Walmart Pay Raise Starts Feb. 21

In a move that could fuel the minimum wage debate and improve the tarnished image of the world's largest retailer, Walmart announced it will raise the baseline wage of its current store employees to $10 per hour bringing pay hikes to an estimated 500,000 workers. Tens of thousands of workers in Alabama will receive a pay increase starting Feb. 21. According to al.com, the change will raise pay for as many as 41,000 Alabama workers and cost the company about $60.8 million. The new wage floors will apply to current employees. New hires next year will be earning at least $9, but will be bumped up to at least $10 per hour after roughly six months of training. The new average full-time hourly wage for Wal-Mart associates in Alabama will be $13.12 per hour and $10.40 per hour for part-timers. It's about time that Walmart stepped up to the plate and provided workers with an adequate but long overdue pay raise.