Rosenblog pointed us to two stories about a new Wal-Mart in Oakland that is … a success with its lower income clientele?

Any lessons for Inglewood and the City of L.A. here?

Bay Area blogger The American Thinker wrote:

Wal-Mart, the company liberals love to hate, has pulled off a triumph in the nation’s most politically left wing big city, Oakland, California. It has opened a very large store there, and it is a hit, even among locals who profess disdain for the union-free environment the company maintains for its work force. … It has been so jammed with shoppers seemingly happy with the bargain prices that finding a parking spot has taken some cruising around.

And the San Francisco Chronicle’s Chip Johnson said

… you’d have to look hard to find criticism from Oakland residents who live near its new store off Hegenberger Road.

For most of them — and people who work in the area — the new shopping plaza, which consists of about a dozen other stores and restaurants in addition to the Wal-Mart anchor, has provided an instant benefit, never mind the politics.

… The store’s trouble with labor unions didn’t stop more than 11,000 people from applying for about 400 jobs at the new store, or the throngs who flocked to its grand opening last month.

… It’s a reflection of how hungry people in these neighborhoods are for some retail choices,” (City Councilman Larry Reid) said. “I understand the position of unions and organized labor, and they do have a right to organize workers, but when it’s clear that a store like this provides a real benefit to our residents, we are doing the city a disservice if we don’t support them.”

While some groups have rightly criticized the company for its union-busting policies and low-wage job offerings, that’s not really an issue in an area with high unemployment and people desperate for work.

And since the store opened, they’ve had to hire more people to satisfy the demand.

“I think this is just great,” said Robert Turner, 35, of Oakland, as he sat down to eat lunch with a friend. “Out here, where people are struggling to find work, a job at Wal-Mart is better than no job at all. In an area like this that’s been deprived for so long, it’s a start.”

Even people with an ax to grind against Wal-Mart recognized the need for retail, even if a few of the city’s elected officials did not. …

Think the activists who killed the proposed Inglewood Wal-Mart in 2004 will take notice? Don’t hold your breath. One year after they killed the original proposal, activists dictated their terms to Wal-Mart: “living wage jobs (elsewhere they note that’s almost $10 / hour - ed.), affordable family health care, fair pension benefits, job training and advancement, freedom from retaliation and basic rights on the job.” In other words, union benefits without the union. That’s not going to fly at Wal-Mart HQ, and the activists know it.

The 400 jobs? Apparently they’re not as important as supporting big labor.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2005 at 9:59 am by A Senior Administration Official and is filed under Loons, California Schemin'. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.