Volunteering at Walmart
Sorry, I meant to throw this up a while ago.
In Mexico, Walmart allows kids to volunteer as baggers. The kids earn tips from customers, are provided with insurance, and get bonuses for good grades in school.
Of course, people complain:
Although Wal-Mart’s worldwide code of ethics expressly forbids any “associate” from working without compensation, the company’s Mexican subsidiary asserts that the grocery baggers “cannot be considered workers.” The Mexico City government’s top labor official dismisses that contention as so much corporate hogwash. “To my mind, that is not an accurate description because the bagger is providing a service on the store’s premises that benefits the company by serving the customer better,” argues Federal District Labor Secretary Benito Mirón Lince. “In economic terms, Wal-Mart does have the capability to pay the minimum wage [of less than $5 a day], and this represents an injustice.”
on September 16th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Richard Ebeling used to have a similar job when he was in junior high. He would carry little old ladies’ groceries to their cars and was only paid in tips. He uses it as an example of a great starter job for young teens that’s been driven out of the market by minimum wage laws. And he didn’t even get insurance.