Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wal-Mart items

Graphic courtesy of the Tribune
Well Wal-Mart is knocking on the door once more:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. faces a critical hurdle Wednesday in a long-standing battle to build a second Chicago store, this one at a shuttered steel site called Pullman Park on the Far South Side.

Park Bank Initiatives, the U.S. Bank-backed developer behind the 180-acre mixed-use project, goes before the city's Zoning Committee Wednesday hoping to clear the way for a Wal-Mart Supercenter to anchor the 45-acre shopping center at the heart of the project's first phase. Pullman Park is expected to take a decade to complete, and is planned to include homes, restaurants, parks and a recreation center.

The Plan Commission, whose members are appointed by Mayor Richard Daley, last week recommended the Zoning Committee rezone the former steel processing site for residential and retail development. That would allow Wal-Mart into the city with its first Supercenter, a format that sells groceries.

Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, whose ward contains the vacant industrial land at 111th Street and the Bishop Ford Freeway, said he believes there are enough votes to approve the rezoning. And even if the committee rejects it, Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, the Zoning Committee's chairman, said he would consider putting the development to a full City Council vote — giving the store yet another chance.
Alright there's that political dynamic amongst other dynamics presented in that article.

Also it looks like labor and Wal-Mart had a meeting:
Wal-Mart held its unprecedented and long-awaited face-to-face meeting with organized labor Monday night, but participants won’t say whether there was any progress toward breaking the stalemate that has stalled the retailer’s planned Chicago expansion.

“We all agreed we wouldn’t be talking to the press for a period of time,” Ron Powell, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 881, said today. “I’m not gonna say another word.”
...
Powell has long opposed Wal-Mart super-centers in Chicago amid fears that it would drive down wages for union members who work at Jewel, Dominick’s and other grocery chains. Asked whether he remained opposed, Powell said, “My position has never changed.”

Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo had no immediate comment on the Monday night meeting.

It’s unclear whether the meeting would help sway votes on the Zoning Committee, which appears to be tilted against Wal-Mart, depending on who shows up Wednesday.
...
The world’s largest retailer has repeatedly insisted that it would not negotiate wages and that it would only agree to pay a so-called “living wage” if the mandate applied to all Chicago retailers.

But sources said the company might be willing to sign a “community benefits agreement” that guarantees that as many as five new Chicago stores would be 100 percent built by organized labor and that neighborhood residents would be hired to work in those stores.
There's nothing brand new here other than we won't know the results of the meeting. Well we do know one result nothing has changed between the unions and Wal-Mart.

I got an e-mail yesterday from a PR firm who represents Wal-Mart. It's worth mentioning here that the Wal-Mart Community Action Network had talked to Pullman/Roseland residents on video about Wal-Mart. Besides last year there were a series of videos of Chatham area residents who supported a Wal-Mart on 83rd & Stewart.

As always you can sound off here on this issue whether or not you support this issue.

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