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Grocery Workers Union calls for investigation of Walmart donations in light of Mexico bribery scandal and potential violation of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Statement of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770 President Rick Icaza:

  • Yesterday's front page story in the New York Times detailing Walmart's underhanded record of bribing its way into Mexico has direct parallels in Southern California.
  • Walmart will stop at nothing to get what it wants, and what it wants is entry into the Los Angeles market. In Mexico, they call them bribes. In Southern California, they are "donations" and "lobbying fees."
  • In fact, we just experienced a good example of Walmart's "by any means necessary" strategy when they used their influence to get permits for a Chinatown store ahead of schedule and a hair ahead of a public vote to review their negative impacts on our community.
  • Bribes, backroom deals, and influence peddling - the hallmarks of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is how Walmart does business in Mexico, and in our experience, it isn't much different north of the border.
  • I call upon Walmart and the Walton family to reveal all spending surrounding its campaign to enter the Southern California market, and for all local and federal agencies to investigate Walmart's spending and contributions.
  • Working families and the communities on the receiving end of Walmart's predatory strategies have long known the true character of this company. Now that they have shown their true colors to the public at large, it is incumbent on Walmart to come clean and government to investigate Walmart's questionable practices to the fullest extent possible.