Did Walmart Lay Off 100,000 Employees, Close 250 Sam’s Club Stores After Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts?

While employees of Sam’s Club learned that dozens of the company’s stores were closing, a meme from a partisan Facebook page exaggerated the numbers involved. There is no truth that Walmart would be closing 250 Sam’s Club warehouses resulting in 100,000 workers losing their jobs.

The correct number of stores affected is 63 and the number of workers involved is around 10,000.

Where did the meme with the false information about those hurt by layoffs originate?

Facebook page Being Liberal to posted the meme with the message: “Dear Trump voters. Are you tired of winning yet?” — a reference to Trump’s famous campaign-trail declaration to voters that “We’re going to win so much you may even get tired of winning.” You can see the meme below.

However, Snopes reported that the meme is false. First the good news about the entire Walmart announcement. The world’s largest retailer confirmed that it would increase the starting salary of employees from $9 to $11 an hour. The other good news is that some staff would get bonuses and the company would expand its maternity and paternity benefits programs. All of these actions came from the tax reform.

How so? Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon said the tax reform legislation passed by Republican legislators and approved by President Donald Trump was the main factor for the company’s recent actions.

The bad news. That same day, Walmart quietly announced the closure of dozens Sam’s Club stores. However, unlike the numbers on the meme, Walmart’s closure would affect 63 Sam’s Club stores. Speaking to CNN, Walmart spokesperson Greg Hitt estimated that 9,450 people were employed at those 63 locations. While the figures are substantial, Snopes noted they are still a fraction of what Being Liberal claimed.

Here are some examples of people but sharing the wrong information on social media.

According to a Facebook post by @BeingLiberal, Sam’s Club is closing 250 stores and laying off 100,000 people.

FACT: “Walmart spokesperson Greg Hitt estimated that roughly 9,450 people are employed across the 63 stores.”#FakeNews now shared over 15,000 times. pic.twitter.com/sy2iz7pPYm

— JO (@borninLXXXIII) January 12, 2018

So Sam’s Club announced they’re closing down 250 locations and laying off over 100,000 employees- Trump your Tax plan is working great

— Sam (@Sam39581551) January 11, 2018

To celebrate 2018’s bonuses and Trickle Down economics, Sam’s Club has gifted it’s employees with 250 store closures resulting in 100,000 jobs lost, across America.

Thank you, #LikeReallySmart, Job Creating, #StableGenius, America First, POTUS!

—#TheResistance #MSNBC #CNN

— 990-6907XB71 (@kinoptika) January 11, 2018

Sam’s Club just closed 250 stores and laid off 100,000 people while receiving $ 7.8 billion worth of tax cuts.

— Rui Bastos Amaro (@Lusitano1169) January 13, 2018

Sam’s Club, owned by Walmart, closes 250 stores, laying off 100,000 people, after getting 7.8 billion dollars in tax cuts!!!

— Maria Jimenez (@MissDodger83) January 12, 2018

Good job Speaker Ryan, Walmart closing 250 Sam’s Club stores and laying off 100,000 workers. Special thanks to you, job well done!

— David W. Joel (@DavidWJoel) January 11, 2018

Snopes also explained that the figure was corroborated by Making Change at Walmart, a union-backed campaign advocating on behalf of Walmart workers, “which told the Associated Press that around 150 or 160 people worked at each Sam’s Club store, meaning the closures would affect around 10,000 employees.”

Here is a list of the Sam’s Clubs stores being closed courtesy of USA Today.

Alabama

Irondale: 3900 Grants Mill Road, 35210

Alaska

Anchorage, 8801 Old Seward Hwy., 99515

Anchorage, 1074 N Muldoon Road, 99504

Fairbanks, 48 College Road, 99701

Arizona

Casa Grande, 2425 E Florence Blvd., 85194

Chandler, 1375 S Arizona Ave., 85286

Prescott Valley, 5757 E State Route 69, 86314

Scottsdale, 15255 N Northsight Blvd., 85260

California

City of Industry, 17835 Gale Ave, 91748

Stanton, 12540 Beach Blvd., 90680

Sacramento, 3360 El Camino Ave., 95821

San Fernando, 12920 Foothill Blvd., 91340

Connecticut

Manchester, 69 Pavilions Drive, 06042

Orange, 2 Boston Post Road, 06477

Florida

Fern Park, 355 FL-436, 32730

Lantana, 7233 N Seacrest Blvd., 33462

Tampa, 5135 S Dale Mabry Hwy., 33611

Georgia

Lithonia, 2994 Turner Hill Road, 30038

Illinois

Batavia, 501 N Randall Road, 60510

Matteson, 21430 S Cicero Ave., 60443

Moline, 6600 44th Ave., 61265

Naperville, 808 S Illinois Rte 59, 60540

Romeoville, 460 S Weber Road, 60446

Streamwood, 900 S Barrington Road, 60107

Wheeling, 1055 McHenry Road, 60090

Indiana

Indianapolis, 3015 W 86th St., 46268

Indianapolis, 10859 E Washington St., 46229

Goshen, 4024 Elkhart Rd #1, 46526

Louisiana

Baton Rouge, 9598 Cortana Place, 70815

Maryland

Owings Mills, 9750 Reisterstown Road, 21117

Massachusetts

Worcester, 1 Tobias Boland Way, 01607

Michigan

Farmington Hills, 32625 Northwestern Hwy., 48334

Lansing, 340 E Edgewood Blvd., 48911

Minnesota

Moorhead, 2800 27th Ave S., 56560

St. Louis Park, 3745 Louisiana Ave S., 55426

New Hampshire

Seabrook, 11 Batchelder Road, 03874

New Jersey

Budd Lake, 81 International Dr S., 07828

Linden, 1900 E Linden Ave., 07036

Princeton, 301 Nassau Park Blvd., 08540

New York

Jamestown, 720 Fairmount Ave, NY 14701

Rochester, 700 Elmridge Center Drive, 14626

Rochester, 1600 Marketplace Drive, 14623

Syracuse, 2649 Erie Blvd. E., 13224

North Carolina

Lumberton, 5085 Dawn Drive, 28360

Morrisville, 1101 Shiloh Glenn Drive, 27560

Ohio

Cincinnati, 4825 Marburg Ave., 45209

Loveland, 9570 Fields Ertel Road, 45140

Tennessee

Memphis, 1805 Getwell Road, 38111

Nashville, 615 Old Hickory Blvd., 37209

Texas

Houston, 1615 S Loop W., 77054

Houston, 13331 Westheimer Road, 77077

New Caney, 22296 Market Place Drive, 77357

San Antonio, 12919 San Pedro Ave., 78216

Virginia

Norfolk, 741 E Little Creek Road, 23518

Richmond, 4571 S Laburnum Ave., 23231

Washington

Auburn, 1101 Outlet Collection Way, 98001

Renton, 901 S Grady Way, 98057

Seattle, 13550 Aurora Ave. N., 98133

Wisconsin

Madison, 7050 Watts Road, 53719

West Allis, 1540 S 108th St., 53214

Puerto Rico

Barceloneta, 1145 Carr 2, Bo Florida Afuera

Bayamon, Carr 830

Humacao, Carr 3 Km 82 Bo Junquitos

What did you think of Walmart’s closure of the Sam’s Clubs stores? Were you affected by it? Did you believe the meme with the false information about the numbers or see people sharing the wrong numbers on social media? Let us know in the comments section.

Photo Credit: Source & Snopes

Source: B2C