Ralph Nader Scolds Dollar General for “Shameful” Treatment of Workers

On December 8, 2013 consumer advocate Ralph Nader sent a scathing letter to Dollar General CEO Richard Dreiling. In his letter, Nader compares the salary of sales associates and cashiers ($8/hour) in Goodlettsville Tennessee, to that of the estimated living wage in the area ($9.76/hour) and then to Mr. Dreiling’s salary ($1,690/hour). Nader concluded that such disparity “ensures that [Dreiling] earn[s] more in one ten-hour workday than many of [his] ‘associates’ do in a year of work.” Nader points out that when large corporations fail to provide their employees with livable wages, they force those employees to “resort to public assistance programs to provide their families with necessities. Thus, the taxpayers end up footing the bill…” Nader continues, urging Dreiling to support an increase in the federal minimum wage so that “taxpayers are not subsidizing [Dollar General’s] profits.”
While there has been a growing discussion and buzz in the United States regarding low-wage workers, most of focus has been limited to a handful of commercial giants such as McDonalds and Walmart. However, the rapid proliferation and enormous profit margins of Dollar stores have led to a closer examination of their employment practices. Consequently, a number of class action lawsuits against Dollar General, alleging that Dollar General has failed to properly compensate their employees in accordance with both state and federal laws.