Wal-Mart Wages Cloud Chicago Expansion as Aldermen Sweat Vote

Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale called a news conference this week to trumpet Wal-Mart Stores Inc. bringing $8.75-an-hour wages to his far south side neighborhood. One hiccup: The Wal-Mart executive flanking him wouldn’t confirm the number.

The world’s largest retailer has only one store within Chicago’s city limits, and organized labor is rebuffing efforts to add dozens more. The unions want the jobs to pay at least 50 cents more an hour as the city struggles with an unemployment rate of 10 percent.