Days after Hobby Lobby announced a $17 minimum wage that applies only to a handful of its employees, Walmart has announced an $18 minimum wage.
But, it only applies to a fraction of the 1.5 million people who work for Walmart in the U.S.
To Supercenter employees in so-called team lead roles, Walmart will pay a minimum of $18 – $21 per hour starting in October. The pay comes with title changes, from co-manager, assistant manager and department manager to the new, store lead, coach and team lead.
“These associates will lead and develop people, rather than focusing on completing tasks, giving associates a more direct connection to leadership,” reads the announcement.
For skilled frontline hourly positions, Walmart is raising pay from $11 to $15 per hour, and it’s raising pay for certain auto center workers by $1 per hour.
The new pay structure takes the place of a quarterly bonus program and promises a more reliable pay schedule.
All told, the new pay applies to 165,000 Walmart employees in the U.S., or 11% of its total workers.
The Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour.
Yay for Walmart. It seems like the company is turning into a better citizen. I know they were instrumental in controlling the virus here in Waxahachie. When they made people wear masks, everybody started doing it and it made a huge difference. They did what our politicians didn’t do. Gov Abbott should be kissing their boots.