance their work life. Meaning you're asked to stay at home when they don't need you…part-timer.

Todd: Exactly. They're going to use you when they need you. This is a problem in a lot of different businesses. The second it gets kind of slow, they start kicking everybody out so they don't have to pay a cent more in wages even though they had a phenomenally busy night. And, of course, it goes with human nature that we do want to leave work. You know, so we're happy to leave until we don't get a check.

Joe: We could dig into how many employees are put part-time or shoved aside after Black Friday or after a Walmart big doorbuster sale goes on.

Even better, Walmart associates also have the opportunity to become shareholders and owners of the company through the associate stock

Todd: Anyone can buy stock in a company…

I never thought that I could be a shareholder in a company like Walmart. But here I am, a Walmart shareholder.

Todd: They're trying to sell that ownership appeal.

It's true. I'm a proud shareholder, too and that's just the beginning of the great things you'll find in our company. Now, it doesn't matter where you work; whether in a Walmart store, Sam's Club, a distribution center, or any other division, you've made a great choice to work for Walmart, and we're glad you're here. But the reality is you're not the only one looking to get your foot in the door. You might have heard stories on the news, read about it in the paper, or seen it on the internet, but labor unions are really interested in Walmart and have spent millions of dollars specifically focused on us. I think you know by now that our company prefers to have open and direct communication with our associates. We don't think that a labor union is necessary here, and because our associates have said time after time that they don't want a union, we usually don't spend a lot of time talking about them. But as a new member of our team, we do think you need to know this. In recent years, union organizers have spent a lot of time, effort and money trying to convince Walmart associates to join a union, all without any success. Now, while they've been trying to convince associates to join their union, at the same time, they've been spending big money trying to hurt our business, and they've been telling customers not to shop in our stores and clubs.

 I don't get it. How would it make sense for associates to join any union that wants to damage our reputation and drive business away from our doors? I always thought unions were kind of like clubs or charities that were out to help workers, right? Well, I found out that wasn't exactly the case. The truth is unions are multi-million dollar businesses that make their money by convincing people like you and me to give them a part of our paychecks.

Todd: Well, that is true.

Joe: Right.

Are they really interested in the welfare of Walmart associates, or is there something more? Our associates are used to having a voice in their workplace. Our company has always supported an open-door policy, and we're used to having our voices heard for free.

Look, I was a union member at my last job. Everyone actually had to join the union in order to work there. The thing I remember most about the union is that they took dues money out of my paycheck before I ever saw it.

Todd: Ahh…scare.

Joining the union isn't something I ever want to do again. Here, you can get ahead based on your own performance. It's one of the main reasons I chose this company; I'm in control of my own career, and with the union, you put that control in someone else's hands. Someone who might be motivated by something a little more important to them than your career. Unions get almost all of their money from monthly dues, initiation fees, and assessments against members.

Joe: A very common anti-union argument. Again, I don't always believe unions are the right thing for everybody or are the right case for every type of labor. But generally speaking, people under unions make about 10% more income. Something Forbes points out is that most sources lump a lot of different jobs and skills together when they do this sort of union calculus. But not all people make that extra 10% cut. Sometimes it is tied to what type of work you're doing. But generally speaking, and I have done so many episodes recently about CEOs, how corporate stock Buybacks came into existence in America, and how the recessions and depressions have gone, if you just look across the years… stronger union representation in America generally means people make more money.

Because union membership has dropped over the years to less than 8% of private employers, unions are fighting to survive. And with the size and scale of our company, you can understand the interest in Walmart. It is a business. Where does Walmart stand on all of this? Our philosophy is simple: We are pro-associate. Here, all associates are free to talk openly with their leaders. I'm completely comfortable sharing my ideas and concerns with my leaders, and I know that they really listen to what I have to say. By using the open door process, I'm encouraged to speak for myself, I speak on my own behalf, and frankly, I don't think Walmart associates should have to have someone to speak for them. Just not that kind of place. That's why our company doesn't criticize people who belong or have belonged to labor unions. We know that many Associates belonged to unions and former jobs. At some companies, the employees have no choice and have to join a union just to keep their jobs, and we understand that. We also know that most union members shop in our stores and clubs nationwide. I talk to them all the time, and I hear them complain about their jobs and their union representatives.

Todd: Scare propaganda.

Joe: It very much is.

Today, if I have an idea or concern, I speak directly with my supervisor and I much rather deal with things that way, one-on-one.

 When the union begins to push its agenda, union organizers asked associates to sign authorization cards or petitions. Union organizers might say that giving them your name and address doesn't mean much. They might tell you that it's just a simple way for you to get more information about the union, or they might even promise you things like free health care or wage increases just to get your interest. It's not hard to imagine how far a union organizer might go to get you to sign their card. Don't be fooled. Your signature is very valuable.

She's right; your signature on an authorization card or petition is actually a legal document that can be used to bring in a union. If a union gets enough signatures, you may never even have a chance to vote. What your signature really means is that you give the union the right to act for you and make decisions for you on workplace issues, whether you agree with them or not. And once you give them your signature, you may never be able to get it back if you change your mind. Walmart can't tell you what to do. Whether you give someone your signature is always your decision to make, but you need to know how serious it is.

It's hard to think that one little signature can be so important but in today's world, your signature means a lot. To be honest, I don't like handing my signature over to anyone, much less to unions who seem to be spending so much time trying to hurt my company. My signature is too valuable for that, and so is yours. We've got a great thing going here.

Todd: Friendly and fun place to work? It isn't even a friendly and fun place to shop. I feel for the employees because I know they're abused, but they look like they're working in the state pen against their will. They look tired and rude.

It's important to remember signing a union card isn't just about you. You could also be affecting the people who have worked here for years and enjoy Walmart for the same reasons we do.

Todd: You wouldn't dare ask someone at Walmart for help, would you? I wouldn't…they’d bite my head off.

Joe: I'm more afraid of saying something sad to a Walmart employee and that pushing them over the edge.

Todd: There should be a suicide watch at every store.

We're glad that you've joined the team. Good luck with your new career, and we hope that you never have to deal with the union organization driving your facility. But if you do, we hope that this video has given you the information you need to stay in control of your valuable signature and your career. Welcome to Walmart.

Joe: Oh, man. It gets slimier every time I watch it.

Todd: It's scary, Joe. This is worse than any sexual harassment movie I've ever seen. It's so manipulative, and it's so hitting on those emotional buttons of control. It’s disturbing.

Joe: Yeah, it's all fear.