Ron
I like most unions.
I derive a signifigant portion of my income through their members' utilization of deserved and hard-won benefits, but, you gotta get your facts straight if you're going to make a convincing argument.

Here in my corner of rural America, Walli-World pays over $12 for full timers and almost $10 for part-timers. Can you live on $10? Man, I know I'd sure hate to try, but most of the Wal Mart part-timers I know aren't trying. They are high school and college kids,retirees, or wives picking up hours while the kids are in school. They're not trying to live on $10/hr nor just 28 hrs/wk. They are merely supplementing the primary wage earner's income, pension, or stashing cash for college. Don't want to support a family on $12/hr @40hr/wk. either? Then it is incumbent upon you to get an education or acquire job skills that will separate you from those employed in unskilled labor positions. Stocking shelves or scanning at the checkout never was and never will be a lucritive position for its practitioners.

I too, heard the oft-repeated stories of Wal Mart coming to town and driving the competition out of business. But, in the 4 or 5 years they've been out on the fringe of our town (pop. under 10,000) the only downtown businesses to close down were a pet shop, a lunchenette and a tattoo parlor. If anything, the noon time chamber of commerce gossip would indicate an increase in volume at some retailers due to shoppers thinking that as long as they've come far from home to get to WM, they might as well pick up a few other things on the same trip to town at other local stores.

Do I shop there? Not if I can help it. Nor do many of my peers, but you wanna know why? It's because many of us regard Wal Mart as "outsiders". Most of the families in rural America plant roots. Deep roots. And then they remain close to those roots. Not for years. For generations. Profit taking interlopers like Wal Mart are regarded by many "locals" as the 21st Century version of carpet baggers, and much like their 19th century counterparts they seem unavoidable and often unstoppable.

I'm glad there are folks who try to keep this "Day of the Locust" from being at hand, but you gotta do more than create and then defeat "straw man" arguments like you fed poor Sally.

Regards