Wal-Mart ordered To Pay $188,000 In Maternity Leave Case
June 12, 2005
Wal-Mart spends about $1.4 billion a year on advertising, and much of that money is spent cultivating a family-friendly image. But their track record on
Al Norman
Two Communities Add Size Caps To Keep Out Big Boxes
June 12, 2005
Sprawl-Busters traveled to the township of Charlevoix, Michigan last year to help that small community defend itself from a big attack from a proposed 157,000
City Plans To Use Eminent Domain to Take Homes for a Wal-Mart
June 12, 2005
A correspondent in Wheeling, West Virginia reports that “on May 3,2003, the THF Realty and Glimcher Corporation announced through our local paper that they were
Shoppers Urged to Avoid Wal-Mart For Back-To-School Supplies
June 11, 2005
Activists across the country are organizing an effort to keep shoppers out of Wal-Mart stores this fall when they stock up on back-to-school supplies. Wal-Mart
Planning Board Rejects Home Depot
June 11, 2005
The Miami Herald this week described the battle to stop a 152,000 s.f. Home Depot in Pembroke Pines, Florida as “fierce opposition from neighbors.” That
Wal-Mart Loses Appeal, Buys Land
June 11, 2005
What part of “No” don’t they understand? Sprawl-Busters has been following events in Central Point, Oregon, where the city voted to reject a 207,000 s.f.
TIAA-CREF’s Investments in Wal-Mart Stock Questioned
June 10, 2005
Activists across the country are urging the retirement fund, TIAA-CREF to reassess its ownership of stocks from companies like Wal-Mart that are socially deficient. Here’s
Citizen Pressure Pushes Wal-Mart Out.
June 9, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has received the following update from the battle in Titusville, Florida, where residents have been locked in a struggle to push a proposed Wal-Mart
Citizen Lawsuit Holds Up Wal-Mart
June 8, 2005
Residents in Papillion, Nebraska have forced Wal-Mart to put its superstore plans on hold. Here is a report submitted this week to Sprawl-Busters: “There is
City Votes to Limit Size of Stores
June 8, 2005
The City Council in Heber City, Utah has voted unanimously to set size limitations on stores that will keep retailers from building huge outlets in
Home Depot Pulls Out of Plan
June 7, 2005
Citizens in Acton, Massachusetts have celebrated a victory over the world’s largest home improvement chain. A developer who had proposed to buy a landfill in
Court Closes Shutters On Vendor’s Home Depot Lawsuit
June 7, 2005
Three judges in an appellate court in Santa Fe, New Mexico have reversed a judgment by a lower court that had awarded $15 million in
Wal-Mart Uses Hurricane Ivan To Attract More Customers.
June 5, 2005
A press release issued by Wal-Mart on September 17th. regarding the aftermath of Hurrican Ivan may have the effect of bringing more shoppers to their
New Film On Wal-Mart Due Out In November
June 5, 2005
Wal-Mart spends $3.8 million every day on advertising, so it’s only fair that the other side of the WAL gets a some public exposure as
State Considers Bill On Economic Impact of Superstores
June 5, 2005
An amendment to a bill currently before the Oregon legislature would give the city of Beaverton, Oregon the right to reject a big box store
Plenty of Crime Available At Wal-Mart
June 5, 2005
You can find just about anything you want at Wal-Mart — and that includes crime as well. Whatever kind of heinous act you prefer, you
Wal-Mart Upset by Phone Campaign On Ethics Violations
June 4, 2005
Wal-Mart is up to its briefs in legal problems, but the company wasted no time this week, in the middle of its hyped Annual Meeting,
Study Paints Grim Picture of Wal-Mart Economic Impact
June 4, 2005
On June 7, voters in Aberdeen, South Dakota will vote on zoning changes that could clear the path for a Wal-Mart supercenter. To help educate
Wal-Mart Tries To Keep Health Care Subsidy A Secret
June 3, 2005
Wal-Mart has a secret it’s trying desperately to keep in Minnesota. The company is fighting efforts to reveal how many of its “associates” get publicly-supported
Residents Say Wal-Mart Picks Inappropriate Site
June 3, 2005
It’s a common theme: Wal-Mart saturates an area with stores, and proceeds to propose more stores in more inappropriate locations. Here’s a first hand account
Planning & Zoning Rejects Wal-Mart
June 1, 2005
Wal-Mart has one strike left in Twin Falls, Idaho, having lost the support of the city’s planning department, and this week the Planning & Zoning
Wal-Mart On Verge Of Entering India
May 31, 2005
The future of Wal-Mart lies in its international division. While expanding new stores in many U.S. communities has become an unpleasant tug of war for
Wal-Mart Sues City Over Limited Hours of Operation
May 30, 2005
Wal-Mart likes to have its supercenters open “always”, but 24 hour retail giants are the worst neighbor one can imagine. In West Des Moines, all
Neighbors Ready To Take Wal-Mart Superstore To Court
May 30, 2005
A group of anti-Wal-Mart activists in Maryland has taken to the internet to raise funds for a legal challenge to a Wal-Mart superstore in their
Citizens Groups Upset With New Contract Zoning Law.
