FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2012
Contact: Caroline O’Connor at (213) 400-8401 or coconnor@launionaflcio•org (coconnor@launionaflcio•org)
In wake of Mexican bribery scandal, Los Angeles
unions go on offensive against Wal-Mart
Demand politicians refuse Wal-Mart contributions; Plan for mass demonstration
Los Angeles, CA [May 14, 2012] – In the wake of Wal-Mart’s Mexican bribery scandal, unions in Los Angeles are going on a major offensive to stop Wal-Mart’s growth in that city.
This comes on the heels of a controversy involving the issuance of building permits for a Wal-Mart in LA’s historic Chinatown. The building permits were issued on the close of business the day before an ordinance was to be introduced in City Council that would have blocked the store.
In a letter sent to every elected official in the region, leaders from a variety of key unions call on politicians to return any campaign contributions from Wal-Mart and to refuse any future contributions. The letter states, “It doesn’t take campaign finance reform to prevent Wal-Mart from wrapping its tentacles around our political system in L.A. County.”
“Wal-Mart may sell groceries”, said Maria Elena Durazo, the leader of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, “but their biggest product is the creation of poverty level jobs.”
Unions and their community allies plan, what they are saying will be, the largest anti-Wal-Mart demonstration ever held in the U.S. on June 30th.
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Great job, on taking a stand against Wal Mart, we all need to say no to Wal Mart, and yes to Union Jobs, let’s all take a stand, and say no to Wal Mart.