Walmart Threatens To Shut Down Stores If DC Passes Living Wage Bill

[nextdrinksonme]

Walmart fought hard to persuade DC residents to let it open stores in the district. But now the retail giant is threatening to walk away from three planned sites if the DC City Council passes a “living wage” bill that would require all major employers to pay workers a minimum of $12.50 an hour

Comments

[kitanabychoice]

Ugh, so disgusting. I wish there was some other way to stick it to WalMart other than boycotting.

[nextdrinksonme]

What really bugs me is that these legislators have the chance to really stick it to Wal-Mart and tell them "well see ya" and pass the bill. We'll see, tomorrow, but I think that's the only way there's any choice of combating them--it has to be done at that level, since doing it at ours obviously doesn't work (especially since so many people don't have much of a choice but to shop there due to availability, prices, transportation, etc).

[gambitia]

especially since so many people don't have much of a choice but to shop there due to availability, prices, transportation, etc

Exactly this. We need legislative action because in many ways Wal-Mart functions as a monopoly and the "will of the consumer" or whatever capitalists call it can't be exercised in a monopoly.

[fabrisse]

Walmart did its best to circumvent the "First Source" laws we have in DC which would have required a living wage in the first place. I hope the Council stands tall and we can find another retailer to anchor those spaces. I know that our one Target is very popular...

[otana]

Fucking disgusting. I know they're banking on states looking at how much money they'll lose if Walmart doesn't embed itself like a fucking tick, but they should be thinking about the health and quality of life of their constituents. And if that doesn't convince them then the amount they'll have to spend on social services (in Cali for example MediCal and Healthy Way LA) should make them hesitate.

[moonshaz]

Walmart embedding itself like a fucking tick is a powerful and eerily apt analogy! O_O

[otana]

I kinda like it. You've gotta be real careful removing it once it's there, but leaving it be is even more harmful.

[lied_ohne_worte]

Sounds good. And reading this and similar posts, I'm really relieved that they cut their losses and retreated from my country when it became clear that this country and their way of doing things weren't compatible.

[redstar826]

I'm seeing on twitter that the living wage bill just passed

[moonshaz]

Really? AWESOME!

[nextdrinksonme]

Oh sweet.

I completely forgot it was Wednesday. Thought it was Tuesday when I posted.

[ohmiya_sg]

Nice! Can't wait to hear their response...

[nitasee]

Walmart’s refusal to pay their employees a livable wage translates into a bigger burden for taxpayers. A Congressional report found that the workforce of a single Walmart store consume roughly a million dollars in public benefits every year, relying on “safety net” programs like Medicaid, food stamps, school lunch, and housing assistance to survive. Since Walmart is the largest private retailer in the nation, the full taxpayer cost of the store’s labor practices is exponentially higher.

Based on this, I've heard that Walmart should be considered the largest recipient of US corporate subsidy. Our tax dollars support this company in making an ungodly profit.