Citing accusations of union-busting, low pay and no health benefits, labor leaders flocked to City Hall yesterday to try to block a Wal-Mart superstore from opening in the city.
“The true legacy of Wal-Mart is not lower prices. The true legacy of Wal-Mart is lower living standards for hardworking Americans and those overseas,” Brian McLaughlin, president of the Central Labor Council, testified before the City Council’s Committee on Economic Development.
He asked the council to halt all new megastore applications until their impact on jobs is determined.
Representatives for the Arkansas-based retailer, not present at the hearing, predicted in a letter that New York outposts could create about 350 jobs and generate more than $5 million in sales taxes annually.
In response, Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan) said he was not committing to a “blanket moratorium” on megastores, while Mayor Bloomberg called it unwise to say, “We don’t want anybody to come here and open a store.”