Wal-Mart, labor union leaders meet ahead of City Council showdown

[Omaha Steve]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2010/05/posted-by-john-byrne-and-hal-dardick-at-525-pmunion-and-wal-mart-officials-met-privately-this-week-in-an-11th-hour-effort.html

May 04, 2010

Posted by John Byrne and Hal Dardick at 5:25 p.m.

Labor union and Wal-Mart officials met privately this week to talk about longstanding differences before a Wednesday City Council committee debate on whether to allow one of the retail giant’s superstores to be built on the far South Side.

Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, today confirmed that he attended a Monday meeting between the two sides, who have been at loggerheads for years over the wages and benefits Wal-Mart pays its employees.

Union and company officials focused largely on wages, but could not bridge their gap, said one of several sources who knew of the meeting.

"Opening a dialogue was a good step, whether they agree or disagree," said Beale, who would not discuss specifics of the sit-down. "Both sides sense they have a goal in common, to bring good jobs to the community."

Beale strongly supports the new Wal-Mart, which would anchor the large-scale Pullman Park development in his ward. It’s the only viable way to bring large numbers of jobs, housing and a badly needed grocery store to the struggling area, he argues.

The two sides sat down for the first-of-its-kind session, held Monday, just two days before the committee hearing, sources said. The meeting came three months after Mayor Richard Daley urged them to meet and settle their differences.

FULL story at link.

[SocialistLez]

1. I don't think you can ever settle the differences

Either they allow their employees to unionize or not.

Wal-Mart is too greedy to pay their people decent wages and provide good benefits.
They're too greedy to get the majority of their products produced in the USA.

Screw Wal-Mart.

The union should be working with the city to develop a community owned grocery store that provides good wages and good health care benefits, maybe have the employees of the store be on the city's health care plan.

Of course that's too forward-thinking....