By Jesse Russell

Working for a big box retailer in Chicago could mean higher wages. The Chicago city council approved a new ordinance that would make it mandatory for so-called "big box stores" like Wal-Mart to pay employees a minimum of $10 an hour with $3 an hour in benefits. Proponents of the bill believe it will help lift up working families. Opponents believe the bill will be economically devastating by diverting development to the suburbs. The bill applies to companies with at least $1 billion in annual sales, stores of at least 90,000 square feet, and employees who work at least 10 hours a week.