Daley's big-box veto holds up

Daley's big-bSeptember 14, 2006

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter


Supporters of a big-box minimum wage ordinance vowed Wednesday to return to the City Council with a broader ordinance that applies to companies with more than 1,000 employees after a divided Council sustained Mayor Daley's first-ever veto.

One day after framing the debate in racial terms, Daley got his way with three votes to spare.

Thirty-four votes were needed to override his veto of an ordinance that would have required Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers to pay employees at least $13 an hour in wages and benefits by 2010. Supporters of the big-box ordinance mustered only 31 votes.

Eighteen aldermen stood with Daley, three of them crossovers: George Cardenas (12th), Shirley Coleman (16th) and Danny Solis (25th). They were joined by Helen Shiller (46th), the only alderman who did not cast a vote when the ordinance was approved July 26.

After claiming a hard-fought victory, Daley extended an olive branch to big-box supporters. He offered to lobby hard for an increase in the state's $6.50-an-hour minimum wage and invited leaders on both sides of the divisive issue to "join me in getting this done in Springfield" during the November veto session.

"It's got to be a statewide living wage," he said.

Fight goes on



Ald. Joe Moore (49th), chief sponsor of the big-box ordinance, said he would join the mayor, but the only bill being talked about in Springfield would raise the state's minimum wage to $7.50 an hour -- the starting pay at Wal-Mart.

So, the fight goes on. Moore plans to introduce a revised ordinance Oct. 4 that would apply the $13-an-hour standard to all businesses with more than 1,000 employees.

"We're not about putting any companies out of business. But we want to make sure as many employees as possible benefit from this," Moore said.

Two years ago, a divided City Council gave Wal-Mart zoning approval to build its first Chicago store in Austin -- and handed the retailer a one-vote defeat in Chatham.

The big-box movement was born. A diverse coalition that came together to oppose Wal-Mart stayed together to push for higher retail wages.

July 26, their efforts paid off.

Outcome never in doubt



Over Daley's strenuous objections, the City Council voted 35-14 to require the 43 Chicago retailers with more than 90,000 square feet of space owned by companies with more than $1 billion in sales to pay their employees at least $10 an hour in wages and $3 in benefits by 2010. A $9.25-an-hour wage would have kicked in next July.

The outcome of Wednesday's vote was never in doubt.

As soon as Daley signaled his intention to flex his veto muscle, it was clear he could pluck off the two votes he needed to sustain his first veto.

The only issue was how many big-box supporters would join forces with the mayor -- and risk being targeted by union leaders in the February elections.

Before the final vote, the three aldermen who changed sides rose to explain themselves.

Coleman said she had a verbal promise from Wal-Mart to build a store at 63rd and Halsted, down the street from the new Kennedy-King College.

"I stand here because my constituents say they want the opportunity to at least be able to walk to work. ... I don't want to deny the 16th Ward the opportunity for some young person to be able to get out of school and walk to 63rd and Halsted if Wal-Mart chooses to come here," said Coleman, who bought her first prom dress with the paycheck she earned as a candy girl at Kresge's on 63rd Street.

Solis said it would have been better if Daley had attracted more crossover votes so union leaders wouldn't have so few to target.

Mayor not intimidated



"Some of us are being threatened that we're going to have opponents and they're going to have money and they're going to have troops. You know what I've noticed? Most of those people [they're] going after are African American and Hispanic," Solis said.

With Wal-Mart, Target and Lowe's all putting their Chicago expansion plans on hold, Cardenas said he was not willing to take the chance that the retailers were bluffing.

"Look around our neighborhoods. We've finally reached a point where they've become attractive locations for national companies to invest," he said.

Union leaders have argued Daley will pay a price for siding with corporations over the "little guy" if he chooses to seek re-election in February.

The mayor, whose relationship with organized labor was already strained by the 2-1/2-year wait for a new contract, was not at all intimidated.

"I don't even know if I'm running. ... Why would they threaten people? No one likes to be threatened. I don't care who you are -- alderman, mayors, labor officials. All the sudden, you start threatening people -- over one vote."

fspielman@suntimes.com