Sunday, December 12, 2010

Wal-Mart Seeks Deal With Unions to Open First New York City Store

Stepping up its efforts to enter the long-resistant New York City market, Wal-Mart is in advanced discussions with the city's politically powerful construction unions over a deal to construct new stores using unionized construction workers, who would in turn support the retailer's local entry, multiple people familiar with discussions said.

The talks with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York indicate a divide and conquer strategy for labor by the world's largest retailer, which has been ramping up a public and political push in an attempt to build its first stores in New York. While the giant retailer might use union laborers to build new stores here, it would still use a non-union retail workforce to staff them.

Wal-Mart's effort is still being fiercely resisted by unions that represent retail and grocery store workers, among others, who protest Wal-Mart's low wages. The plan will be the subject of a City Council hearing scheduled for January.

In recent weeks, Wal-Mart has been courting the building trades, pledging to use union labor for any new construction, among other concessions to be codified in a labor agreement, according to multiple union officials. The building trades are considered one of the more politically influential labor groups in the city, given their membership of about 100,000 workers.

Wal-Mart hasn't announced any specific locations for stores in New York, although the company has been discussing building a large store in Brooklyn with the Related Cos., and the retailer has told people involved with local strategy that it plans numerous stores in the city of an array of sizes.

Wal-Mart has told others that many of these stores are likely to be built "as of right" meaning they wouldn't need approval from the City Council. But Wal-Mart is clearly interested in minimizing friction with elected officials and community groups. By winning the support of the construction unions, the company would likely have a far less bumpy path to a ribbon cutting.

6 comments:

  1. If we let them build here in the city this would mark the beginning of the end of all union labor in the city. We must band together even with times as bad as they are we must keep them out of our city They are the scum of the earth and only care about making profits.

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  2. As I had stated at our last LU157 Regular Meeting on Nov 15, building for Wal-Mart is akin to making a deal with the 'Devil'. Wal-Mart are community destroyers. Yes, other mega-corporations do it too, but Wal-Mart does it 'the biggest and the best'. Other mega-corporations look-to and follow their disgusting world-destructive lead. It infuriates me that the Carpenters' Union thinks that it's OK that 'we get ours' while we F! everyone else. What ever happened to “an injury to one is an injury to all”. I guess this truism is completely lost upon our current union 'leaders'. Additionally, DeMorato stated that since Supervisor Frank Spencer has had success in NJ with Wal-Mart building with unionized labor Spencer is now helping to bring Wal-Mart to NYC. It seems like the only union to support Wal-Mart coming to NYC is the Carpenters' Union. WTF!!! If any one knows of other unions that are supporting the building of Wal-Marts in NYC let me know. And if any of you haven't been following the Wal-Mart saga because you've been in some other planet, I suggest you start at http://walmartwatch.com/ and http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/.

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  3. Whatever you do dont let PUGLIESE negotiate for us.

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  4. "in some other planet" was supposed to be "on some other planet".

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  5. I couldn't agree more! WALMART is a prime example of what is wrong with our economy. They sell products made in foreign sweatshops, treat their American employees poorly, and then successfully lobby Congress for massive tax breaks. How anti-U.S. worker can a corporation be?! If union leadership won't take a stand on this one, where will it end? When is the rank and file membership going to recognize the TREASON being committed in plain sight for what it is, and do something?!!

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  6. Kindly accept invitation to visit my blog at http://jmaffiliatemktg.blogspot.com/ topics include entrepreneurship, business and finance. when you get there read my article "CUSTOMERS SUPPORT WAL*MART TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EMPLOYEES". Just like how foreign companies were doing business in SOUTH AFRICA in the past.
    Thanks,
    James Makoetla
    http://www.james-makoetla.blogspot.com/

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