Metro Council Joins "Respect DC" Campaign

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

A spirited discussion about the campaign to make Walmart “Respect DC” dominated Monday night’s Metro Washington Council Delegate meeting. Council President Jos Williams had convened a meeting earlier in the day of the unions most affected by Walmart’s plans to open four stores in the District, and he and UFCW 400’s Mark Federici (at right) reported to both the council’s Executive Board and delegates about the Living Wages, Healthy Communities Coalition that’s been formed with community and religious allies (Neighbors Organize To Demand Respect From Walmart 1/19 UC), and which the Council voted unanimously to endorse and join. The Coalition, which plans to lobby the DC City Council this Thursday, has begun extensive community outreach canvassing efforts to organize neighborhood support for an enforceable Community Benefits Agreement guaranteeing that Walmart “will treat its workers with dignity, provide full-time living wage jobs with good benefits, and help our neighborhoods improve their economic standing and quality of life.” Walmart’s impact on local communities is explored in the film “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price,” which is being screened tonight for free at the Emery Recreation Center. The film “features the deeply personal stories and everyday lives of families and communities struggling to survive in a Walmart world,” and will be followed by light refreshments and a discussion on the impact Wal-Mart will have on the District. - photo by Adam Wright