Monday, September 18, 2006

Chicago's Big Box legislation gets the boot

Chicago's City Council failed Wednesday to override Mayor Richard M. Daley's veto of an ordinance that would have required Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other big-box retailers to pay employees higher wages.

The Council voted 31-18, three votes short of the 34 needed, to override the mayor's veto of an ordinance that would have required stores with at least 90,000 square feet operated by companies with $1 billion in sales to pay workers at least $10 per hour by 2010, and to provide at least $3 per hour in benefits.
The minimum wage in Illinois is $6.50 an hour.

The ground breaking legislation was passed earlier this year, but then vetoed by Mayor Richard Daley. And since Mayor Daley vetoed the big box ordinance, WalMart representatives are reportedly planning on building even more. A report in Crain's Chicago Business stated Saturday that WalMart stores have decided to move forward with plans of building five new Chicago area stores, and may eventually want as many as 20 stores.


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