May 29, 2005
Effective January 4, 2005, cities, towns, villages and counties in Michigan have a new zoning law that allows them to bypass the normal zoning process
Wal-Mart Plans Shake Up Town
May 29, 2005
When the Sauk Herald in Minnesota published a story about Wal-Mart coming to the small town of Sauk Centre, it set off a flurry of
Wal-Mart Workers Health Care Costs Taxpayers $2.7 Million
May 26, 2005
Add the state of Wisconsin to the growing list of states across the country that have discovered an uncomfortable truth: public tax dollars are supporting
Why Don’t Wal-Mart Execs Live Near Superstores?
May 25, 2005
A local residents’ group in Lancaster, Massachusetts that has been battling Wal-Mart for more than a year, is asking why Wal-Mart executives don’t live anywhere
The Buccaneer Mobile Home Park Takes on Wal-Mart, And Wins.
May 22, 2005
A group called Saving Florida, Inc., a non-profit devoted to economic and political justice, growth management, and environmental protection in the state, has scored a
Wal-Mart’s “Project 700” Needs Public Welfare
May 22, 2005
Wal-Mart’s distribution system has been lavishly funded — not by the corporation — but by state and federal taxpayers. The Arkansas retailer has used public
Citizens Unseat Pro-Wal-Mart Officials.
May 21, 2005
In Rosemead,California, the battle against a Wal-Mart supercenter has spilled over to the ballot box, where voters took matters into their own hands. Sprawl-Buster’s received
City Sues Neighboring Town Over Wal-Mart
May 21, 2005
Because of a total lack of regional planning, sometimes neighboring towns part ways over big box development. If towns would work together to plan for
Governor Vetoes Wal-Mart Health Care Bill
May 20, 2005
As expected, Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, himself the beneficiary of Wal-Mart political contributions, vetoed a bill yesterday that would have required companies like Wal-Mart to
Target Wants To Add 600 More Stores in Five Years
May 20, 2005
The Target corporation does not get the same level of public scorn that Wal-Mart attracts, but the Minnesota-based retailer is really just Wal-Mart with an
Wal-Mart Opponents Hurting Company’s Stock Value
May 20, 2005
Wal-Mart investors be forewarned: citizen opposition to Wal-Mart may have an adverse impact on the value of your stock. According to a 15 page report
Wal-Mart Store Defeated
May 20, 2005
City Councilors in Burlington, Ontario have handed Wal-Mart another defeat. The Councilors rejected the recommendation of their staff this week, and voted against the giant
Group Wants Living Wage Ordinance for Wal-Mart
May 20, 2005
A group called Progress with Economic and Environmental Responsibility (PEER) are lobbying Columbus, Ohio officials to adopt an ordinance that would require retailers larger than
Super Wal-Mart Annexation Runs Into Super Opposition
May 19, 2005
It’s not easy these days for Wal-Mart to slip a supercenter into any town. More and more, all it takes is some heavy breathing at
Anti-Wal-Mart Candidates Sweep Into Office
May 19, 2005
Activists in Helotes, Texas have been fighting Wal-Mart for months over an area of town called the Scenic Loop. They may have scored a crucial
Another Florida Town Punches Back At Wal-Mart
May 17, 2005
Sprawl-Busters has been hearing from several Florida communities being assaulted by Wal-Mart. In Miramar, Florida, a group of about 50 people took to the streets
Wal-Mart Drops Plan To Build Two Stores To Avoid Size Cap
May 17, 2005
Wal-Mart officials have told the media that they are dropping plans in Dunkirk, Maryland to build two smaller stores side by side to get under
Residents Fight to Preserve Mill From Home Depot
May 16, 2005
Tonight, the City Council in New Bedford, Massachusetts will decide whether or not to tear down an historic mill building, nearly 100 years old, to
Heil, Wal-Mart? Nazi Ad Backfires.
May 14, 2005
Wal-Mart quickly apologized this week for a newspaper ad it not only approved, but helped to pay for in Flagstaff, Arizona, that carried Nazi imagery
Congress Wants Wal-Mart Wage Data
May 14, 2005
Fifty members of Congress want Wal-Mart to disclose data about the wages they pay their workers, to see if a pattern of gender discrimination exists.
Wal-Mart Plan Provokes Moratorium Response
May 12, 2005
All it took was the whiff of a Wal-Mart to convince town officials in Rotterdam, New York to unanimously vote this week to put a
Citizens Gear Up to Fight Welfare For Wal-Mart
May 9, 2005
I have written for years that Wal-Mart and othe big box chain stores are ruining hometown America, but this time it’s literally true. Citizens in
Wal-Mart Sees 4,000 More Supercenters
May 8, 2005
Despite the fact that America is already over-built with discount stores — a fact first admitted to by Wal-Mart’s head of real estate back in
City Refuses To Annex Land for Wal-Mart
May 6, 2005
Wal-Mart lost another battle this week in Jefferson, Wisconsin. The city’s Common Council voted 5-3 to reject the annexation fo two pieces of land proposed
Judge Halts Wal-Mart Construction
May 4, 2005
The Wal-Mart supercenter proposed for American Canyon, California is on ice for now. A Superior Court Judge in Napa on May 3rd chilled the retailer’s
Wal-Mart Squeaks Out Narrow Margin In Vote.
May 4, 2005
On May 3rd, Portsmouth, Michigan voters approved a rezoning for a Wal-Mart supercenter. The vote spread between the two sides of the issue, however, was