Unpaid Teens Bag Groceries for Wal-Mart
August 2nd, 2007Always low prices.
Via: MSNBC:
Wal-Mart is Mexico’s largest private-sector employer in the nation today, with nearly 150,000 local residents on its payroll. An additional 19,000 youngsters between the ages of 14 and 16 work after school in hundreds of Wal-Mart stores, mostly as grocery baggers, throughout Mexico—and none of them receives a red cent in wages or fringe benefits. The company doesn’t try to conceal this practice: its 62 Superama supermarkets display blue signs with white letters that tell shoppers: OUR VOLUNTEER PACKERS COLLECT NO SALARY, ONLY THE GRATUITY THAT YOU GIVE THEM. SUPERAMA THANKS YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. The use of unsalaried youths is legal in Mexico because the kids are said to be “volunteering†their services to Wal-Mart and are therefore not subject to the requirements and regulations that would otherwise apply under the country’s labor laws.
Hey, it’s just like an internship!
Sorry, I don’t see anything bad in this. I did the same thing as a kid and the money was better than you might imagine. It was tax free, too. Oh, wait…Wal-Mart’s allowing it so it’s evil. How may other businesses in Mexico are affording these kids the same opportunity to make a wage? Lots.
They have been doing that for decades at military commissaries (grocery stores) all over the world, but it is not underage kids. Military members, their older kids and spouses bag groceries to supplement their income and they work for tips only. So the few dollars possibly saved by shopping there just goes to the baggers, and guilt trips bring up the tip per bag ratio.
In many grocery stores of eastern Canada, it have been this way for decades and the kids make up to about 16$/hours. I did it myself being young and it was an utopian job for a high school student.
This was pretty standard practice in the US (at least in many areas) until the early 60s.
Wendy, I too remember, as a kid going to the commissaries, and watching the baggers do their thing. Man! Could those guys move! And you’re right about the tips etc. But wouldn’t you rather have someone “motivated” to do a good job rather than feel that “Well,this is all there is”? When I moved out to Texas and started shopping at the regular stores I found out that nobody made tips and it was discouraged. Likewise the attitudes were not as cheerful as I remember back in the day in Cali. Just goes to show that money is a motivator.
This says more about Mexico than Wal-Mart.
What happened to an “honest days work for an honest days pay”?
If they are learning a valuable skill, cool.
Is bagging groceries a valuable skill?
Having grown up in a tipping culture, and now living in a no tipping culture, I much preferred the greater cheer and efficiency in the former. Viva la Mexico!
I’m pretty sure that the local grocery store when I lived in upper Manhattan (a primarily Dominican neighborhood) did the same thing. There were workers at the end of the checkouts that bagged your groceries with a tip cup. My wife, friends and I always speculated that they did it just for tips. They’d also bring the groceries back to your apartment if you had too much to carry for what ever you’d give them for delivery. I have read this story multiple places on the internet, and can’t help but think of those workers in NYC. Even if every 5th or 10th customer gave them change, I’d imagine that they’d make more than the minimum wage per hour at the time $5.15/hour, and even more for deliveries
This is also similar to the people at Mexican airports who offer to carry your bags, and take you to a cab (who probably provides them with kickbacks). I am sure that they are not paid by the airport, just filling an entrepreneurial niche, and making a buck.
Perhaps I’m the last person in the U.S. of Amerikkka who still bags his own groceries, and doesn’t expect it automatically.
Kevin, is the average Kiwi half as lazy as the average US citizen?
“What happened to an “honest days work for an honest days payâ€? If they are learning a valuable skill, cool. Is bagging groceries a valuable skill?” – Jim Burke
So long as the Government isn’t sticking its nose into every affair then yes it could be an honest days pay otherwise its just another mandated social engineering project. One that under performs and is over priced. Like we haven’t seen enough of that already.
As far as the “skill” thing goes I can’t recall too many life long baggers out there. And if you were making good money why would it matter? Is there some sort of requirement that someone has to march to the same school/corporate drum? Think about it. No paper work, no nosy Feds, no questions! I see nothing but positives there. If those baggers wanted to “climb the ladder” they could always move from their ground floor opportunity up to the corporate snake nest.
Good point, Dr. Fix.
I have done the corporate thing, I know what you are saying. I just worry that they might be left “holding the bag” when times change. I prefer to see kids learning an actual trade, if possible. Colleges train flunkies. A good carpenter, plumber, or electrician has practical knowledge that they can carry anywhere.
I hear ya Jim! You’re absolutely right about the trades. My wife has asked me on more than one occasion why I don’t learn to be a plumber. To be honest I think she has a point!