Posted on Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 12:48 p.m.
Store employees are rebelling against early 'Black Friday' hours
By Paula Gardner
Ann Arbor joins the rest of the nation in watching the annual "Black Friday" shopping day creep earlier and earlier into Thanksgiving Day.
Stores opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving now include Walmart, Sears and Toys R Us, with Target closely behind at 9 p.m.
The goal for retailers is obvious: They're trying to cash in on the estimated 147 million shoppers hitting the stores next weekend - and they think the early opening will give them an edge.
But, as USA Today reports, store employees have something to say about it.
From the report:
"For the second year in a row, employees of retailers including Target, Walmart and Toys R Us have started or signed petitions on Change.org calling for Thanksgiving day off."
Comments
dreamer_fui
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.
This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I worked for the movie theater for years and it's never closed! We were open 365 days a year! So retail workers have to work one holiday night! BIG DEAL! Suck it up! It's a job requirement! If you don't agree, find another job!!
sg
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 4:53 p.m.
I'm using the list of stores to make my boycott list. Any store opening on Thanksgiving day or in the dead of night on Friday will not get my business from today through the end of the holiday season. Sad that Target is on that list! But definitely another reason to "shop small", both on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and throughout the season.
A2transplant
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.
When technology & electronics are increasingly raising and interacting with our kids, it's no wonder they'd opt to spend the holiday with them.
harry
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.
Long crazy hours are a fact of retail employment. I did it for 6 years. You just have to get used to it if you want to be employed in that industry.
tim
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
Anybody that wants to work in retail should think twice---- there are always bad hours in retail, Memorial day ,fourth of July,Labor day etc etc. You will miss family get togethers on the weekend you will miss your kids baseball games , you will miss your daughters plays. I've had relatives that have done very well in retail and as retired persons only regret not have spent more time with family.
HeimerBoodle
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.
Right, because everyone who works retail chose it as their first and most desirable career. I'm sure no one ever thought about the hours when "choosing" their job. If only those silly, benighted workers had realized and "chosen" to become CEOs or something. Whatever were they thinking?
Jim H
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 11:01 p.m.
Waah Waah. While you're cashing your paycheck think of the hospital workers, police, firefighters, etc, some of which are working on every shift, every holiday. I worked at least one shift on every holiday for ten years. If you don't want the job, give it to someone who does.
brimble
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.
Costco is among the sensible ones; it opens at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. Among the ways it treats employees well....
harry
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:14 p.m.
They also pay well compared to other retail stores.
clownfish
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 3:57 p.m.
The real War on Family Values and Christmas, The Market doing all they can to pull people away from giving Thanks and make Mammon The One True God. But, I am sure union wages are to blame.
clownfish
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.
Or it could be the "ridiculous increases in dividend and capital gains taxes " 1985- capital gains tax rate- 15.4% 1996- 25.5% 2007- 14.8% Since 2008, long-term capital gains taxes have been eliminated for some low- and moderate-income individuals. Through 2012 the top bracket is 15%, 10% lower than it was when the economy was doing pretty good and about where Ronald Reagan had it. Yep, no doubt, it is the INCREASING cap gains taxes.
clownfish
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.
Yep, you have it nailed SKy, it is Obamacare that is the cause of people being pulled from their families on Thanksgiving. Yep, no doubt about it. The causation is clearly linked using scientific methods, or fear mongering propaganda.
Skyjockey43
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 4:17 p.m.
Throw in Federal over regulation, Obamacare full implementation in 2014, ridiculous increases in dividend and capital gains taxes that dissuade investment in theses corporations, and an unfathomable disdain by the community for corporations that employ more people to provide goods and services at cheaper prices while pumping more money into that very same community.
EyeHeartA2
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 12:48 p.m.
"For the second year in a row, employees of retailers including Target, Walmart and Toys R Us have started or signed petitions on Change.org calling for Thanksgiving day off." Slackivism at it's finest. Sign an on line petition. Now THAT's going to change the world. It didn't work last year, why should it work this year?
EyeHeartA2
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.
Sorry you couldn't comprehend. I'll go slow. I didn't write one word about how hard these employees work or don't work. I also didn't say anything about how hard I work or didn't work (or did I, maybe you can point that out to me? - nope, didn't think so.) My comment was about the effectiveness of an online petition. Sorry that was so hard for you.
dairy6
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 3:35 p.m.
Yes, eyehart, you know exactly how hard each and every one of these employees works each week. I also have no doubt that you believe you work far harder than than anyone else.
brian
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 4:29 a.m.
