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WALMART SURVEY OF UNION

MEMBERS IN NEW YORK CITY –
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Douglas E. Schoen, LLC
January 21, 2011
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Overview
• This survey was conducted with a representative sample
of 400 union members in New York City. The fieldwork
was conducted from January 17 – January 19, 2011.
• The purpose of this survey is to assess support for
locating a Walmart in New York City among union
members in the city.
• The margin of error for this survey is +/- 5%.
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Overview
• There is broad support among union members for
bringing a Walmart to New York City. Over 70% of union
members support locating a Walmart in the city.
• Union members of all types – public and private employee
members, and union members of all sectors – support
locating a Walmart in the city.
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Bringing New Business to NYC

• Union members overwhelmingly believe it is important to
bring business to New York City. 98% of union members
say it is important to bring new business to the city.
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Bringing New Business to NYC

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Creating New Jobs in NYC

• 100% of union members say it is important to create new jobs in the
city.
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Bringing New Retail Stores to NYC

• And a large majority (81%) say it is important to bring new retail
stores to the city.
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Favorability of Walmart
• Walmart has a favorable impression among New York City
union members. 68% are favorable of Walmart, while
15% are unfavorable.
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Favorability of Walmart
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City

• We asked union members the following question to test
their support for bringing a Walmart to New York City:
• In the past, there have been proposals to build a large
retail store like Walmart in New York City. So far, there
are no Walmarts yet that have been located in New York
City. Generally speaking, do you strongly favor,
moderately favor, moderately oppose or strongly oppose
locating a Walmart store in New York City?
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City

• New York City union members favor bringing a
Walmart to the city, 74% to 20%.
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City

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Bringing a Walmart to New York City – Public vs.

Private Union
• Both public and private employee union members favor
bringing a Walmart to the city.
• Public employee union members favor it 73% to 20%, and
private employee union members favor it 76% to 23%.
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City - Public vs.

Private Union
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City –Union Sector

• Union members in all industry sectors favor bringing a
Walmart to the city.
• Skilled trade union members favor it 75% to 19%, health
care and nursing union members favor it 72% to 22%, and
trade/machine/operator union members favor it 52% to
20%.
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City - Union Sector

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Why do you favor a Walmart in NYC?

• Union members who favor bringing a Walmart to the city
say the primary reason they do so is because it will create
new jobs, followed by the belief that it will provide
consumers with more choices and low-cost products.
• The third reason for favoring a Walmart in the city among
supporters is that it will save them money.
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Why do you favor a Walmart in NYC?

Why do you favor a Walmart in New York City?
(two choices permitted)

It will create new jobs 70%

It will provide consumers with more choices and low-cost 62%
products
It will save me money 49%

It will save time and make shopping more convenient by 39%

providing a place for me to do all of my shopping at once

It will generate revenue for the city 38%

It will contribute to the community 32%
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Why do you oppose a Walmart in NYC?

• Among the 20% of union members who oppose locating a
Walmart in New York City, the strongest reason they
oppose it is because they believe Walmart will hurt local
businesses, followed by the belief that it will only pay
employees low wages with poor benefits, and that it will
only hire non-union employees.
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Why do you oppose a Walmart in NYC?

[If oppose locating a Walmart in NYC]

Why do you oppose a Walmart in New York City?
Two choices permitted

It will hurt local businesses 67%

It will only pay employees low wages with poor benefits 62%

It will only hire non-union employees 56%

It will impact the community negatively 35%
It will increase traffic and congestion 33%
It will not generate enough revenue for the city to be worth it 22%
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Locating a Walmart in Your Neighborhood

• 65% of union members favor having a Walmart in their neighborhood,
while 32% oppose this.
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Locating a Walmart in Your Neighborhood – Public

vs. Private Union
• Members of both public and private employee unions
support locating a Walmart in their neighborhood.
• Public employee union members support this 59% to
36%, and private employee union members support this
67% to 33%.
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Locating a Walmart in Your Neighborhood - Public vs.

Private Union
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Locating a Walmart in Your Neighborhood – Union

Sector
• Support for locating a Walmart in their neighborhood is
strongest among skilled trade union members, and
weakest among health care and nursing union members.
• Members of both public and private employee unions
support locating a Walmart in their neighborhood.
• Skilled trade union members support this 69% to 28%,
while trade/machine/operator members are split, 47% to
47%. Health care and nursing union members oppose
locating a Walmart in their neighborhood 33% to 67%.
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Locating a Walmart in Your Neighborhood - Union

Sector
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Impact of Walmart on the City

• By 68% to 16%, union members say a Walmart in New
York City will help the city rather than hurt it. 9% say it will
have no impact on the city.
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Impact of Walmart on the City

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Impact of Walmart on the City

• Union members agree by four to one (80% to 20%) that
they should have a Walmart in New York City so that their
city gets the same benefits that New Jersey and Long
Island get by having Walmart stores – jobs for residents
and local tax revenue.
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Impact of Walmart on the City

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Impact of Walmart on the City

• 79% of union members say it is important that in thinking
about if bringing a Walmart to New York City would help
the city, the store would bring new tax revenue for the city.
15% say it is not important.
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Impact of Walmart on the City

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Walmart Built with Union Labor

• Union members are more favorable to a Walmart in the
city knowing that the store will be built with union labor,
55% to 3%.
• 35% say it has no impact on their opinion.
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Walmart Built with Union Labor

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Employment Opportunities at Walmart

• Union members believe there are real opportunities for
employees to advance themselves at Walmart, 33% to
20%.
• 47% are not sure.
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Employment Opportunities at Walmart

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Walmart’s Contribution to Local Communities

• By 45% to 16%, union

members say Walmart
contributes positively
to the communities it is
located in.
• 39% are not sure.
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Walmart Helps People Save Money

• By 84% to 5%, union
members say Walmart
helps people save
money.
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Positive Walmart Messages

• Next we read union members some arguments that have
been made in support of bringing Walmart to New York
City. We asked if they found each argument to be a
convincing or not convincing reason to bring Walmart to
the city.
• All of the arguments tested well among union members,
with over three-quarters saying each one is a convincing
reason to bring Walmart to the city.
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Positive Walmart Messages

• The two strongest messages are:

1. Walmart will provide low-cost goods to consumers that

will help them save money.

