Jacki, WalMart, and Reuters. LOL!
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 12:00 pm
DAVENPORT, Iowa (Reuters) - There was no mention of illegal immigrant workers or sex discrimination claims as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) opened a massive new supercenter here, one of 39 stores it opened nationwide in a single day.
Store manager Jeff Teague handed out giant-sized checks to area charities. A local pastor said a prayer. A Wal-Mart employee sang the national anthem, and a high school band belted out "Hang On Sloopy" at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday that drew hundreds of shoppers.
Even as Wal-Mart faces intense scrutiny over its labor practices -- highlighted by a government raid on its headquarters and 61 stores last week in search of illegal workers -- the world's biggest company is going about the business of getting even bigger.
The 207,000 square foot Davenport supercenter -- the size of about four football fields -- offers a full line of groceries alongside Wal-Mart's usual array of general merchandise ranging from diapers to tropical fish. This is the second Wal-Mart in town.
Of the 39 stores that Wal-Mart opened on Wednesday -- the biggest one-day total in at least two years -- 29 were supercenters. The rest were smaller discount stores, including three in California, where Wal-Mart faces a sex discrimination lawsuit that could become the biggest such case ever.
Wal-Mart is defending dozens of lawsuits alleging discrimination, wage-and-hour violations and other labor issues. The retailer denies that it mistreats its workers.
The lawsuits do not seem to have deterred job-seekers in a soft labor market. Teague, manager of the Davenport store, said he received more than 5,000 applications for about 460 jobs. At the Valley Stream, New York, store, 15,000 people applied for 300 jobs, manager Bobby Balder said.
Store manager Jeff Teague handed out giant-sized checks to area charities. A local pastor said a prayer. A Wal-Mart employee sang the national anthem, and a high school band belted out "Hang On Sloopy" at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday that drew hundreds of shoppers.
Even as Wal-Mart faces intense scrutiny over its labor practices -- highlighted by a government raid on its headquarters and 61 stores last week in search of illegal workers -- the world's biggest company is going about the business of getting even bigger.
The 207,000 square foot Davenport supercenter -- the size of about four football fields -- offers a full line of groceries alongside Wal-Mart's usual array of general merchandise ranging from diapers to tropical fish. This is the second Wal-Mart in town.
Of the 39 stores that Wal-Mart opened on Wednesday -- the biggest one-day total in at least two years -- 29 were supercenters. The rest were smaller discount stores, including three in California, where Wal-Mart faces a sex discrimination lawsuit that could become the biggest such case ever.
Wal-Mart is defending dozens of lawsuits alleging discrimination, wage-and-hour violations and other labor issues. The retailer denies that it mistreats its workers.
The lawsuits do not seem to have deterred job-seekers in a soft labor market. Teague, manager of the Davenport store, said he received more than 5,000 applications for about 460 jobs. At the Valley Stream, New York, store, 15,000 people applied for 300 jobs, manager Bobby Balder said.
Anywho, part of it is that we say "It's my WalMart!" So now it's just a habit, truth be told, I've seen more of the inside of that darn store than I have my own house lately!! Just finished our two week schedule with 105 hours!! Most I have ever worked in a two week period! Can't wait for the paycheck!