Walmart Delay in DC Shows Lack of Support, Says Community Group

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Walmart’s announcement over the weekend that it will delay the opening of five of six planned stores in the District of Columbia “is further proof that the company has not won over city residents,” said Respect DC on Monday. “Walmart would not be altering its original timeline if company executives did not believe it needed more time to convince District residents that low-wage poverty jobs that can force workers to rely on public assistance are what D.C. needs,” said Dyana Forester of Respect DC, which has been pushing the big-box retailer to sign a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Walmart, which had originally planned to open four stores by the end of the year, now says the first store – most likely at the corner at Georgia and Missouri avenues in Northwest – won’t open until late 2013, with the others in 2014 and beyond. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo told the Washington Post that “we’re using the extra time to further engage with the neighborhoods that surround our stores and build even more support for Walmart,” but Forester reiterated Respect DC’s longstanding “concerns about Walmart’s potential impact on existing small businesses,” adding that “We are asking the company to commit in writing to support local small business and hire local residents at a living wage.” - screenshot from video of respect DC action at Union Station last year