Chicago city council fails to override Daley "big box living wage" ordinance

Well, it's over. For now. The union-driven drive to punish successful "big box" retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot has failed.

On Monday, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley issued his first veto in his 17 years as chief executive of the nation's third largest city. He vetoed a bill that would have forced "big box" retailers--those operating stores in Chicago with more than 90,000 square feet of selling space--to pay higher wages than the Illinois minimum wage.

Unions have failed to organize workers of the big boxes, and like the teachers unions (Hat tip to Cal Skinner), they've turned to legislatures to achieve, or attempt to achieve, what they're unable to accomplish by utilizing collective bargaining.

In February, municipal elections will take place in Chicago, a city dominated by the Democratic Party. And as ridiculous as it sounds, Wal-Mart and the other big boxes will be a big a big issue this winter. During the ramp-up to the initial vote on the "big box living wage" ordinance, union big shots threatened Chicago aldermen with the promise to endorse and fund opponents of those who voted "the wrong way."

We'll see if they follow through. My bet is they won't. And as others have remarked, running against Wal-Mart is a loser issue for the Democrats. People like shopping there more than other places. No one is forcing consumers to shop at Wal-Mart. Or Target.

But don't tell that to Ald. Joe "No Foie Gras for Me" Moore. He'll never understand. From ABC 7 Chicago:

"Those aldermen will have to answer to their constituents. This is an issue that is popular in every corner of the city," said Alderman Joe Moore, the leading sponsor of the big-box ordinance.

Alderman Moore says it may have been ill-advised to go after only the big retailers, raising questions of legality, so he is drafting a new ordinance mandating higher wages and benefits for employees of all the big companies in Chicago.

"I can assure you that this issue will not go away, that the fight for a living wage and for a just society will not abate," said Ald. Moore.

Moore should stick to cleaning up his part of Chicago, the 49th Ward. Visit here and here for ideas of where Moore can start.

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