I'm not sure if this is deserving of a new topic, but does anyone know Walmart's official stance on bathroom usage for transsexuals, of if there is a state-specific policy for Oregon? Currently, I am using the family restroom, and was told that I had to use the female bathroom if the former was being used. This isn't too much of a problem since I work at night and the bathrooms in the back are usually locked, but so is the family restroom, often enough. Am I being cheated, here? ( does anyone know? )

   Walmart does what Walmart wants to do.  They don't care about what is right or wrong.  I seem to recall Walmart terminating employees who transitioned on the job.  Of course they got sued but that's merely a minor annoyance to them.  I personally despise that company.  Walmart was by far the worst company I have ever worked for as far as how they treat employees.  They claim "diversity" as one of thier major hiring points.  The truth is they are as far from accepting of diverse employees as the Vatican. 

  I don't know your point of transition, whether you are full time or transitioning on the job, but my advice is tread lightly with Walmart if you intend to keep working there.  If you push them they will push back much, much harder so be prepared to fight.  Of course all of this is based on my experience with them (non gender related) and the fact that the store I worked at is located in a predominately "redneck" area.  However, I've heard many stories from TG friends who were treated very unfairly at thier stores around the US because of being TG.   Who knows...maybe it's different in Oregan.

  Can you tell I don't like them?  

Hi Arias, unfortunately Oregon does not have any non-discrimination laws based on gender identity or sexual orientation.  There are only nine states in the US which have specific laws that protect transsexual individuals:  California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Please see this link for additional information on current laws in the US.


See this link for current laws in Oregon


tinkerbell

hi i agree with Brandi..
sad state of affairs..
Walmarts i like for shopping to work there, a horror i never have but i just read a lawsuit in the paper them settling overtime pay and you mean to tell me this big $$$ company did it wrong and did not catch it after hundreds of suits were filed individually? Ya right?
so the diversity for ->-bleeped-<-, well who would of guessed they'd be jack-asses??
so sorry to have to hear my hug and support!
Ricki

Brandi. I haven't begun transitioning outside of displaying it through clothes. I have already come to terms mentally with the fact that when I do begin transitioning for real, I'll have to look for a different job.

Heh. Overtime pay. We watched a video on that. They claim to have reported themselves, but I don't know.

Quote from: Arias on January 31, 2007, 11:45:02 AM
...if there is a state-specific policy for Oregon?

Not a state one yet, but there ARE some city ones.  I'm actually in Oregon at this very moment in a city where transgendered ARE protected.

Melissa

  I recall Walmart forcing us to clock out an hour early for daylight savings time and yet we were not allowed to claim the hour lost when it rolled around again.  I thought it was pretty petty at first but when I did the math and multiplied one hour of not being paid once a year for every single employee of Walmart I realized that they were saving a HUGE amount of money. 

  I recall injuring my wrist one day at work and being told by a supervisor that I was required to go have it checked out by clinic contracted by Walmart.  It was a minor injury and I had no intention of leaving work or changing anything I did until I was ordered to the doctor.  I went and they said it was a minor sprain just as I thought it was.  When I returned to work I was called into the store managers office who informed me that he thought I faked the injury and if anything similar happened again I would be fired immediately. 

  Aww...such fond memories......

I hate Walmart. I would not work there if it was the last job. The way they treat workers......As for shopping there I have had some very unpleasant expereances even without going feme. This big $$$$$ company is so cheap in everything. And the quality of the product leaves much to be desired. You take back something that failed and they give you a runaround....   Boycott Walmart. Gl;ad I dont have any near me... Just venting a little..


Linda Ann

Love being female

What city is that, Melissa?

Walmart's not too bad. I don't want to work there for the rest of my life, though.

There's just something about a store using greeters that rubs me the wrong way.

Quote from: Arias on February 02, 2007, 11:01:57 PM
What city is that, Melissa?

