Too Big a Bite for the Big Apple?

A city council hearing in New York explored the feasibility of Wal-Mart’s plans to open its first New York City store in Rego Park, Queens.

And a broad-based coalition of labor unions, food retailers, general merchandisers, property owners and small businesses raised concerns over Wal-Mart and other large stores coming to the city.

“When Wal-Mart opens, communities suffer,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW, AFL-CIO. “The question for us New Yorkers is this, ‘What are our real values?’ Wal-Mart’s promise of low prices comes at too great a cost. Wal-Mart’s business practices drive down standards for workers putting pressure on all employers to compete at their level.”

Wal-Mart has been well-known for resisting the unionization of its workers.

“Low wages and high premiums and deductibles keep more than two-thirds of Wal-Mart employees from participating in the company health plan,” Appelbaum said. “Nearly 700,000 Wal-Mart workers are forced to get health insurance coverage paid for by other taxpayers. Wal-Mart shifts the cost of health insurance to taxpayers and other employers, driving up health care costs for all of us.

“My union represents 40,000 working people in New York City, many of whom work in retail stores and supermarkets for companies that play by the rules, that provide health insurance, pensions and decent working conditions.”