Wal-Mart Blocked by Union Lobbying
The growing (finally) power of unions. Wal-Mart is notorious for their opposition to unions. Now unions are stopping them from opening stores in Los Angeles.
Organized labor won a key battle this week in an all-out effort to limit Wal-Mart’s expansion in California, successfully lobbying the Inglewood City Council to block the nonunion retail giant from building a super center in that city.
The union representing local supermarket clerks, which recently hiked dues to create a $3-million war chest to fight Wal-Mart’s expansion in Southern California, is now pushing a similar effort in the city of Los Angeles.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently announced plans to build at least 40 super centers in California over the next four to six years, bringing the company’s giant discount-plus-grocery stores to the state for the first time. The food workers union says those stores directly compete with union supermarkets and could erode the high wages and benefits paid to its members.