How about we just forget presents and just remember the true meaning of Christmas. Go to church, go home and have a nice family dinner.
jns131
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:29 a.m.
Our go for a nice long walk on Xmas Eve, look at the sky and remember what the true meaning is all about. Family and old times. Especially for those who have no family to share it with.
bodrell
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 1:37 a.m.
Last year's Thanksgiving at a good friend's house was SO off-putting. Two guests left right after gulping down food to get to work for "black Friday's" sales and several more zoomed off to go shopping right after eating. She works for days to put together a beautiful meal and cozy, relaxing-with-friends-and-family holiday...it's incredibly rude to show up, eat, then leave just to save $20.00 on a DVD player or whatever. My friend is calling off her long-standing annual family & friend's get-together dinner on Thanksgiving this year because of this crass behaviour. We'll have a smaller celebration over the weekend, for those of us who don't put saving a few bucks on made-in-China electronics at a big-box store over actually giving thanks for what really matters.
mady
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.
bodrell, I salute your friend's decision to call this off. Good for her!!!
Urban Sombrero
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 12:49 a.m.
I feel for the employees of those stores, but really, there's a demand for it. Until unabashed greed and consumerism in America are annihilated, this will continue to go on. And, probably get worse, and begin earlier, every year. I hate shopping, myself. I'd rather pay twice the retail price than to go out on Black (Thursday?) Friday and brave crowds, cold and long lines. That doesn't stop my mother and two oldest kids, though. They're insane. They love it. I just shake my head and go to bed early while they're out shopping.
Arborcomment
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 12:27 a.m.
Your choice: join the crazed masses itching to get out of the family gatherings to save a few bucks or enjoy the family time and get a regular night's sleep. But what is a fact, is that brick and mortar retailers are losing market share each year to online buying. Employees of traditional retailers can moan about working these admitted terrible hours or understand that it's a last defense prior to unemployment.
grimmk
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 11:59 p.m.
As they should! This is getting really ridiculous. I know stores want to make a profit, but is nothing sacred in America anymore? Black Friday is a really stupid idea but that's what it should be, if at all, FRIDAY. I think we should just do away with the whole idea. It seems to give credence to customers to be mean, petty and every year someone gets hurt. And the poor employees have to suffer through it as well. Let the CEOs run Black Friday. See how they like it.
Brad
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 10:17 p.m.
Well you know that some people just can't wait very long between professing their profound thanks for all that they are blessed with and trampling someone to get a $49 DVD player at Walmart.
Skyjockey43
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 8:29 p.m.
Ask the employees at Hostess how they feel about their recent demands. Look people this is very simple. Times are hard and businesses are losing money whole millions are still unemployed. If you don't want the business that supplies your paycheck to recoup at least some of their losses over the past year, then by all means quit your horrible slaving tortuous job and let all the poor, disadvantaged, desperate for work residents of Camp Take Notice have at it. Oh and by the way, while you're all whining about how horrible it is to have to work on a holiday, you might want to think about all the men and women in Afghanistan who also won't be with their families on Thanksgiving. Or later that night Or over the weekend And doing it for a whole lot less money While people are trying to kill them
Woman in Ypsilanti
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 7:09 p.m.
I wonder how many retail managers share your views. Probably enough that the only solution here is for customers to refuse to shop on holidays. That is what I am going to do and I am not only not shopping on Thanksgiving weekend but I wont be shopping at any retailer who is open on Thanksgiving day.
jns131
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:27 a.m.
Actually the people who make the ding dongs who are now unemployed? Will get 99 weeks of unemployment. Not bad.
Arborcomment
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 4:23 a.m.
Thumbs up for logic Sky. Rarely works in OZ.
WalkingJoe
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 11:25 p.m.
Ok, you win because you are right and everyone else is wrong. I get it now.
Skyjockey43
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 10:50 p.m.
they'd lose a day's worth of increased revenue. What's not to understand?
drewk
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.
Skyjockey, you just don't get it do you. If all stores closed on Thanksgiving and opened up Friday morning, exactly how would that make a difference to the businesses?
Skyjockey43
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 9:48 p.m.
WalkingjoeJoe, if you couldn't pick up on the sarcasm that was literally dripping off my CTN reference, then I don't know what to tell you.
Skyjockey43
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 9:45 p.m.
