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The group Walmart Free NYC released a study that, according to the Daily News, says Walmart’s designs on East New York would result in a gridlock nightmare. The article notes: “The report predicted that if the planned Gateway II shopping center included a Walmart, it would draw 10,692 more cars every weekday than the mall’s developers predicted in their environmental study. That’s a 32% jump in traffic, they said….All the new vehicles would slow traffic by 29% on the already congested Shore Parkway, the study found.” No word on whether the group is conducting a similar study about how a ShopRite might affect the area. Meanwhile, Gateway II developer the Related Companies tells the newspaper that the study is poppycock. In other Walmart-is-coming news, an article in Crain’s brings word of the following: “Walmart has reached a deal in principle with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York that guarantees union workers will construct or renovate any stores that the retailer opens in the city during the next five years. The deal is a coup for Wal-mart Stores Inc., which faces stiff opposition from grocery and retail unions worried that the retailer’s entry into the New York City market will put downward pressure on the salaries of their members.”
Brooklyn Walmart Foes Say Plan is Traffic Jam in the Making [Daily News]
Walmart Inks Construction Union Deal [Crain’s]
Photo by jerdlngr


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  1. The study doesn’t compare wal-mart to manufacturing, it’s a side by side comparison of their retail competitors. More people are on either welfare or medicaid who work at wal-mart than other retail stores in the same areas. Wal-mart moves in and the numbers go up.

  2. quote:
    Whenever wal-mart moves in, the percentage of people on public assistance goes up. California and Maryland have big problems with it.

    california and maryland are two totally different animals. we actually deport (divert moreso) a lot of our section 8’ers TO maryland btw. and i can guarantee you that if walmart did open up in east new york, a majority of the workers will be 18-24 years old, most likely already have a kid or two and on some for of public assistance already. hells i might even apply for a part time night or weekend shift myself!

    *rob*

  3. I don’t know about Maryland, but in California I’m sure that decline of the aerospace, financial, auto manufacturing, ship building, and general manufacturing industries had nothing to do with increased pubic assistance.

    Or perhaps the reason that all those industries left the state is because Wal-Mart moved in.

  4. DIBS- your estimate is way off. It would be a lot more than 5,000.

    Apparently, there are people who would rather take a low-paying job than sit on their duffs all day. Or, take a job at Walmart, because it’s a better job, with more opportunity for advancement than their current crummy job offers.

    And to the union – the crappy over-priced Pioneer markets that you represent will still be in business. So you don’t have to worry about less dues from your members – you can still have your annual convention at The Bellagio.

    Finally, if Walmart agreed to let the UFCW represent their employees, this so-called “traffic study” would disappear.

  5. Why ONLY CA and MD? If this were something endemic to Walmarts, wouldn’t all of them have this problem.

    Unless you can cite the specific examples and why it is so, I’m calling your bluff.

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