Thread: Wal-Mart halts construction statewide on stores

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandf...e/12987616.htm

Posted on Mon, Oct. 24, 2005

Wal-Mart halts construction statewide on stores

JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it voluntarily shut down work Monday on all seven stores under construction in North Dakota to check for illegal aliens.

"We wanted to be sure contractors are in compliance with applicable laws," said Marty Heires, a spokesman at Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. "We were not asked by law enforcement or any government agency to do this."

Heires said construction was halted about noon on Monday at stores under construction in Minot, Williston, Grand Forks, Dickinson and three in Bismarck. Work resumed later in the afternoon at all stores except for two in Bismarck and one in Dickinson, he said.

"Once we have assurances (from contractors) that everything is in order, we'll reopen them," he said.

Heires said it may have been the first time the mega-retailer had stopped construction statewide anywhere in the United States for internal compliance checks.

"We have closed sites before, but I don't know that we have closed every site in an entire state before," he said.

Wal-Mart, at the urging of law enforcement and immigration officials, temporarily halted construction of a Supercenter and Sam's Club in Bismarck on Oct. 18, a day after two illegal immigrants working on the projects were charged with molesting two 13-year-old Belcourt girls. Charges later were dropped against one of the suspects after authorities found out he was a juvenile.

Work was halted for several hours on Oct. 18, but resumed later in the day after authorities checked workers' documentation, Heires said. No other workers on the project were found to be in the United States illegally at that time, he said.

He would not say if Wal-Mart's own review on Monday turned up any illegal workers. "I can't give any details," he said.

Wal-Mart currently has 10 stores in North Dakota, along with the sites under construction, Heires said.

Well, this is good. At least it's a start for Wal-mart. Good for them. Perhaps others will follow. Hopefully it won't take child molestation of 13 year old girls to get it done next time. Maybe they'll do it before people and children are hurt for the simple reason that it is the law.

Walmart needs to check the workers here in NC, then. The last Walmart built in my area had nothing but non-English speaking workers on the job. My brother's company used to get almost all the Walmart jobs, but not anymore. He is now underbid everytime by larger companies that hire low wage illegals. Now, my brother has to take whatever job he can find, he refuses to hire illegals, he is a true American, hiring only legal Americans to help him in his construction company. I wonder why Walmart decided to do this? It's about time, I guess maybe they figured they got away with it while they could. Maybe they are afraid our government will actually start cracking down on these employers hiring illegals. All I can say is, "It's about time"!