Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s administration is concerned about lawsuits the city may face if it enacts an ordinance that would require large, “big box” stores, such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, to pay workers a minimum wage.
Chicago’s City Council voted 35-14 on July 26 to approve the law after three hours of impassioned debate. The new ordinance would force companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and stores of 90,000 square feet or more to pay workers $10 per hour by July 2010 and $3 per hour in benefits.