Portland is the one I was referring to, doing a quick web search, here's a list of places in Oregon that are protected:

Multnomah County
Benton County
Salem
Portland
Beaverton
Hillsboro
Bend
Ashland
Lake Oswego
Eugene
Lincoln City

Melissa

Eugene? *brightens* Could you link me to that source?

Well, here's the reference: http://basicrights.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_basicrights_archive.html

However, I'm not so sure anymore.  Maybe Sheila could shed some more light on this since that's where she lives too.

Melissa

Quote from: Kaelin on February 03, 2007, 03:59:44 AM
There's just something about a store using greeters that rubs me the wrong way.

lol, me too. I get uncomfortable when there's some smiling fool waiting for me at the door.

Quote from: Linda Ann on February 02, 2007, 08:11:52 PM
I hate Walmart. I would not work there if it was the last job. The way they treat workers......As for shopping there I have had some very unpleasant expereances even without going feme. This big $$$$$ company is so cheap in everything. And the quality of the product leaves much to be desired. You take back something that failed and they give you a runaround....   Boycott Walmart. Gl;ad I dont have any near me... Just venting a little..


Linda Ann

Love being female

LOL   at least someone had the ovaries to say it!


tinkerbell

Ah, thank you Melissa.

Greeters kind of creep me out too sometimes. It's such a boring job, and I generally don't like to be talked to when I shop for groceries. ( and how are they a higher pay grade than stockers? We do all the dirty work. hmph )

Quote from: Linda Ann on February 02, 2007, 08:11:52 PMI hate Walmart.
...
The way they treat workers...

... is worse than how any other large cooperate store (or any sized franchise) works how? They chew you up and spit you out. Welcome to corporate america where only the bottom dollar matters.

Quote from: Linda Ann on February 02, 2007, 08:11:52 PM
As for shopping there I have had...

... no problem at all. Including how I normally look, which is not exactly 'proper'.

Quote from: Linda Ann on February 02, 2007, 08:11:52 PM...
And the quality of the product...

... seems just fine to me.


^*shrug*


Perception is everything I suppose.

I am sorry you've had rousy experiences Linda.

Melissa, thank you for sending Arias to my address. In Eugene we don't have any protection for Gender Identity. Basic Rights Oregon was behind the Lane Gender Task Force who pulled the proposed ordinance off the table. We had it in our grasp, it was going to City Council and it would have been approved like all the other ones around the state. They were afraid of it going before a vote and jeapardizing the SB1000 which got pulled and now a very watered down SB500 that will be going before the Senate this year. I wrote to Arias, but at the time didn't know where he worked.
Sheila

Walmart has driven American manufacturing to China.  It bankrupted Rubbermaid because they refused to go offshore for example.  They've managed to close thousands of small retail and speicialized stores across the country. Think of specialized bicycle stores. No, you can't even purchase a quality machine locally anymore because they've been driven out. Our local fabric stores have been decimated. Walmart offers low quality goods with few choices.

Walmart pays their workers squat and are meager when it comes to benefits.  They've pushed cheap in every aspect.  Many families can afford to shop nowhere else.... they've lost their purchasing power.  Yes, the net loss of jobs here in the country comes to roost right at the family level.  

As we push more jobs out, reduce the family income, and create a net loss for opportunity, there will come a time, when even Walmart will become an expensive place to shop.  Where will we go from there?

Much of the reason we are complaining here is that Walmart will not hire well qualified managers to run their operations.  They come at too high a price.  Proper training costs money and time.  The net result is that many of the management team are ill prepared to deal with real personal issues.  They have only been trained to push money through their outlets.

Walmart represents everything that is wrong with our society.  It is corporate greed pushed to the limit. I'm sure Sam Walton would be so ashamed of what has become of his once family friendly business.

My husband and I refuse to shop at Walmart.  Our boycott seems so meaningless.

Cindi

For what it matters, I'm not buying from there either.

Maybe others will get tired of WM.