walmartprotesters.jpg
"It's a small vocal, special interest group that follows me around, they have the same story. I would invite them to show us what their wages and benefits are, because ours stand up," said Spall. (AP Photo/File)

Unions question trustworthiness of Wal-Mart ahead of Bellevue opening

BY Tim Haeck  on May 17, 2012 @ 3:00 pm (Updated: 7:58 pm - 5/17/12 )

Controversy follows Wal-Mart wherever it goes. It's true in Bellevue where the nation's largest retailer is opening two new stores this year.

The outrage usually erupts in small town America, where Wal-Mart is accused driving mom and pop competitors out of business. But in Bellevue, the competition for Wal-Mart's new grocery store includes big names, such as Safeway and Fred Meyer. Those are union shops and union workers like Joe Solorio claim Wal-Mart's lower paying jobs and lesser benefits hurts him at the bargaining table.

"That's one of the main things that [company representatives] in bargaining say: 'Oh, well Wal-Mart doesn't pay their employees that, they don't give their employees health benefits.' But, Solorio said, "people fought for these benefits, they fought for our good pay."

Defending the company from union critics is nothing new for Wal-Mart's Jennifer Spall.

"It's a small vocal, special interest group that follows me around, they have the same story. I would invite them to show us what their wages and benefits are, because ours stand up," said Spall.

"Our average wage in Washington State is $12.67 per hour for a full-time hourly associate," Spall added, "which is well above minimum wage here in Washington, which is the highest in the country. We offer benefits to our full time and part-time associates and that includes health and dental."

When news got out that Wal-Mart was coming to Bellevue, the store commissioned a study which projected a $6 million annual benefit to the community.

"That's with the direct jobs, indirect jobs, everything we're doing, the tax revenues that stay in the city," argued Spall.

Critics published their own study by a UW statistician, claiming Wal-Mart's presence will not increase spending but will depress wages for other workers.

"There's not a consumer need, so when they come in they often displace those better paid jobs (that include) benefits, health care and retirement benefits, job security; replace those jobs with their lower paid jobs without those benefits," countered Tom Geiger, spokesman for the grocery workers union UFCW.

Geiger led a demonstration outside a downtown hotel where Spall was speaking to the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce. She said Wal-Mart will revitalize two languishing Bellevue shopping centers, one in Lake Hills and the other in Factoria.

"The local business owners tells us that they're excited, they (the shopping centers) have been long dormant, between five and 10 years each, they're anxious to see the foot traffic come through," said Spall.

Wal-Mart is known for its giant Supercenters. Spall said these new stores are not that.

"Both of these are very small formats, they're unique to the Northwest. This is the first time we're going to see a Supercenter under 90 thousand square feet, the first time we're going to see a neighborhood market here, so it's a grocery store and I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised when they go in and see this.

Geiger doesn't hope to stop Wal-Mart in Bellevue. "What we are going to do is raise the question: Can Wal-Mart be trusted?"

Wal-Mart will find out if it's welcome in Bellevue when the Kelsey Creek neighborhood market opens in June.

Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
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Comments (36)


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  • SgtFatso wrote...
    Stay Away Union
    May 17, 2012 4:35 pm
    All the Union wants is more dues to fill their greedy pockets. Have you ever looked at a typical Wal-Mart employee. There is not many places who would hire someone with that I.Q. Give Wal_Mart a break and stay out of their pockets Union Greedsters.
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  • RonJ wrote...
    The unions stopped
    May 18, 2012 2:19 pm
    being about their members long ago, now there just concerned about the union. If they really wanted to be relevant in this day and age they would try and understand what it takes to be competitive in the global economy. Walmart has it figured out, and for all you blowhard anti Walmart schmucks, you should also figure it out, not stand around on the street corner shouting useless slogans. The world is passing you by. Look at the retention fihures for Walmart employees. It is high. people who go to work for them tend to keep working for them. Your arguments are hollow and don't stand up in the light of day. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have positions for you.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Breadguy wrote...
    Walmarts = Death
    May 17, 2012 5:28 pm
    Sure, Walmarts offer cheap pricing, but they also kill off "mom & pop" businesses and other good locally owned small businesses. Walmarts go into towns, often smaller towns, and kill off any competition and pay below standard living wages. They offer no real benefits for medical, dental, or optical and many of the people they employ still need some form of welfare to pay their bills or eat. Just say "No!" to Walmarts and their small savings and "Yes!" to buying locally and supporting local and independently owned businesses!!!
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  • BigGovSux wrote...
    So tired of this narrative....
    May 17, 2012 5:47 pm
    Everyone needs to ask: Does a business exist to provide a middle class living to its employees or to provide goods and services to their customers? I've never understood the people who don't aspire to be anything more than a "worker". The gravy train is over! No longer can companies, in a global economy, afford to charge high enough prices to its customers in order to overpay people with no particular set of skills beyond what a high school dropout can do. Its basic supply and demand! If you want to earn a good living, acquire skills that will enable you to do that! Don't think you can scan a barcode, place it in a bag for 8 hours a day and expect that you deserve $20-some dollars an hour for something a monkey could be trained to do! The unions are losing all credibility....
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  • RonJ wrote...
    The unions
    May 17, 2012 6:35 pm
    have already lost all credibility. Look at Michigan and GM, union hacks making 40.00 dollars an hour to bolt on bumpers. And where is GM building it's newest plants? China and India. Way to go unions! Walmart is here to stay, get used to it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • black_bart wrote...
    If you do not like the compensation package wal mart offers....
    May 18, 2012 9:37 am
    The i would strongly suggest that you do not apply for a job there. Some people are happy to work for what wal mart pays because that is all their education and experience commands. All you do by stopping wal mart is take away decent jobs from the less educated and experienced workers of the state.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Mom and Pop
    May 18, 2012 2:21 pm
    are a thing of the past, get used to it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    Mom and pop
    May 19, 2012 1:07 pm
    are a thing of the past.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    Here's a fact
    May 17, 2012 7:08 pm
    A Union Worker in my industry earns $75K less than a non-union worker. Ok, so they don't have pay a $189 a month premium on their insurance...

