California Supermarket Strike and Lockout: Something Wicked This Way Comes

As usual, the supermarkets are acting like jerks, to put it mildly. But the real culprit may be here [See Above]: Wal-Mart.

Many factors explain Wal-Mart's ability to charge low prices, including economies of scale, the pressures it puts on suppliers and its embrace of imports — it imported $12 billion in goods from China last year, one-tenth of American imports from China.

Another big factor is Wal-Mart's relatively low wages. Its sales clerks average about $8.50 an hour, or about $14,000 a year, while the poverty line for a family of three is $15,060. In California, the unionized stockers and clerks average $17.90 an hour after two years on the job. Mr. Flickinger said wages and benefits for Wal-Mart's full-time workers average $10 to $14 per hour less than for unionized supermarket workers.

And check out Calpundit (a fellow blogger's) take, along with comments.

By the way, has anyone ever noticed how much Wal-Mart sounds almost like "he who shall not be named," Valdemort?

Where's Harry Potter when we need him?