After Wage Vote, Walmart Scraps D.C. Store Plans
By Matthew Rocco

Published July 11, 2013

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) no longer plans to build three stores in the nation’s capitol, after the city’s council voted to force large retailers to pay starting wages that are 50% higher than the minimum wage there.

The world’s largest retailer also said it will consider its options related to three other Washington, D.C., stores that are still under construction.

The bill, called the Large Retailer Accountability Act of 2013, was approved by an 8-to-5 vote, even though Walmart had warned that the company would leave the district.

“Nothing has changed from our perspective: we will not pursue Skyland, Capitol Gateway, and New York Avenue and will start to review the financial and legal implications on the three stores already under construction,” Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said, referring to the locations of the planned stores.

“This was a difficult decision for us—and unfortunate news for most D.C. residents—but the Council has forced our hand.”

The district’s new law requires retailers with sales of more than $1 billion and with stores of at least 75,000 square feet to pay their workers starting salaries of at least $12.50 an hour, compared to the minimum wage of $8.25.

Unionized businesses are exempt from the measure. Large stores that already have a presence in D.C., including Target (TGT) and Macy’s (M), have four years to comply.

The bill is still not officially in place. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has said he would consider vetoing the bill, while Congress could exercise its local control to prevent the measure from being implemented.

Mayor Gray’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

If the bill is vetoed, the city council would need nine votes to override the mayor’s decision.


Film at 11... 🤦

spread the wealth!

Interesting how they wait for three stores to start construction before they pass the law.... bassards... 😟

Great way to bring businesses to the area!
Another well thought out Bill passed by the idiots in Washington!
No Walmart for you!

Why? Because they are a) already overpaid b) voted for Obama or c) both "a" and "c"

Why does Washington hate job creation?

Target and Macy's have 4 years to comply. I think it would funny if they complied by completely shutting down in the area.

Maybe they could start the Walmart union and be exempt. Could set the union wage at 8.50 a hour. Done.

there's lots of options outside the beltway... I don't know why they'd push it... I bet it gets vetoed.... 😟

I’d put and immediate stop work order on the current constructions while I “reviewed the financial and legal implications.”

I get started on this review as soon as I found the real killer of Nichole Brown.

I think it's kind of funny that you guys think this wasn't intentional.

As a DC resident, most of the individuals I know didn't want the WalMart there. They are happy they are leaving. I suspect a lot of the support for this was to discourage big-box companies from coming into DC. If you want to shop at big box, go live in the suburbs.

Picking winners and loosers via unfair laws is ok Vic?

Your friends represent all of the greater DC voting block?

Finally, did you snopes that?

I thought victor lived in Georgetown?

I'm not saying they're picking winners/losers. I'm pointing out that this was probably largely intentional as a method of disincentivizing these stores from coming into the district. Whether it's fair or not is another discussion.

Whether my friends are representative of the greater DC voting block is unknown. I stated the information I had, and suggested that I suspect there is similar drivers throughout the city. Feel free to prove me wrong.

But in the end, it's stores like Walmart, Target, etc... those are stores for suburbanites. The 3 or 4 times in my life I've been in a Walmart were disgusting. And I've been to a Target maybe a dozen times in the past 10 years.

it's no different than Z's HOA outlawing chicken coops to keep "certain" "people" out

Naw..that's where his beatdown rubby buddies live!

I'm sure Z's grandfathered in.

prolly. we all know his love for cox

Of course it disincentivizes them from moving in, but how about the stores currently in the area? Once they (Target, Macy's, etc) see they aren't hitting the desired return I guess they'll just pack up and leave. Thus, jobs lost, income taxes lost, etc etc, and DC has some big empty boxes sitting around. I guess they can turn them into homeless shelters...or prisons.

Walmarts bring an unsavory element into a neighborhood. Fatties, trailer trash with trucker hats... people wearing sweatpants outside of the house or gym... that sh$t doesn't belong anywhere I live.

Prude

Honestly, I don't see a problem to those stores leaving. There's one target, both times I've been in the 4 years its been open I've been disgusted by it. I don't know whether Best Buy or Macy's fit under the type of retailer in this law, but there's one of each. These things are popping up because the suburbanites are moving back in and bringing this crap with them. I have no problem if they close.