A Mystery to Me in Greeley, Colorado

Here is a story to ring out the old year with. I think it's perfect because it highlights the questions that I have about Walmart and how they operate. I have said before that I love talking with new people. I was introduced to Paul's story by the friend of a friend. Paul told me that he worked at store 5051 in Greeley, Colorado in October 2006. "I had been with the company for 4 years and had worked in the produce department, was the ICS lead-that means he organized the group of workers who put things on the shelves and set displays sometimes-and was a support manager one night a week." Paul said he also maintained the lot by pushing carts in when required. On one particular evening, Paul says that he needed 3 people to help him push the carts into the store. On a big day, or when you are working with lazy people, this happens more often than you realize. He told the CSM-that's a customer service manager-at 9 p.m. At 9:15 p.m. he told the csm to go to channel 2 and said "I got it covered." Then Paul said an assistant manager who was listening called Paul into the office afterward. He was asked what he meant by "I've got it covered" and was terminated on the spot for insubordination. He also said he was given a court hearing date for allegedly assaulting the assistant manager, and got a lifetime ban from all Walmarts. At his court date-no one showed up and the case was tossed out. Paul then told me that the assistant had been angry with him ever since an incident when he didn't let the assistant manager use all of the ICS team to build a display. All of this brings up so many questions. First of all, why was the assistant allowed to harbor this grudge? Second, what was wrong with taking a few people and clearing the lot? Was one person supposed to take an hour or 3 people take fifteen minutes? Third, what exactly did Paul do that was insubordination? Was it the cart pushing or the initiative? Fourth, why weren't the assistants, at least one of them, anyway, helping? Paul was also charged with assault, but the case was thrown out of court when no one from Walmart showed up to make their case. I've made five calls to Walmart in Bentonville, and so far no one has returned my calls with any answers to the allegations made here. I don't understand the logic of a company that seems determined to do away with the hard workers and keep the slugs on hand. Do you? If I find out, you can thank me later.