News

Reverend Jesse Jackson: “Wal-Mart – Benefiting All on Chicago’s Southside”

It is good that Wal-Mart, the city and the unions found common ground today. The Council’s vote to approve a Wal-Mart superstore on the South Side of Chicago demonstrates that diverse constituencies can work together to seek mutual social and economic benefit. People in Chicago and around the country need jobs, business development and healthcare, especially in these recessionary times.

Wal-Mart today is not the Wal-Mart of yesterday. For example, Wal-Mart aggressively worked to make health care a major focus of the 2008 presidential campaign, a benefit to working families. Building and operating a Wal-Mart on Chicago’s hard hit South Side will create much-needed jobs, a stronger tax base, and expanded business opportunities for minority and small businesses in the community. Eventually Walmart may learn from Chicago's robust labor partners that having workers' voices at the table is something to celebrate and not fear. If we all work together, the entire community will benefit and our best days are yet ahead of us.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity.  The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, please visit www.rainbowpush.org or call (773) 373-3366.

---