Walmart Delay in DC Shows Lack of Support, Says Community Group
Monday, April 9, 2012
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Walmart’s announcement over the weekend that
it will delay the opening of five of six
planned stores in the District of Columbia
“is further proof that the company has not
won over city residents,” said Respect DC on
Monday. “Walmart would not be altering its
original timeline if company executives did not
believe it needed more time to convince
District residents that low-wage poverty jobs
that can force workers to rely on public
assistance are what D.C. needs,” said Dyana
Forester of Respect DC, which has been pushing
the big-box retailer to sign a legally binding
Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Walmart,
which had originally planned to open four
stores by the end of the year, now says the
first store – most likely at the corner at
Georgia and Missouri avenues in Northwest –
won’t open until late 2013, with the others
in 2014 and beyond. Walmart spokesman Steven
Restivo told the Washington Post that
“we’re using the extra time to further
engage with the neighborhoods that surround our
stores and build even more support for
Walmart,” but Forester reiterated Respect
DC’s longstanding “concerns about
Walmart’s potential impact on existing small
businesses,” adding that “We are asking the
company to commit in writing to support local
small business and hire local residents at a
living wage.” - screenshot from video of respect DC
action at Union Station last year