The village of Ellenville, New York describes itself as a “cute little town,” and “one of the most beautiful, up and coming communities in the area.” This little community in the Catskills has three very big Wal-Mart supercenters within 21 miles, in Monticello, Middletown and Newburgh. The census count in Ellenville in 2006 was 3,926---a loss of 317 people since 1990. It’s doubtful that those 317 people left the village of Ellenville to move closer to a Wal-Mart---but for the people who remain, their cute little town is going to be turned on its head by a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter.
According to the Times Herald-Record, Wal-Mart has signed a contract to buy an existing shopping center called the Napanoch Valley Mall. The potential sale of the 20 acre property was announced by the village Mayor, Jeff Kaplan---who also happens to be the lawyer for the owner of the mall. Wal-Mart has put up $250,000 in an escrow account to hold the $5.5 million property. “There is a signed contract, but there are contingencies that we are finalizing,” the Mayor/Lawyer told the newspaper. “We anticipate resolution shortly.” Some people in the village are reacting as if a retail Elvis had come to town. “Everybody knows who it is, but you don’t really know,” winked Wawarsing Supervisor Edward Jennings. It is the town of Wawarsing which will permit the project, not the village. “They haven’t even been before the Planning Board yet,” Jennings said.
Wal-Mart, as ususal, played a word game by telling the media that the retailer does not “have any announced plans for Napanoch.” The Mayor/Lawyer, who clearly has known about the project for months, if not years, said, “This has been a lengthy process, but there is clearly more activity as of late than there was previously. We anticipate that it will be fast-tracked in the near future.” The Napanoch Mall lost its steam when its two main anchors, Ames and Grand Union, succumbed to competition for the Wal-Mart fleet of stores in the area. Several small business remain at the Mall, but if Wal-Mart builds there, it will be like the killer driving off in the victim’s car.
The owner of one of the remaining merchants in the mall, the Toolbox, had a sign in his window that read: “Think local first.” The owner told the Times Herald-Record, “The people need everyday things for the working class. We don’t need tailored suits. We need work clothes, underwear,” he said. And then, as a sort of humorless joke, he added: “They should have everything that I don’t sell.” It’s a cute joke in a cute town, but the Toolbox will be out of business within a year of Wal-Mart’s opening, and no one will remember the punch line by then.
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Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, with
over 1.2 million employees—but their employees have little to smile about.
Wal-Mart Workers on Public Assistance
Despite Wal-Mart’s mammoth profits, the company actually burdens us--taxpayers--with its workers’ health care costs. In a disturbing nationwide trend, more state studies are revealing that Wal-Mart employees are the top recipients of taxpayer-paid health care. The scope of this corporate failure is massive: Wal-Mart fails to provide health care to 53% of their employees, while nationally 68% of workers at large companies receive employer health benefits.
For those fortunate enough to be offered insurance, Wal-Mart’s health plan has deductibles as high as $1,000 in addition to many hidden fees. For example: a $100 deductible for ER visits, a $100 deductible for ambulance services and a $25 weekly “spousal” surcharge for health coverage. Full-time Wal-Mart employees must wait six months to be eligible for their health care plan, while part-time employees must wait two years to become eligible.
Following Maryland’s lead, states nationwide are trying to pass Fair Share Health Care legislation, requiring large employers like Wal-Mart to meet minimum health care coverage standards for their employees. Wal-Mart has threatened to end business in regions where such legislation is passed.To learn more about Fair Share Health Care, click here.
Union Blockers
The average pay for a Wal-Mart sales associate is $14,000 a year—$1,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. Wal-Mart mobilizes its incredible power to block union organizing efforts at all costs, sometimes in blatant violation of federal labor law. In California, for example, Wal-Mart is facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of 115,919 current and former employees who were systematically and illegally denied meal breaks while working for the company. In 2000, Wal-Mart closed its company-wide meat-cutting division after ten butchers in Texas voted to unionize their shop. Wal-Mart closed a profitable Canadian store in 2004 after employees chose union representation. Wal-Mart [reportedly] paid $50 million to settle a lawsuit that involved 69,000 workers in Colorado who had allegedly been forced to work off the clock. In recent years, Wal-Mart has faced legal actions in over thirty states for overtime violations.
Wal-Mart and Discrimination
Wal-Mart has been accused of every type of discrimination imaginable. African American employees and customers have both filed lawsuits against the retail giant. Disabled workers have sued Wal-Mart for passing them over for promotions. And Wal-Mart is the subject of the largest class action lawsuit ever, based on evidence that Wal-Mart systematically pays women less than their male counterparts, and offers them fewer opportunities for promotion. If you believe you were the subject of discrimination by Wal-Mart, please see an attorney. And if you’re concerned that Wal-Mart will treat workers in your local store similarly, let your local officials know.
- Location: Ellenville
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