财富美国500强国内员工的日子也不好过

    孟加拉一家制衣厂遭遇惨烈的火灾后，数名沃尔玛（Wal-Mart）股东联名致信这个零售业巨头，表达他们对该公司工人工作环境、风险监控和事务公开透明度等问题的担忧。虽然这封联名信关注的只是沃尔玛海外加工厂工人的生存状况，但它在美国国内工人的工作状况同样值得关注。

    联邦储备委员会（Federal Reserve）委员撒拉•布鲁姆•拉斯金最近表示：“美国经济陷入衰退后，不动产财富的净下降对中低收入家庭的资产负债状况影响尤其严重；而且，经济复苏后，处于收入分配链底端的居民找到工作的难度更大，工资也一直停滞不前。”确实，目前零售和餐饮服务等行业员工的收入尤为微薄。

    最近几个月以来，美国国内麦当劳（McDonald）员工罢工抗议的浪潮一直没有中断过。根据一个由社区、劳工部门和牧师组成的同盟（他们支持快餐业员工发起运动呼吁增加薪酬、建立工会而不被报复）发表的一篇新闻稿，大约有100名来自芝加哥、底特律、密尔沃基和圣路易斯的麦当劳员工和他们的支持者一起来到麦当劳股东大会现场，“向股东要求获得一份体面的薪酬”。来自美国有线电视新闻网财经频道（CNNMoney）的一篇报道称，快餐业许多员工的工资水平处于贫困线之下。

    据《国家》杂志（The Nation）发布的一篇报告，四月底，因为对不公平的工作时间安排不满，沃尔玛150家连锁店的员工与门店经理形成了对峙。上星期二，《国家》杂志报道称：“罢工的沃尔玛员工在雅虎（Yahoo）CEO玛丽莎•梅耶尔和沃尔顿家族成员格雷格•彭纳（二人都是沃尔玛董事）位于帕罗奥多的大楼外面罢工抗议。抗议者称，组织者誓言，它将成为零售业历史上首次长期罢工。”

    说到工作条件，我们不能一概而论，因为不同地方的工作条件会存在惊人的差异。显然，孟加拉只是一个工作条件极差的例子。但即使是在美国国内，劳动力供应链问题也会因地域的不同而不同。社区工会联盟华盛顿工会（Working Washington）传播专员西亚•勒夫科维茨说，在阿拉斯加航空公司（Alaska Airlines），虽然是同样的一条供应链，但西雅图机场工人却在因为享受不到与洛杉矶机场工人同等的薪酬及工作条件而进行抗议。她在一份公告里写道：“50多名机场工人联名指控公司非法侵害自己的健康和安全权益，华盛顿州劳工与产业部（The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries）已经对此展开了调查。”

    In the wake of the tragic factory fire in Bangladesh, a group of Wal-Mart investors sent a letter to the retail giant expressing concern about worker conditions, proper risk oversight, and transparency at the company. While the letter focused on conditions abroad, the company ought to focus on what's happening at home as well.

    Federal reserve governor Sarah Bloom Raskin said recently that "The net decline in housing wealth since the recession has had particularly acute effects on the balance sheets of lower- and middle-income households ... [and]households at the bottom of the income distribution have also had a harder time than others finding jobs during the recovery and their wages have continued to stagnate." Indeed, wages for workers in sectors like retail and food services are particularly low.

    McDonald's (MCD) workers have been protesting around the country in recent months. Approximately 100 workers and supporters from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis went to the McDonald's shareholder meeting to "ask shareholders for decent pay," according to a press release issued by a community, labor, and clergy coalition that is supporting fast food workers' campaign for higher pay and the right to form a union without retaliation. Many fast food workers earn wages below the poverty line, according to a report by CNNMoney.

    At the end of April, workers at 150 Walmart (WMT) stores confronted managers about unfair scheduling practices, according to a report by The Nation. And on Tuesday The Nation reported that, "striking Walmart employees ... held protests outside the Palo Alto mansions of two members of Walmart's Board of Directors: Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer and Greg Penner, a Walton family member" and have launched "what organizers promise will be the first 'prolonged strikes' in the retail giant's history."

    When it comes to working conditions, one size does not fit all. Conditions differ dramatically from location to location. Bangledesh is one example, of course. But even in the U.S., labor supply chain issues can differ from place to place. At Alaska Airlines, Seattle airport workers in its supply chain are protesting their wages and working conditions, which do not equal those of L.A. workers in its supply chain, says Thea Levkovitz, communications specialist at community organization coalition Working Washington. "The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has launched an investigation into charges of illegal violations of health and safety standards brought forward by more than 50 airport workers," she wrote in a statement.