I live near an upper middle class small town in Alberta. The local Walmart has been suffering a lot in the last few years. Apparently, in our buoyant economy, no one wants to work for them. They would rather walk down the road and get a job on an oil rig, or even in other service industries that pay better.
So poor Walmart begged the City Council to build low cost housing for their employees. Because they cannot afford to live in this town on the wages that Walmart offers. Poor Walmart can't get enough employees because the Alberta economy is booming. So the City Council turned them down flat and told them to raise their wages, which is $9.95 Canadian.
They were so mad that the tax payers would not fund their poor employees. So much for capitalism or "giving back to the community."
Then we have the other offenders like Tim Hortons, which brings in short term workers from the Philippines, and puts them in housing, but then charges them more than they actually make. Shades of the 1930's and "I sold my soul to the company store."
And all happening in my neighborhood, where jobs go begging for bodies to work them. Capitalism gone a bit awry, do you think?
So poor Walmart begged the City Council to build low cost housing for their employees. Because they cannot afford to live in this town on the wages that Walmart offers. Poor Walmart can't get enough employees because the Alberta economy is booming. So the City Council turned them down flat and told them to raise their wages, which is $9.95 Canadian.
They were so mad that the tax payers would not fund their poor employees. So much for capitalism or "giving back to the community."
Then we have the other offenders like Tim Hortons, which brings in short term workers from the Philippines, and puts them in housing, but then charges them more than they actually make. Shades of the 1930's and "I sold my soul to the company store."
And all happening in my neighborhood, where jobs go begging for bodies to work them. Capitalism gone a bit awry, do you think?