Because if they don't (which they didn't) then the company would close, liquidate all their assets, and layoff their entire workforce (which they did) And you can keep bringing up the CEO's salary as if that was the ultimate cause of the Hostess downfall, but if you have 18,500 employees earning $10 - $20 an hour, working a standard 40 hour week, for 50 weeks a year (excluding the average for vacation, sick days, etc) that comes to $370,000,000 to $740,000,000 a year for employee labor costs. This doesn't include overtime, benefits, and federal employer contributions for social security etc. So you're really off in dreamland if you think a CEO pay cut would make any difference in at all in Hostess's downfall. And do you really think that the extra sales generated won't be greater than the extra overtime paid to the workers? Seriously?????
WalkingJoe
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 9:40 p.m.
Are you for real? The Camp Take Notice people have already said they can't work real jobs because of this or that excuse. And why is ok to ruin the people work for these companies holiday just for the corporate bottom line hard times or not. It seems to me that they did just find in the past good times or not when they closed on Thanksgiving and opened on Friday at their regular hours. I lay part of the blame on the American public because it became the in thing to be at the stores early and after that it snowballed into this ridiculous greed fest.
Barb's Mom
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.
" Times are hard and businesses are losing money " So they open on a holiday where they have to pay there employees time and a half because it is a holiday? How is that making them money? And why should the employees take an 8% pay cut if the CEO is getting more money, make the CEO take a pay cut not increase their pay.
Skyjockey43
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 8:59 p.m.
If he had donated his entire salary to the company that still wouldn't have saved the company if 18,000 workers were unwilling to accept An 8% paycut. And now they're all unemployed. Rant all you want about CEO salaries, but the truth of the matter is that the high cost of union labor and their unreasonable demands are the reason the ranks of the U.S. jobless just swelled.
actionjackson
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 8:52 p.m.
Hostess Twinkies CEO tripled salary to $2.5m while preparing to file bankruptcy.
actionjackson
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.
Ask the Hostess CEO what they did with the salary made in 2011!
DMBE
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 8:18 p.m.
Please stop being so selfish and let the people have a holiday!
Blerg
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 7:53 p.m.
This is just another reason to shop local and not support corporate stores who require their employees to work on what should be a family focused holiday. I'm happy that my go-to holiday stores, Nicola's, Ace Barnes, and the kid's shops I buy from, will all be closed on Thanksgiving so their employes can have a day to be with their families.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 7:45 p.m.
Shut Up & Buy
jns131
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.
mady? There is always the food. Eat, drink and be merry and not spend a dime. Now that I could go for.
mady
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 6:36 p.m.
No. I won't. I refuse to have anything to do with this kind of materialistic GREED.
GP
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 2:09 p.m.
I think most people are horrified by your comments and I love that.
djacks24
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 7:34 p.m.
It's pretty ridiculous considering I have family members that we get together with on major holidays when we gather for Thanksgiving that will spend just about the entire time browsing the Black Friday Sale ads in anticipation. They are the type that in previous years that would get up early and be first ones in line for store openings. It makes me wonder if this year they may leave right after Thanksgiving dinner or maybe not even show up at all?
Barb's Mom
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
If the general public would boycott the stores that open on Thanksgiving, then the stores would't do it the next year. But too many people are only interested in themselves , not that their wanting to shop earlier makes it so others have to be away from their families when they don't want to be.
TooT
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.
Well I'm almost done shopping and did it mostly online....
maallen
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 6:14 p.m.
jns131, Ummm, it's not tax free just because you buy it online, or the online retailer doesn't collect it. You still have to report it on your tax returns under Michigan law. As of right now, michigan does not require online retailers to report and collect the taxes. Michigan lets its residents to report it on their tax returns at the end of the year. But it is state law that you must pay taxes on your online purchases. However, I am sure this will all change once the State of Michigan realizes how many people do not pay taxes on what they purchase online.
jns131
Mon, Nov 19, 2012 : 3:24 a.m.
I get paid in two weeks. Once I have check in hand? Amen, brother. I too will shop on line as well. I have my links all in a row. Then I am done for the year. I use to shop early if I was on vacation somewhere, but this year? All on line. Tax free too. Can't wait to spend a little to get it all over and done with.
Jon Wax
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 6:46 p.m.
i just heard about this "black friday" the other day! i thought we were past this kind of racism! it's the 21rst century, for cryin' out loud! everyone should be able to shop equally on friday... all people of all races and creeds! so not fair!! Peace
HENDRIX242
Sat, Nov 17, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.
Simple, buy nothing. Bring the family back to the holidays, not commerce. Far too much mindless consumption.
mady
Sun, Nov 18, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
hendrix, right on!!!!!!!