Monday, September 14, 2009

Chicago Wal-Mart CBA campaign

Chicago and Wal-Mart have a checkered history. Back in 2006, the city council passed a widely supported ordinance that would have required big box stores to pay a living wage, but Mayor Daley vetoed it. The battle over the ordinance stirred up a lot of tensions--racial, socioeconomic and otherwise.

Now, a coalition of community and religious groups, Good Jobs Chicago, has formed and is seeking a community benefits agreement from the city guaranteeing living wages, affordable health care and unionization rights in any new Wal-Mart development. As a coalition representative stated: "It's the role of government to ensure its citizens that you should not have to work a 40-hour week and still be living in poverty and then have to rely on the government for food stamps and Medicaid".

It seems like they're looking for legislation, not a CBA.

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