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City Council members rip Walmart’s charity of ‘dangerous dollars’

More than half the members of the City Council have fired off a letter to Walmart demanding that it stop making millions in charitable contributions to local groups here.

Twenty-six of the 51 members of the Council charged in the letter that the world’s biggest retailer’s support of local causes is a cynical ploy to enter the market here.

“We know how desperate you are to find a foothold in New York City to buy influence and support here,” says the letter, obtained by The Post and addressed to Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation.

“Stop spending your dangerous dollars in our city,” the testy letter demands. “That’s right: this is a cease-and-desist letter.”

Last week, Walmart announced that it distributed $3 million last year to charities here, including $1 million to the New York Women’s Foundation, which offers job training, and $30,000 to Bailey House, which distributes groceries to low-income residents.

Walmart, which has been thwarted by union-backed opposition for more than a decade, said the handouts “can make a difference on big issues like hunger relief and career development.”

The retail giant said its business agenda “aligns with supporting the local organizations that are important to our customers and associates.”

But Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called the donations “toxic money,” and accused Walmart of waging a “cynical public-relations campaign that disguises Walmart’s backwards anti-job agenda.”

Sources said activists will stage a demonstration Wednesday outside City Hall, tearing up giant, mocked-up, Ed McMahon-style checks from Walmart to prove their point.

A key bone of contention is the Waltons’ support of New York City charter schools. Since 2004, the Walton Family Foundation has funneled $16 million into the cause, including the DREAM Charter School, Village Academies and the Success Academy founded by Eva Moskowitz.

“We’re proud of the work they’re doing to transform the public-education landscape and proud to have played a small part in their success,” Walton Family Foundation spokeswoman Daphne Davis Moore said.

Walmart has raised eyebrows with its New York political contributions before.

As reported by The Post, former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz appeared to soften his attitude toward the company in 2011 after the retailer donated $150,000 to his summer Martin Luther King Jr. concert series.

In March, Walmart officials signaled a temporary retreat from efforts to open a New York City store after setbacks at a site in Brooklyn off the Belt Parkway.

Wal-Mart still not good for NYC

A study released yesterday by the non-profit Fiscal Policy Institute shows that retail is the industry sector that employs the biggest chunk of the 1.3 million low-wage workers in this city — that is, workers earning less than $13 per hour. Nearly half of these 176,000 low-wage retail workers earn less than $10 an hour, and the majority lack health insurance.


This re-affirms our belief that Wal-Mart’s business ethics and practices are not good for our city. There is more to life than cheap underwear.

Happy Holidays everyone.

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New York State's largest Grocery Union responds to Mayor Bloomberg's Wal-Mart endorsments

In today’s New York Sun, Mayor Bloomberg says of Wal-Mart; “Wal-Mart clearly shares our goals, and their commitment to public safety really is commendable,” This morning, New York’s largest Grocery Union was taken back by this comment and issued a response.

“With all due respect to the Mayor, I would ask him to take a close look at Wal-marts long, well documented history of being one this country’s most irresponsible employers. Wal-mart has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in wage and hour violations, encouraged workers to go on tax payer funded healthcare rather than provide accessible insurance, has allowed overseas child labor to produce their products, is a defendant in this Nation’s largest gender discrimination lawsuit and been responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and lost local businesses. Their overall behavior has been anything but responsible,” stated Bruce W. Both, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500.

Read the entire Press Release at Local 1500’s blog.