Rio Grande Wal-Mart Opens Today -- At Last

Press of Atlantic City, June 13, 2007

A new Wal-Mart that sat finished but empty for more than a year will open today. Meanwhile, a union rally opposing the giant retail chain is scheduled for this morning outside the store on Route 9 in Rio Grande.

The Wal-Mart was originally slated to open to the public in spring 2006. But state Department of Transportation road concerns, including widening of the intersection near routes 9 and 47, delayed the opening of the 162,000-square-foot chain store. Middle Township Mayor Nathan Doughty said the store has been long awaited and will employ about 350 people.

Jerry Chudoff is a coordinator for the Local 152 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, or UFCW, a union that represents supermarket workers among others.

"We're not going there (saying) that Wal-Mart should be unionized," Chudoff said. "It's showing the community that they know what the negative impact is going to bear."

Chudoff said Wal-Mart provides low wages and poor benefits to employees.

The union also organized a protest outside the store Tuesday evening, waving signs and wearing yellow T-shirts.

The Wal-Mart will open at 8 a.m. today, which is also the time scheduled for the anti-Wal-Mart demonstration.

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