Plans to bring Wal-Mart to the District have been in place for nearly three years. Construction has already begun on three of the six proposed locations. However, a vote expected to take place amongst the D.C. Council on Wednesday could result in those plans being put to a halt.
The council may be adopting what has been referred to as “the living wage” as a portion of its Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA) which would raise hourly minimum wage by nearly $5.
In a letter to the Washington Post, Alex Barron (who serves as a regional general manager for Wal-Mart) wrote:
For almost three years, Wal-Mart has worked on a plan to bring new stores to Washington, and we are close to opening our first location in the city,” Barron wrote in the two-page op-ed. “Unfortunately, the District may soon adopt legislation that discriminates against business and threatens to undo all that we have accomplished together.”
If the legislation passes, Wal-Mart would be required to pay it’s employees $12.50 an hour. He went on to indicate that if the legislation passes, it would not only potentially compromise the future locations but also those in which construction has already begun. He concluded his letter with:
While we will continue to engage with the council leading up to Wednesday’s vote, we urge Mayor Gray to veto this discriminatory legislation, as it runs counter to every economic development platform that his administration has identified as a priority for Washington.”
If Mayor Vincent Gray decides to veto the legislation, he will need to do so with 10 days of it passing. It would be quite disappointing to see the District miss out on such an opportunity however, an increased minimum wage would be very beneficial to its citizens.
(sources: Washington Post, ABC News)
How do you feel about Wal-Mart’s threats?
-Jordan
