PROGRESSIVE ROCKLAND

Wal-Mart Abuses Labor Law & Workers

When (Wal-Mart,)the largest private employer in the United States
seems to be able to violate U.S. labor law with virtual impunity, 
that's a very serious cause for concern, both with respect to its 
impact on its employees, but also on the conduct by other employers 
in the United States.'

Carol Pier, a senior researcher 
at Human Rights Watch, author of 
the group's Wal-Mart report issued today

http://tinyurl.com/22zw5h

Human Rights Watch 

WALMART DEPRESSES SOCIAL CAPITAL

The presence of a Wal-Mart store reduces a community's level of social capital, according to a new study by economists Stephan J. Goetz and Anil Rupasingha.

Bowling Alone author Robert Putnam defines social capital this way: "Social capital refers to features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit." Social scientists generally measure a community's social capital by looking at such factors as how many civic and social organizations it has and the degree to which residents participate in public affairs.

Communities with higher levels of social capital are healthier and more resilient, and their members are better able to work together to solve problems. Economists have found that social capital also contributes to economic growth and poverty reduction.

"Our results indicate that the presence of Wal-Mart depresses social capital stocks in local communities," concluded Goetz and Rupasingha in their study, "Wal-Mart and Social Capital," which was published by the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

ROCKLAND WFP TO FIGHT MONSEY WALMART

At their December meeting, members of the Rockland County chapter of the Working Families Party agreed that they would oppose the building of a Walmart “Supercenter” on the site of the derelict drive-in movie theatre on Route 59 in Monsey.

Chapter members further agreed that it was not enough to just say no to Walmart:  that they should campaign in favor of a superior use for the land.  Some of the possible uses proffered were:  workforce housing with set asides for workers providing critical services such as health and child care workers, volunteer ambulance and fire personnel, or a “high road” big box store like Costco.

A small committee was tasked with developing ideas for alternate uses of the land.  An initial meeting has been scheduled for the 25th of January.  If you’d like to take part please call Tom at 504-220-3766.

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