2. In these tough economic times in which the middle class

is struggling, we need the new jobs and low-cost goods
that Walmart offers.
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Positive Walmart Messages

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Positive Walmart Messages

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Positive Walmart Messages

The second tier messages, which still received strong
support, are as follows.

3. With youth and minority unemployment as high as it is,

a Walmart in New York City will offer opportunities for
individuals to enter the work force and get started.

4. Walmart will help New Yorkers save money by offering

affordable products so that they can live better.
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Positive Walmart Messages

5. Walmart will save consumers time and money by

enabling them to do all of their shopping efficiently and
quickly in one location in New York City. City residents
would no longer have to travel to the suburbs to receive
the benefits of shopping at a big box retailer like
Walmart.
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Positive Walmart Messages

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Positive Walmart Messages

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Positive Walmart Messages

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Support for Walmart in NYC – After Positive

Walmart Messages
• After hearing the positive Walmart messages, support for
locating a Walmart in New York City increased seven
points among union members to 81%. Opposition to
Walmart decreases four points to 16%.
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Bringing a Walmart to New York City – After Positive

Messages
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Negative Walmart Messages

• Next we read union members some arguments that have
been made against locating a Walmart in New York City,
and asked if each one was a convincing or not convincing
reason to oppose bringing Walmart to the city.
• Union members surveyed felt that two of the three
arguments were convincing reasons to oppose locating a
Walmart in the city, but these arguments did not test as
strong as the positive messages.
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Negative Walmart Messages

• The two stronger messages are as follows:

1. Walmart would hurt New York City, as the small, local

businesses that make up the character of our neighborhoods will
inevitably be run out of business.

2. Walmart does not provide high-paying jobs with good benefits.

New Yorkers need a living wage.
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Negative Walmart Messages

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Negative Walmart Messages

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Negative Walmart Messages

• The third message tested weakest among union
members, as they found this to not be a convincing
reason to oppose Walmart in the city.

3. Committing to keeping Walmart and other big-box retailers out of

New York City will help protect small businesses and protect the
character of New York City as we know it.
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Negative Walmart Messages

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Bringing a Walmart to New York City - After Negative

Messages
• Support for locating a Walmart in New York City went
back to where it started at 71%. Opposing to bringing
Walmart to the city increased to 26%.
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Locating a Walmart to New York City – After Negative

Messages
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Impact of Walmart on Union Members

• Union members
believe Walmart in
New York City will help
working people in the
city, 76% to 15%.
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Impact of Walmart on Union Members

• Union members
believe Walmart in
New York City will give
working people more
choice in goods and
lower prices, 75% to
16%.
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Impact of Walmart on Union Members

• Union members
believe Walmart in
New York City will
create jobs for working
people, 83% to 12%.
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Impact of Walmart on Union Members

• Union members
believe Walmart in
New York City will help
organized labor rather
than hurt it, 32% to
19%.
• One-quarter say it will
have no impact on
organized labor.
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Labor Leaders who Oppose Walmart

• 41% of union members
believe that labor
leaders who oppose
Walmart are just
pursuing their own
selfish interests,
compared to 35% who
say they are doing what
is right for all New
Yorkers.
• 24% are not sure.
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Impact of Walmart on Union Members

• Union members believe a Walmart in the city will help working people
because it will create jobs rather than hurt working people because it
hires non-unionized people, 65% to 26%.
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City Council
• Union members say that City Council should not be able to pass
legislation that prevents retailers like Walmart from coming to New
York City, 60% to 27%.
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City Council
• 51% of union members say that if their elected officials
tried to block Walmart from coming to the city, they would
be angry that these officials are preventing the creation of
jobs and stopping consumers from being able to shop
where they want. One-third say they would be happy that
these officials are looking out for the best interest of the
city.
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City Council
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Shopping Habits of Union Members

• A vast amount of revenue is being lost to shopping
outside of the city.
• 72% of union members say that at least some of the time
they leave New York City to do their shopping.
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Shopping Habits of Union Members

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Shopping Habits of Union Members

• 26% of union members say that more than half of their
monthly spending is spent at retailers outside the city
rather than at retailers inside of the city.
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Shopping Habits of Union Members

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Shopping Habits of Union Members

• When union members leave the city to shop, a plurality say
they go to Costco, followed by Target and then BJ’s Wholesale
Club.
When you leave the city to shop, what stores do you
usually go to? (two choices permitted)

Costco 46%
Target 41%
BJ’s Wholesale Club 39%
Home Depot 38%
Walmart 30%
Kmart 15%
Sam’s Club 4%
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Shopping Habits of Union Members

• A plurality of union members say they spend $250 - $500
a month on retail and groceries.
• Taken into consideration that a plurality of union members
say they leave the city at least some of the time to do their
shopping, a considerable amount of their monthly
spending goes to retailers outside of New York City.
Thus, millions of dollars of tax revenue is leaving the city.
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Shopping Habits of Union Members

About how much do you spend a month on retail

and grocery shopping?
$0 - $100 7%

$100 - $250 29%

$250 - $500 39%

$500 - $1,000 18%

Greater than $1,000 2%