Wal Mart loses minimum wage case- jury awards truck drivers 54 million

Yep absolutely, if you find it to be not stressful at all then you've got it made. I have found the stress/long hours to be the worst part for me.

Retailers are already reducing their workforce therefore increasing revenue and productivity per employee. For example, most grocery stores I walk into now have about half self-checkout stations, half regular cashiers. Banks are starting to get into the same thing, I have seen where Chase is beginning to use self-service kiosks in a couple of places now. Unless you live in NJ or Oregon, an employee doesn't pump your gas anymore. I went to a McDonald's in Canada where there was a self-ordering kiosk. The people working in the toll booths are slowly being replaced by an electronic sign. Pilot and Flying Hook have self-service kiosks to get your shower or fuel receipt, so now they only have to pay one person working the fuel desk to handle about 150 people in line lol.

I know the usual reaction is "well minimum wage..", but, these things are happening whether minimum wage goes up or not. I get it though, nothing will change, corporations will make as much profit as possible, WM would pay their drivers $5 per hour if they could. Starter companies will continue to pay HHG miles for as long as they are allowed, and people keep driving for them.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone

 

This is not true at all. It is funny that you mention the statement "Captain of the ship," as it is used all the time at the DC's. WM hires very highly qualified drivers with excellent safety records. They treat the drivers with the respect they deserve. If a driver feels the conditions are unsafe, they can find a safe place to wait out the weather, and the company will be very happy with them. See, paying them to sit in their truck is much less expensive than paying for a life, or a new truck, or the liability of what else may happen. Believe me, they know, as they have worked all of the numbers. This is why Walmart Transportation is so efficient, and can pay their drivers so well, while still costing the company less than outside carriers that pay their drivers scraps. Drivers generally sleep at night like anyone else, and get paid to do so.

Frankly, the lawsuit is beyond silly and petty. Walmart drivers are paid by the mile, and by the activity. Every activity they do has a dollar amount attached to it.................. including sleeping in your truck, which is paid at $42 per layover. Walmart drivers make $75K-120K a year (my husband averages just around $90K). That is running 100% legal, with non forced dispatch, 2+ days off every week, and more paid days off than you can imagine. They get regular raises. Every activity is spelled out and all drivers are aware of it. To ##### about not being paid for fueling your truck, when most of the time the shop guys actually do the fueling while the driver sits in his truck, is assinine (my husband fuels his own truck, but it is not real common). Complaining that layover pay is not minimum wage is assinine. You are off duty at that time. Last I knew, minimum wage laws did not apply to when you are not working. You are not forced to be in your truck. If you choose to stay in a motel, that is your choice, you just won't get layover pay for it.

We all pay for petty and ridiculous lawsuits like this. Using the term "Walmart can afford it," is ridiculous. There are margins involved here, and lets be honest.................... grocery is almost no margin at all. It is all volume. WM also has a fiduciary duty to their stockholders (many, many of them work for Walmart) to make a profit. Hopefully this will be overturned on appeal. However, if not, I would imagine that the pay structure may change some in CA. Walmart will lawsuit proof themselves there. In the end, short of the short term "bonus," they will gain nothing.

 

Well said and well written... you are so right, in the end, WM will adjust and no one will benefit other than the lawyers. We, as a society, pay for these types of silly petty lawsuits and just looks bad for those drivers making $75k+ to be whining about minimum wage issues.

Again, well said!!!