Wal-Mart Wants Mays Landing super center / Union members pack meeting before Hamilton Planning Board

Press of Atlantic City, March 7, 2008

Facing a pro-union audience of about 100 people, Wal-Mart presented plans to expand its Mays Landing store into a super center during a Planning Board meeting Thursday. The board had not decided whether to grant Wal-Mart final site-plan approval before The Press' deadline and was likely to continue the hearing to a future meeting.

Gerald Chudoff, union representative of United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 152 in Hammonton, said the image of Wal-Mart as anti-union isn't the issue. He wants the country's largest retailer to pay higher wages and provide better health care to its employees.

Also showing up were dozens of members of Atlantic City's Local 623 of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

Member Patrick Childs said they aren't necessarily against expansion of the store.

"What we support is for the Wal-Mart to hire local workers," he said. "Union workers."

The UFCW says that while Wal-Mart is one of the state's largest employers, almost half of its workers receive health care that is subsidized by the state -- a drain on taxpayers.

"It's a drag on the economy," Chudoff said.

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