Students Tell Wal-Mart It Isn't Welcome in the City

Though it may target students looking for dorm room bargains, Wal-Mart was not popular among the Columbia students who gathered Friday to protest its labor practices and keep the superstore out of New York City.

In response to the arrival of Wal-Mart's new fashion office at 31st St. and 5th Ave., members of Columbia's College Democrats and the Working Families Party club joined representatives of Wal-Mart Watch in Union Square on Nov. 18 to spread the message that Wal-Mart should be kept out of New York City.

Some were inspired by the Nov. 13 release of the documentary, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, which accuses Wal-Mart of destroying small businesses across the country, discriminating against women and minorities, and abusing government aid programs, among other charges. Others just came for the fun of protesting.

"Wal-Mart is terrible, but really this is my form of entertainment," said Raphael Parker, an NYU Law student who spent his Friday afternoon helping to hold down a large, balloon-elevated sign proclaiming "Wal-Mart: Always Low Blows."

Columbia's College Democrats came equipped with "Wal-Mart Watch" T-shirts, though most sacrificed bold slogans for warmth, bundling their coats over the message on the chilly November day. Later, as darkness fell, the protesters headed to the fashion office, where they projected their slogans onto the walls.

"I think it's important to get the word out about what Wal-Mart does to communities," said Nickole Miller, CC '08 and the College Democrats' secretary. "It really speaks to people when we tell them about things like how Wal-Mart drives out local pharmacies and makes it impossible for women to get birth control-they won't fill the prescriptions."

Wal-Mart has come under fire recently for undercutting small businesses and forcing them to close, which gives the chain a monopoly on town business.

Joe Dinkin, CC '06, of the Working Families Party club, listed several reasons for his involvement with the event. Wal-Mart "does not provide adequate health care to their workers. They know that their workers have to turn to public aid just to get by-they have factored that into the cost of business," he said.

In the past year, Wal-Mart whistle-blowers have confirmed that the corporation encourages its employees, who typically earn less than $14,000 annually, to apply for government aid, such as Medicaid, instead of offering affordable health care coverage.

Terra Lawson, an NYU Law student, brought up another issue. "Discrimination against women is another huge problem; they refuse to promote women," Lawson added, referring to the fact that 92 percent of Wal-Mart cashiers and only 14 percent of managers are women.

Many of these issues are explored in The High Cost of Low Price, which the Working Families Party club will bring to the Columbia community on Nov. 29 with an 8 p.m. showing in 304 Barnard Hall.