Big Apple Bites Walmart

The head of Wal-Mart and the New York City Labor Council agreed on one thing last week: there’s no place for Wal-Mart in the Big Apple. Saying “I don’t care if we are ever here,” Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott bailed out of New York City last week, citing opposition from workers and community groups. “We don’t care if they’re never here,” agreed New York City Labor Council Executive Director Ed Ott. “The glue is the unions,” Scott admitted, and New York Times reporters Michael Barbaro and Steven Greenhouse reported that “Much of the opposition to Wal-Mart in cities like New York is led by unions,” who argue that Wal-Mart low prices, wages and benefits “are often so skimpy that they leave many workers below the poverty line and pressure competitors to reduce pay and benefits.” Ott added, “We have great supermarkets and great retail outlets in New York. We don’t need Wal-Mart,” To read the entire story, click here. Illustration by Carol Sampson