Trades Council
negotiating to
add union subs
Godfrey, Ill. — Walmart is planning to build an $8 million Supercenter here mostly nonunion — despite appeals from labor unions and local political leaders.
Dale Stewart, executive secretary-treasurer of the Southwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, said he was trying to work out an arrangement with Walmart’s general contractor to have the project built by union subcontractors.
The 184,000-square-foot store is being built off U.S. 67 near Illinois Route 111 just south of the planned extension of Interstate 255.
Currently, most of the work to build the Walmart Supercenter is expected to go to nonunion subcontractors — and most of them are from Missouri.
Two unions — Operating Engineers Local 520 and Laborers Local 218 — have picketed the construction site, Stewart said.
The picketing apparently resulted in tentative agreements being reached between Walmart’s general contractor and Local 520 and Local 218 signatory subcontractors.
However, there may be a problem securing the electrical work for an IBEW Local 649 signatory subcontractor and plumbing work for a Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 553 signatory, Stewart said.
Meanwhile, IBEW Local 649 has established a picket at the construction site, said Local 649 Business Manager Jack Tueth.
Local 649 is protesting substandard wages and benefits paid to employees of Reinhold Electric Co., a nonunion company from St. Louis, Tueth said.
It is unclear who hired Reinhold as the electrical subcontractor — Walmart or its general contractor, Ledcor Construction, a Canadian firm with an office in Chicago.
Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, traditionally has built its stores in the Metro East area with union labor — until now, Tueth said.
The selection of subcontractors from other areas to build the Walmart Supercenter in Godfrey has aroused anger in the community, Stewart and Tueth said.
The Godfrey Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution saying local tradesmen should be hired for the project.
In addition, Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick, State Sen. William R. Haine (D-Alton) and State Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton) all have called on Walmart to use local workers on the job.
“Right now, we’re still trying to work out an arrangement (with Ledcor) to have union subcontractors do the work,” Stewart said.
Back at the picket line, Tueth said IBEW Local 649 has about 250 members in construction — a dozen of whom are unemployed in the current recession. The union decided to picket the project and to man the picket line with its unemployed members.
Walmart officials said the new store would be completed late this year and opened in early 2011.
Godfrey officials said the new store will generate about $800,000 a year in sales taxes — doubling what the city now receives — and will create as many as 350 jobs, most of them full-time positions.
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