First of all, I find it hard to believe that Wal-Mart is paying for medical insurance for ANYONE other than their managers. Wal-Mart is just not known to do that and it is one of the things that several of the states are going after them for. They do offer med insurance but typically it is so expensive that most of their employees can't afford it. Maybe the guy was confused or maybe the state or Georgia requires employers to provide med insurance.

Second, I really don't have a beef against Wal-Mart for the wages they pay (even though they are practically at the poverty level); it is retail after all. But the fact that Wal-Mart s calling for the national minimum wage to be raised tells me that the current economic conditions in the US are starting to or will soon be having an impact on their sales. I think you would have to admit that minimum wage earners are probably shopping at Wal-Mart more than Saks Fifth Avenue.

A beef I do have with them is the force they extort upon their suppliers do to their sheer size. Basically if you are a manufacturer of most consumer goods, you have to have your product(s) on Wal-Mart's shelves or frankly, you're not going to make it. Wal-Mart knows this and because of that they can tell their suppliers what they are going to pay for your product. They also will tell you that they know that you can't afford to manufacture the product in the USA so you will have to offshore it to be able to turn a product. That is the way it is, there are no price negotiations.

Cheers!
Bill