Organized labor has held a strong front against Wal-Mart’s attempts to open a store in New York City. On Tuesday CEO Lee Scott told the New York Times that he no longer felt moving into the city is worth it. Jesse Russell reports:

Organized labor is stopping short of calling Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott’s comments to the New York Times a victory. On Tuesday the big wig of the world’s largest retailer said he doesn’t “care” if the company ever opens a store in New York City and said the effort to break in has been expensive and exasperating. Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union President Stuart Applebaum said he is pleased with Scott’s comments:

[Applebaum1]:
We are pleased that Wal-Mart’s not coming to New York and they have finally understood that their values are not New York’s values.

Applebaum said that the RWDSU has no plans to back down. He said the fight goes well beyond just holding Wal-Mart accountable for values:

[Applebaum2]: We have to assert what the values of this country are. It’s Wal-Mart but it is more than Wal-Mart. 1 our of 5 worker sin the US is a retail worker. Retail has become the job of entry. In New York it used to be manufacturing, now it is retail. What we do about companies, employers like Wal-Mart, is going to determine the nature of our communities and our country.