Wal-Mart in talks with unions over NY stores: report

[cory777]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc is in advanced talks with New York's construction unions to get their backing for its entry into New York City's retail market, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The retailer's talks with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York could lead to Wal-Mart using union labor to build its first New York stores, even though it would use nonunion workers to staff the stores, the Journal said.

Wal-Mart has been courting the building trades, pledging to use union labor for any new construction, among other concessions, the Journal said, citing multiple people familiar with discussions.

"Wal-Mart and the building trades have discussed our common interest in stimulating local economic development in the city," spokesman Steven Restivo said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters. "We do not have an agreement, but look forward to a continued dialogue."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BB1MH20101212?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Business+News%29

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[WCGreen]

1. File this under I got mine and fuck everyone else....

[Brickbat]

2. Wal-Mart often builds union.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. fuck that shit

[bluestateguy]

4. When they stop obstructing their own workers from unionizing, I'll start shopping there again

As of now, my boycott has lasted 8 years.

[demosincebirth]

5. 15, here.

[harmonicon]

7. it would take more than that to get me to shop there.

I won't even go to ASDA here in the UK, simply because they own it. I'll wait to see what happens with the class-action law suit about wage discrimination, for one... still, with all of the harm they've done to the world, I don't know that I could ever shop at their stores.

[Sherman A1]

9. Agreed & Well Said

[sfwriter]

11. I'm up to 13 years...

[Frisbee]

6. Never once steped foot in a Walmart...

once in a Sam's, before I realized they were affiliated with Walmart. Bought a large bottle of hot sause, and that is the ONLY money they will ever see from me until they unionize their stores AND quit going out of their way to sell Chinese crap.

[Creative]

8. It has always struck me as odd that Walmart is not able to trade freely in NYC.

After all, I thought this what the Commerce Clause was meant to protect.

[Optimistic]

10. Don't give in Unions

The unions must demand that the workers be union too or No Wal-marts in New York

[pasto76]

12. baby steps!

When Dad was prez of Ironworkers Local #3 in Pittsburgh, he tried to get the building trades to approach wally world for exactly what they are doing here. We both know unions are in a hard place to bargain with them, simply because they can choose to use non union labor.Its a good step, and keeping the money local is after all the point. When the Wally world project supervisor or whoever sees the difference union trades make, then hopefully those regional wally world guys will start talking to the guys upstairs about unions in a positive light.

sgt pasto
Ironworkers 24

[SocialistLez]

16. Exactly! Of course living wage ordinance should already be in place in NY.

[Javaman]

13. Union organizers meet the bus. nt

[RowdyRacer]

14. I never shop at Wal-Mart,

and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I live in Arkansas, and I support local businesses - hardware, pharmacies, etc.

[SocialistLez]

15. It will be just like Chicago.

They'll pay a little over the prevailing wage and call it a "victory" for workers.

We need a living wage for EVERY worker in this country.
In my area, $12-13 is pretty good.

It's nice they're using unionized people but what about the people who are going to be there "long-term"? The cashiers who work in Wal-Mart, the door greeters, the people in the bakery, etc.

::sigh::

If only there was a company that paid living wages to its workers and tried to get as much of its merchandise made in the USA that could overtake Wal-Mart.

[tomm2thumbs]

17. Wal-Mart is hiring Mayor Michael Bloomberg's former campaign manager to oversee lobbying

well, isn't that just business as usual? hopefully New Yorkers will see through this game


Previous attempts by Wal-Mart to develop stores in the city have been successfully blocked by opposition from labor unions, community groups and elected officials. Hope they can continue their good fight.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/13/walmart-in-new-york-chain_n_795670.html

[Omaha Steve]

18. I was in a Walmart in early November (not by choice)

I took my 86 year old mom (she has never driven) to get her hearing aid fixed. I had an address. The old location was in a Sears. I had no idea it was inside Walmart. Mom had told me it was across the street. I was so pissed. Her hearing aids are out of warranty. She won't be going there again. It will cut miles off the driving since that Walmart is way across town from us.

The local labor council didn't make a sound when a super store was the first to open in Omaha. They too wanted the construction work.

We have had no union grocery stores in Omaha since Albertsons left in 2004. I see a former worker of theirs a couple times a year. She knew she had good pay and a pension.