UNION LEADER expands California campaign against ‘big box stores’
19 August 2007
President Jacques Loveall
Stockton became the latest victory in UFCW 8-Golden State’s mounting war on superstores when the Stockton City Council voted to limit the construction of “big box” stores on August 14.
The growing trend of resistance to big box stores, such as Wal-Mart Supercenters, began in Sacramento.
Soon, other California cities such as Hercules and Elk Grove joined in. Now, anti-big box battles are raging in Los Angeles, Ontario, Porterville, Rosemead, Fortuna, Ripon, Antioch, Northridge, Oakland and the Lugonia District of Redlands.
UFCW 8-Golden State is on the front lines of the big box fight, working with various coalitions, community groups and a variety of activists to stop the onslaught of the worker-hostile stores.
“This vote is a victory for working people and all citizens of Stockton,” said UFCW 8-Golden State President Jacques Loveall.
“When Wal-Mart and other predatory companies open gigantic superstores, good Union jobs are lost and communities inevitably suffer,” Loveall said. “That’s why this vote was so important.”
“We praise the courage and foresight of the City Council in protecting Stockton’s future,” said President Loveall.
Loveall said that Wal-Mart has cut health care coverage for its employees, while touting its alleged commitment to affordable health care.
“Evidence shows that the company is eliminating long-time workers and discouraging overweight or otherwise unhealthy workers from applying for jobs to reduce payroll and health care costs,” Loveall said.
“These workers then are forced to use taxpayer-funded community health programs. In the end, everyone pays for Wal-Mart workers’ health care,” Loveall said.
The anti Wal-Mart effort is having an impact. Of the 40 Supercenters planned for California, less than a quarter have been approved. Wal-Mart recently announced plans to reduce the number of superstores the company planned to open in 2007 by about one third.
Some 30,000 UFCW 8-Golden State members work in stores, plants and offices from the California-Oregon border in the north to Fresno County in the south.
Business Wire
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