BJ's out Home Depot in

The city is allowing Home Depot to build a 135,000 square foot store in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. There was no major outcry from citizens, politicians, labor activists, religious, or community leaders. Why, When a year ago all of these groups came out against a proposed BJ's Wholesale Club? Well, first and foremost as Councilmember Annabel Palma said, "Home Depot is accustomed to paying a living wage". The implication that BJ's does not is deafening. This decision really reflects the importance that corporate responsibility is taking in the decisions that the city and the citizens make about their neighborhood. BJ's is notorious for not paying their employees a living wage. Finally, people from all sectors of the populace are standing up and saying that if, as company policy, you treat your employees poorly, if you do not provide benefits, and you do not recognize their right to organize a union, then you are not welcome in our neighborhood. We see this trend happening all over the place, like Staten Island keeping Wal-Mart from building stores, to the rally at Albee Square in Brooklyn last week, where Wal-Mart again was blocked from opening a store. Maybe BJ's will learn from this rebuff (most likely not) and begin to treat their workers with respect. We understand that it is now time to make work pay. By denying BJ's expansion into the Bronx, it lets them know that they will not be able to make money in New York City without recognizing their employees right to MAKE WORK PAY.