Group Looks To Keep Wal-Mart Out Of Brooklyn
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Brooklyn leaders and officials rallied at City Hall Tuesday morning declaring the neighborhood of East New York a "Wal-Mart Free Zone."
Wal-Mart is reportedly interested in a store location in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
The company does not have any chains in the five boroughs, and many are concerned about the retail giant's reputation of paying low wages and putting local stores out of business.
"We need good paying jobs, not minimum wage jobs," said Community Activist Pat Boone. "We need employers that treat their employees fairly, not stores that discriminate against women and minorities. We need businesses that work with the community not businesses that do an end run around the community, or businesses that run our local stores out."
"Wal-Mart does not get their products from local suppliers. So it's not just the store owners that should be worried about this, but also local suppliers who are not going to have us to buy from them to sell them in the same community," said Supermarket Owner Louis Hernandez.
A counter rally was also held Tuesday at City Hall, with Brooklyn community leaders saying that they would welcome cheaper groceries and more jobs in their neighborhood.
A Wal-Mart spokesperson said while they do not currently have plans for a store in the city, they will continue to evaluate potential opportunities.