Council defies Daley, OKs 'living wage'

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 7/27/06 | FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

[ctdonath2]

Wal-Mart and Target must carry through on their threats.

They will. They know the cost of submission, and they know how to break opposition.

The opposition does not understand what they're up against. Wal-Mart now consumes 10% of China's exports to the U.S. and 1% of China's GDP. Got that? A full 1% of the entire revenue of 1,313,973,713 people comes from ONE COMPANY - WAL-MART. They know the game, and with 6601 stores they won't hesitate to shut down 1 store to say "no, it's not our job to ensure everyone gets a 'living wage'."

[nikos1121]

AThe people in the picture were against the council ordanance, right? They did not want to see the big retailers forced to pay a minimum wage of $10?

I'd like to see these retailers make good on their threat and move their stores to the subs.

[Total Package]

Toledo? I use to work at the flour mill across from Tony Pacos.

That must have been sometime ago because Toleduh! has driven most of the business away.

[xzins]

I've heard that Wal-Mart controls something like HALF the shelf space of all the major consumer brands in the US.

If they wanted to mount a counter-offensive against this city council, it could get ugly.

My guess is that they will delay building first and appeal this decision, eventually to the federal level.

Wasn't there a recent decision in their favor in Maryland on a similar kind of thing?

[zook]

No longer any need for the Atlas Shrugged movie. We're about to see it in real life.

[RayChuang88]

Let's see what happens when Wal-Mart announces they're cancelling ALL plans for any Wal-Mart stores in the Chicago city limits and accelerates plans for opening more stores outside the city limits. Chicagoans will wonder just why employments in the city limits have fallen while employment beyond the city limits have risen--just like what happened to Detroit.

[Rutles4Ever]

This is one of those situations where the players who are typically enemies (Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc.) are going to have to be allies. Whatever anyone's thoughts are otherwise on Mayor Daley, HE GETS IT. He knows if these companies are backed into a corner, they'll simply set up shop outside city limits. If any one of them gives in, every one of them will suffer, so count on Wal-Mart, Target, et al. to give these groups the finger and get on with business.

[NormsRevenge]

Supporters of the proposed 'living wage' ordinance that would force 'big box' stores such as Wal-Mart and Target inside Chicago's city limits to pay workers more money cheer as Alderman Joseph Moore addresses the city council about the ordinance Wednesday, July 26, 2006, in Chicago. The council is to vote on the ordinance later today. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)

Angela Munguia, 20, Karla Munoz, 20, and Jeyson Florez, 21, left to right, speak with organizer Madeline Talbott after the group showed its support for the 'living wage' proposal at Chicago's City Hall on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. The proposed ordinance, which would require 'big box' retailers to pay higher minimum wages and greater benefits to its workers, will go before the City Council vote on Wednesday, July 26. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Supporters of the proposed 'living wage' ordinance that would force 'big box' stores such as Wal-Mart and Target inside Chicago's city limits to pay workers more money cheer as Alderman Joseph Moore addresses the city council about the ordinance Wednesday, July 26, 2006, in Chicago. The council is to vote on the ordinance later today. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)

Angela Munguia, 20, Karla Munoz, 20, and Jeyson Florez, 21, left to right, speak with organizer Madeline Talbott after the group showed its support for the 'living wage' proposal at Chicago's City Hall on Tuesday, July 25, 2006. The proposed ordinance, which would require 'big box' retailers to pay higher minimum wages and greater benefits to its workers, will go before the City Council vote on Wednesday, July 26. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

[NormsRevenge]

From yesterday ..

Big-box 'living wage' passed, Chicago ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672803/posts

[Swiss]

**Ald. Ed Smith (28th), chairman of the Council's Black Caucus, took the opposite view. He presented charts to show the average Wal-Mart employee is paid $7.70 an hour and $16,016 a year, while Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott rakes in $16,826 an hour (based on a 40-hour week) and $34.9 million a year. "How can I tell Mrs. Jones that I won't support an extra $2 an hour?" he said.**

Lee Scott's 35 million divided by the 1.3 million Walmart corporation employees equals $27 per employee a year. The CEO's pay is not taking money from the employees.

[Holicheese]

How long will it be before the same group of nitwits demand an investigation into why Walmart's prices have gone up.

[dfwgator]

How long will it be before the same group of nitwits demand an investigation into why Walmart's prices have gone up.

Or why Wal-Mart suddenly cut a lot of jobs. Bet those people won't be smiling when they get their pink slips.