Anti-Wal-Mart protest held in downtown LA

  

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A protest was held Friday over Wal-Mart's plans to open a new store in Chinatown on the edge of downtown Los Angeles.

The store would be much smaller than a typical Wal-Mart, about one-fifth the size, and would be the first of the company's so-called "neighborhood markets" to open in Los Angeles County.

The group, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, accuses Wal-Mart of failing to provide adequate pay and benefits for its employees.

"I have personally seen Wal-Mart take many measures that reduce pay and increase work for our overburdened staff," said Wal-Mart employee Angie Rodriguez.

In response, Wal-Mart issued a statement saying, in part: "In California, our full-time average hourly wage is $12.69 per hour, 58 percent above the state's minimum wage. ... Wal-Mart medical plans are available for as little as $15 bi-weekly and we insure more than 1 million people in the U.S."

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