    Your call.. which is a better deal?

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  • messiah101 wrote...
    cdbtx
    May 17, 2012 7:35 pm
    Apples and oranges Buddy,if the Union workers were doing the same job as the non union people and earning $75k less then why would anyone be a Union member?People fail to understand that the rest of the working public supports workers of companies like Wal Mart because most WAl Mart workers can't afford things like health insurance for themselves as well as their families.The WAl Mart official stated that the average full time clerk made $12.67 PH which is $26,354 gross per year and I believe that most WAl Mart workers are not hired as FULL time workers and so make much less $$$. You want to subsidize low income workers? I don't let the company pay a livable wage and benefits
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    What the heck IS your industry ?
    May 17, 2012 7:43 pm
    That would mean a non-union worker makes at least $135K. Dang good pay, unless it's Blackwater or running drugs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FreeRange wrote...
    Unioin Thugs
    May 17, 2012 7:46 pm
    Get over yourselves. If you want a better paying job, work to educate yourself. No one is forcing these people to take WalMart jobs. Also, it gives more opportunity for young people to get jobs. I am sick of this!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BigGovSux wrote...
    Exactly!
    May 17, 2012 8:38 pm
    Minimum wage laws are another "feel good" measure that ends up hurting the people it's supposed to help. When are people gonna wake up and smell the coffee? The Dems in congress are only looking to get themselves reelected! They, along with the Republicans I might add, are not looking out for you. The only one doing that is you! If you want to get ahead in this life, you have to take charge and make it happen. Stop sitting around and hoping that government is gonna do it for you. Nobody cares about you except you. The sooner people learn that, the sooner we'll all be better off...
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Big Gov
    May 18, 2012 8:50 am
    Yeah no one wants a raise,they are happy earning the peanuts that is a minimum wage.Does giving someone a 10 cent an hour increase in pay increase inflation more then paying a CEO a $100 million Bonus?As far as the cry that raising minimum wage a few cents costs jobs,well thats complete BS.And only a fool would believe that.Employers have people working for them because those people earn them MONEY and any company that would work on a margin of 10 cents or so per hour for an employee making or losing money for that company is NO business person.
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  • BigGovSux wrote...
    The Obama Reelection campaign
    May 17, 2012 8:44 pm
    Is hoping that this class warfare envy is going to pay off in November. Let's demonize the people in this country that have taken a chance, risked it all and become successful! What a divisive, destructive message. This country used to embrace and applaud success! Along with the fact that we all had the same chance to get there. Where did we go so wrong?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tuleman003 wrote...
    Go unions!!?
    May 17, 2012 10:11 pm
    My take on this is that unions protect incompetant workers(Teachers unions) and complascent workers(Boeing) by not allowing aggressive, fast-learning people to fill jobs that could be done by one person who could easily fill two union laborers' positions.
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  • mihalyim wrote...
    more protesters
    May 17, 2012 10:32 pm
    Does this mean that we will see union protesters outside wal-marts like we do outside Winco foods?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Op TK wrote...
    Everyone loves to point a finger at Wal_Mart
    May 17, 2012 11:24 pm
    but they're not the only "mom & pop" killers. All the big box chains are guilty of that and it's a trend that started 50 years ago or better. Check this out. You could take an average Wal-Mart and divide that building into 5 pieces. You could then put 5 small "mom & pop" stores in that space. For easy math purposes those smaller shops would employ 20 people each. That's 100 folks working in that community. The Wal-Mart in that same amount of real estate is employing 5 times as many people. So which is better? The Wal-Mart employees are making less an hour than their union counterparts but that's how the store affords lower prices and in the end it's really up to the job seeker to decide where they want to work for a union shop or not.
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  • murr wrote...
    hmmmmmm
    May 18, 2012 3:15 am
    I question unions
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Dear BigGovSux,
    May 18, 2012 3:34 am
    If you ever decide to run for political office, I'll give you some money!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    If you want to work forever [no retirement] . . . .
    May 18, 2012 4:05 am
    work at wal-mart. AJ do you shop in your local garbage cans and dumpsters? Your taking work away from union garbage men.
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