Labor union leaders today denied a published report that they had struck a deal clearing the way for the construction of more Wal-Mart stores in Chicago.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported this morning on its Web site that the stalemate over the retailer’s plans is over thanks to a deal struck during talks over the weekend. The newspaper cited comments by Alderman Anthony Beale, who has unsuccessfully sought City Council support for a new Wal-Mart in his 9th Ward on the city’s South Side.
Asked about the report, Jorge Ramirez, secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Labor, replied, “How about that? It’s ridiculous.”
Ramirez said labor leaders have not met with Wal-Mart officials since early May and have had no discussions about the topic with Mayor Richard M. Daley, who long has called for allowing more than the single Wal-Mart store now operating in Chicago.
But Ramirez said another meeting with company officials had been scheduled for this afternoon. The only hope for a resolution, he said, is if the retailer agrees to pay higher wages.
Beale did not immediately return calls from the Chicago News Cooperative, and City Hall lobbyists for Wal-Mart declined comment.
The council’s Zoning Committee was scheduled to vote on the plan for a new store in the 9th Ward on June 3. The committee’s chairman, Alderman Daniel Solis (25th), said the issue was taken off that meeting agenda because Wal-Mart did not have a majority of votes in the committee.
Labor leaders have blocked the expansion plans of the non-union retailer for years. Many aldermen have sided with the unions, which spent millions of dollars in the 2007 council election to unseat incumbents who did not share their views on the topic.
With another election looming in February, council members who want to keep their seats for another term appear leery of angering the unions.
Beale, Daley and other Wal-Mart allies argue that the recession makes it imperative to welcome investment in the city by Wal-Mart.