Step Up America and Step Up, WalMart
Wal-Mart kicks off Christmas way early, helping to kill Black Friday
Wal-Mart is worried about lousy holiday shopping, so the retail giant is pulling out its Christmas deals one whole month early — hoping, perhaps …
Hey America, let’s HELP WalMart “kill” Black Friday, starting right now, by putting WalMart where it has put too many of its own workers for too long: in the RED!
In the past, we patrons of WalMart knew its low prices meant most WalMart employees serving us were paid poverty-level wages.
Now we demand WalMart start paying living wages right now to ALL its employees together with full health and retirement benefits and at least 2 weeks paid vacation, maternity leave and expanded employee assistance programs.
We also demand WalMart billionaires and investors finally end their corporate policies that deliberately burden strapped taxpayers with direct government payments to subsidize WalMart’s LABOR and other COSTS in the form of food stamps/SNAP, energy assistance, Medicaid, housing subsidies, property tax incentives and, healthcare.
To drive home our concern about the above, we the (former) patrons of WalMart pledge NOT to patronize WalMart stores, starting November 8th, 2013, and especially on “Black Friday” – the day after Thanksgiving – and on into the holiday season – until and unless WalMart begins paying ALL its employees a living wage with full health, retirement and vacation benefits one expects in the 21st century and note that this is easily accomplished by reducing the billions you pay your highest executives and stockholders.
So, no change in what WalMart pays its employees means our money gets spent somewhere else this Christmas.
And, as you know WalMart, higher personal disposable incomes for your employee-consumers means lower sales and profits for WalMart stockholders.
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Hey WalMart Owners & Execs, members of Congress and Mr Obama:
Take the Minimum Wage Challenge:
YOU to live on $7.25 – the current federal minimum wage.
Fellow Citizens! Tell them all to Take the Minimum Wage Challenge – and Show Us How It’s Done! No food stamps or borrowing from family or friends allowed!
And sign the Petition and to get Congress et.al to Take the Minimum Wage Challenge at:
And also tell them what we want by going to:
www.Senate.gov -click down arrow on “Find your Senators” then email them on their contact page.
www.WhiteHouse.gov -click “CONTACT” and enter your challenge on the contact page
http://www.house.gov/ -enter your Zip in top right corner to get to your Congresswoman/man
| Based on: | Based on: | |
| Social Security Trust Fund Contributions: | Current $7.25/hr min wage | Living wage of $21.00/hr |
| wage/hour: | $7.25 | $21.00 |
| number of hours per week: | 20 | 40 |
| number of weeks worked: | 30 | 52 |
| = total wages X weeks worked per person | $4,350.00 | $43,680.00 |
| Est. Income-/yr: above X 100 million Americans: | $435,000,000,000.00 | $4,368,000,000,000.00 |
| (not counting 100 million working at decent wages) | ||
| -times Social Security contribution of 12.4%: | 12.40% | 12.40% |
| ‘= annual amts. for Social Security: | $53,940,000,000.00 | $541,632,000,000.00 |
| (not counting amts from other 100 million workers) | ($53.9 billions) | ($541.6 billion) |
| Tax Rates: | for Social Security: | for Medicare: |
| Employers: | 6.20% | 1.45% |
| Employees: | 6.20% | 1.45% |
| Total – percent: | 12.40% | 2.90% |
| Based on: | Based on: | |
| Medicare Contributions: | Current $7.25/hr min wage: | Living wage of $21.00/hr: |
| wage/hour: | $7.25 | $21.00 |
| number of hours per week: | 20 | 40 |
| number of weeks worked: | 30 | 52 |
| Est. Income-/yr: above X 100 million Americans: | $435,000,000,000.00 | $4,368,000,000,000.00 |
| -times 2.9% Medicare contribution: | 2.90% | 2.90% |
| = annual totals collected for Medicare: | $12,615,000,000.00 | $126,672,000,000.00 |
| ($12.6 billion) | ($126 billion) | |
Bottom Line:
Get TONs MORE REVENUE into Social Security & Medicare with a NEW American LIVING Wage!
No Need to cut Social Security or Medicare!
Pay a Living Wage and Fully FUND BOTH!
STEP UP! America
SAVE Social Security and Medicare!
A Living Wage is NEEDED NOW for ALL Americans.
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And, Did you Know?
We all can Demand our State and Town/City Governments
PASS A LIVING WAGE LAWs our friends, family and neighbors in our communities/states!
1st: Do the Math: Use MIT’s Living Wage Calculator to determine a decent living wage in your area:
2nd: Then go attend town/city council meetings to insist a Living Wage ordinance be passed in your town/state and call your Congressman, Senator and Obama to demand the 30 year old, federal minimum wage be replaced with a 21st century, realistic LIVING WAGE, PLUS EMPLOYER-PAID HEALTH INSURANCE for the WHOLE family and based on real LIVING COSTS in YOUR AREA.
3rd: Follow up! Remember to call your elected officals to demand better wages and benefits for all of us!
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JOIN StepUpAmerica.org
email any inquires to: waldo3kATyahoo.com