Saturday, March 27, 2004.

Being wooed by Wal-Mart can be a dangerous liaison for a community, RA delegates learned Saturday.

Watching a video filled with painful stories from residents of Hearne, Texas, delegates witnessed the destructive actions of the mega-retailer. Many Hearne Main Street businesses - including one that operated for more than 50 years - were forced to shut their doors once Wal-Mart moved into town. The tax base expansion promised by Wal-Mart never happened. Instead it shrank to almost nothing because of the shops forced out of business. A bank manager reported that the profits earned by Wal-Mart left town as soon as they came in.

Former employee Edna Vinton testified that department managers went out every week to stores that sold similar goods, and marked Wal-Mart prices significantly lower. "After Wal-Mart destroyed the competition, they raised their prices," she said.

Town residents complained woefully about losing businesses, good citizens and family.

Even Wal-Mart skipped town, leaving behind a devastated community. Wal-Mart refused to lease its space to another store and used it as a warehouse instead.

The superstore is the biggest employer in America. Members should stay away, said NYSUT President Tom Hobart, because "the job you save may be your own." Most of its employees are part-timers who do not qualify for the store's paltry health benefits; the retail giant is facing lawsuits because of discrimination; it has lost several rulings from the National Labor Relations Board because of its anti-worker practices; and many employees have to supplement their meager wages with social services.