UFCW Local 400 President Mark P. Federici issued the following statement in response to D.C. Council’s failure to override Mayor’s veto on Large Retailer Accountability Act:
“Tuesday, five District of Columbia City Council members joined with Mayor Gray to announce that Washington, D.C., is no longer the world’s most powerful city — instead, it’s Bentonville, Arkansas.
“By choosing the corporate greed of Walmart over their constituents’ need for living wage jobs, these Council members and the mayor are pursuing a race-to-the-bottom economic strategy, where whatever jobs are created will keep our neighbors mired in poverty. These politicians’ action is also fiscally irresponsible, because the District of Columbia government will now have to subsidize Walmart’s $16 billion in profits by paying for Medicaid, food stamps and other public services needed by its workers.
“The mayor and Council Members Wells, Bowser, Alexander, Cheh,Catania and Bonds should know that in the next election, we will make sure D.C. voters remember that they stood with the Bentonville behemoth over Washington’s working families.”
