Catherwood LibraryILR School

Wal-Mart's efforts to build on its foothold in the city of Chicago hit yet another snag Thursday when corporate officials publicly disputed statements by the city's zoning committee that a wage agreement had been reached between the retail giant and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. City officials hailed an agreement in which Wal-Mart agreed to pay a minimum wage of $8.75 to workers with a 40 cent raise within the first year, and voted to approve the rezoning of the Chicago property Wal-Mart hoped to develop. Shortly after the meeting, however, a Wal-Mart spokesman denied such an agreement existed. The Chicago city council is expected to vote next week on development plans for the far south side of the city, and the outcome of Wal-Mart's bid to expand is expected to serve as a model for the company's hopes for expansion in other urban areas across the country.