Jeremiah Mitchell
September 19, 2013
A labor crisis hits Washington, D.C. Who would have thought there would be
such crisis in the district that’s home to our country’s president. One of the most popular
household company names in the world has bumped heads with Washington D.C.’s
government concerning a crisis with labor. There is always more than one side to each
story, and there are many situations that can arise as a result of each decision. In the
case study of Wal-Mart vs. Washington, D.C., many aspects are analyzed through
labor, government, and business.
In the case study of Wal-Mart vs. Washington, D.C., many aspects are analyzed through labor. Wal-Mart has been asked to raise their minimum wage to $12.50 to satisfy the government of Washington, D.C, just as Wal-Mart has begun to build stores in the District of Columbia. This wage is above average to what Wal-Mart has set for its employees in other parts of the United States and the world, and Wal-Mart is not willing to comply. Yet, if they were to comply, employees will not have much to complain about. They will earn $4.25 more an hour than the district’s minimum wage standard, while most employees in Wal-Marts across the globe will earn its minimum wages required by their governments. Future employees in poorer areas would be able to support their families, which could leave at least one person out of poverty. Employees will be able to live with more comfort at higher wages like those in the urban areas that hold more professional jobs. Ultimately, employees may be looking at living a life compatible to what a standard life would mean being in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C has one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, and a Wal-Mart can mean bringing various job opportunities to the city. Unfortunately, if Wal-Mart decides to stop construction, hundreds of possible jobs will vanish. Also, if their minimum wages increased to the government’s satisfaction, a hundred workers...