Chicago Orders ‘Big Box’ Stores to Raise Wage

[spindrifter]

By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: July 27, 2006

After months of fevered lobbying and bitter debate, the Chicago City Council passed a ground-breaking ordinance yesterday requiring “big box” stores, like Wal-Mart and Home Depot, to pay a minimum wage of $10 an hour by 2010, along with at least $3 an hour worth of benefits.

The ordinance, imposing the requirement on stores that occupy more than 90,000 square feet and are part of companies grossing more than $1 billion annually, would be the first in the country to single out large retailers for wage rules.

<snip>

“It’s sad — this puts politics ahead of working men and women,” John Simley, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said in a telephone interview. “It means that Chicago is closed to business.”

<snip>

In arguing that Wal-Mart and other companies can easily afford to meet the new standards, proponents of the measure pointed to Costco, which says it already pays at least $10 an hour plus benefits to starting workers around the country.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/27/us/27chicago.html?hp&ex=1153972800&en=5a9b22b67f3f6656&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[MichiganVote]

1. Good for them and the rest of the country needs to follow suit

[bluestateguy]

2. The bill seems to be pretty generous to Wal-Mart

If not, they are free to do business elsewhere. There is no constitutional right to have a business in the big city.

[Mind_your_head]

3. Yeah!!! Bravo!!! Hooray for Chicago!

I couldn't believe what I heard yesterday (Tues.) on Chicago radio station NUA just before 5:00 pm .... a commercial that said, Tomorrow the Chicago city council is going to be voting on a "Big Box Ordinance" that's going to disallow big commercial, "big box" stores from opening up within the city limits. Then it went on to two black women talking (don't ask me how I knew it was two black women on the radio, b/c it was OBVIOUS the producers of the commercial wanted that fact obvious by their accent/speech pattern). Anyway, these two women went on to say to each other, "How can we get decent jobs in our neighborhoods if the city council won't let 'decent' new businesses open in our neighborhoods"...yadda yadda. Then they said, call your alderman and let him know how you feel!

Then, after a pause, "this advertisement was paid for by WALMART."

I had a :wow: jaw-dropping moment in my car just then.

I'm SOOOOOOOOOO happy to hear that the good citizens and city council of Chicago didn't fall for Walmart's crap!

Again, well done. Bravo Chicago!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!

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on edit: adding from OP

In arguing that Wal-Mart and other companies can easily afford to meet the new standards, proponents of the measure pointed to Costco, which says it already pays at least $10 an hour plus benefits to starting workers around the country.

[lectrobyte]

4. Now, if some other cities will just follow suit... "closed to business"

I'm sure... Right.

[OnionPatch]

5. Closed to business?

Too bad. Pay a decent, living wage, Creeps. What scumballs.