Overview
Wal-Mart is looking to open stores in all five boroughs of New York City. Right now, they are pursuing two sites in Staten Island: one in Mariner’s Harbor, and one in Richmond Valley.
Big-box stores lower the standard of living in the communities in which they operate, and Wal-Mart is the worst offender. Wal-Mart pays their employees poverty level wages and offers a health insurance plan that is so bad, many of its employees end up on taxpayer-subsidized state health insurance. They’ve been found guilty of a seemingly endless list of offenses ranging from forcing workers to labor off the clock, to taking out ‘dead peasant’ life insurance policies on their workers without their consent or knowledge with the corporation as the beneficiary, to refusing to pay workers’ compensation and firing those who try to collect.
New Yorkers need to know about Wal-Mart’s unscrupulous business practices.
A recent poll (pdf) conducted by "Citizens for NYC" found that Staten Islanders top quality of life concerns include overdevelopment and traffic congestion. Well, as anyone familiar with Wal-Mart will tell you, Wal-Mart is synonymous with sprawl and traffic.
Wal-Mart Free NYC needs volunteers!
As the campaign picks up steam, WMFNYC will increase its activities, with handbilling, film screenings, educational forums, lobbying local politicians and more. We need you to help out! Join the coalition, sign up to receive news and updates on the fight to keep NYC Wal-Mart free.