I felt compelled to write this letter regarding an article I read in the Tracy Press (“Fundraising dynamo let go by Walmart,” Oct. 31) regarding a young, good-hearted man who was shown the door for his charity work in Tracy. I am saddened, heartbroken and tearful about what happened to Jose Salas for his charity work for the needy in the community.
My questions are the following: Why was he fired? Why haven’t the Walmart managers from surrounding stores with the exact same fundraising practices and strategies been fired, too? What about the other managers, district managers and higher-ups who knew and bought goods themselves? (They should be fired, too.) Why are the above personnel treated with so much favoritism? Where is the equality in Walmart?
I think Mr. Salas was doing his fundraising with the utmost good intentions for the needy in the community. He obviously learned his fundraising practices through other management personnel.
I believe that Walmart empowers its associates to serve the needs of their communities through the Walmart Good Works initiative. I believe the definition of empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action and control work and decision-making in autonomous ways. I feel Mr. Salas, as a store manager, took that empowerment to help the needy in the community of Tracy.
Walmart has given donated, damaged items and money in my community of Reno, Nev., too! I have been given damaged Easter baskets, glue and other items for my classroom. Also, I have noticed that sometimes the cashiers and managers don’t scan the damaged merchandise. I am very grateful for the items, because I work at an at-risk school, which means I must buy folders, glue sticks, etc., for my classroom.
Therefore, my next question is: Why doesn’t Walmart fire the managers from Reno, too?
Get the whole story before commenting?
CN
Look. Th man may have been on th up and up an had th most honorable intentions. Don't know an honestly only he an God really know.
Regardless if he was doin good or not, if he was goin against thair policy, no matter how many other people were goin against th same policy, and he got caught, his employer has complete right ta terminate him, regardless of how you, me or th person across th street feels about it.
Now if ya own yer own stores like Wal-Mart then ya can make yer own policies an implement em ta yer heart's content.
Most retail stores have very stringent policies regardin damaged goods an charitable gifts. Fer one thairs all th tax laws that need ta be satisfied by trackin down th inventory, damaged or not, and store employees randomly "not scannin" merchandise an then givin it away can create some tax liability an result in some pretty heafty penalties.
Then thair could also be th "Good hearted sole" that takes it upon himself ta just hand a little out here and thair an not even report it at all, not sayin this was th case cus I have know way of knowing.
But if that's happenin then it's theft. Store shrinkage (employees takin store merchandise without payin fer it) is a long historical problem fer th retail world. That's why most of em, an th really large one's like Wal-Mart have these types of policies in place.
I'd like ta think th guy was on th up an up but when ya look at th bigger picture their best policy is not ta allow it ta happen an have all those things go through th corporate office, regardless if th store in th next town is doin th same thing or not.
However, I would like to say that Walmart should be allowed to run its business the best way possible. If they want to change their fundraising practices that's their business.
I do know they support "shop with a cop" and other fundraising activities, as was mentioned in the article (not the one above, but the one this responded to).
So, if Walmart continues to support the local community it is a moot point how they do it through middle management or senior management.
I'm not calling for them to fire more managers. Just that they are continuing to do community fundraising support. You can't fault Walmart for that.