Wal-Mart, McDonald’s = Freeloading Corporatists
As I was reading about my home state’s plan to charge companies that don’t provide health insurance coverage for their employees, I couldn’t help but notice that Wal-Mart and McDonald’s are 2 of the only 4 companies in Massachusetts that have more than 1,000 employees receiving public health benefits.
According to a 2003 AFL-CIO study, while an average of 66% of employees are covered by their company’s health plan, an atrocious 46% of Wal-Mart employees are covered by its health insurance plan.
And even if you are lucky enough to be part of the 46% minority of Wal-Mart workers who are covered, you’re going to pay an exorbitant about for your coverage: while the average large company employee pays roughly 16% to 25% of their own health insurance premium, at Wal-Mart you will pay an outrageous 42%!
In Massachusetts, this translates to:
An average large company employee will pay roughly between $55 and $86 per month (or, $660 to $1,032 per year) for an individual plan. It’s between $119 and $186 per month (or, $1,425 to $2,232 per year) for a plan insuring a family of 4.
A Wal-Mart worker will pay about $145 per month (or, $1,720 per year) for an individual plan—if you are even covered at all! It’s roughly $313 per month (or, $3,756 per year) for a plan insuring a family of 4.
Who pays for all of these uninsured workers? You bet we do!
You think Wal-Mart has great prices? Just remember, if you shop at Wal-Mart, you’re paying A LOT more for that tool set or pair of shoes than you think. The costs are just cleverly hidden in your own health insurance premium and your tax dollars, so you don’t realize you’re paying it. You pay these increased costs simply because Wal-Mart and McDonald’s are unwilling to play by the rules and pick up their share of the tab for their employees’ health insurance coverage.
What can we do to stop them from taking money from us through our taxes and insurance premiums? DON’T BUY FROM THEM ANYMORE! It’s that simple. Vote with your wallet--make them change by not giving them your hard-earned money!
These companies are bullies that are more than happy to have us, the taxpayers, subsidize their operating costs. Anti-worker Wal-Mart flexes its economic muscle wherever it sets up shop to force its competitors to pay their employees lower wages and benefits in order to compete with Wal-Mart's race to the bottom. With Wal-Mart's growing influence and dominance in the market, this means more and more employees will be paid less, provided less benefits and we, the taxpayers, are left with more and more of the bill.
Bully-Mart: ALWAYS LOW PAY AND BENEFITS. Always.
McBully’s: I’m Hatin’ It.
Smart companies have begun to realize that they will see higher productivity from their employees if they are respected and treated well. For it is only when workers feel the company they work for is looking out for their needs that they will be loyal and willing to go above and beyond to contribute back to the company.
