GW’s Progressive Student Union will partner with a grassroots organization to demand that Walmart provide amenities to the local community, as the megastore nears development and operation at four locations in the District.

Walmart is still in the process of being cleared by the City Council to start construction at its four locations, one on Georgia Avenue in Northwest, two in Northeast, and one in Southwest D.C. But many local groups are already worried about the effects Walmart will have on the city.

“We want a commitment from Walmart to completely diverge from its past practices of abusing workers’ rights on many different levels,” PSU member Isaiah Toney said. “We don’t want them destroying small business by paying below the living wage, changing traffic flow dramatically and causing congestion, and increasing air pollution right in people’s neighborhoods as they have in many other areas.”

PSU will officially announce its demand for a community benefit agreement – or a legal contract where a company agrees to provide certain services to the community – on Monday, National Walmart Day of Action, Toney said. Over the last two months, members of the PSU attended a protest against the developer of Walmart’s Northwest location and ran door-knocking campaigns, handing out pamphlets and gathering signatures from students in Thurston Hall.

“We got 158 students to sign postcards saying they would support a community benefits agreement,” Toney said. He said he was surprised by the number of students who were already aware of Walmart’s history of class action suits and questionable business practices.

The agreement asks Walmart to do a number of things, including hiring its workers full time, providing them with a living wage and benefits, investing in local schools, churches, community groups and small businesses, and building and operating the stores using the most energy efficient tools available.

PSU member Michele Balsam said she feels obligated to fight for the community benefit agreement.

“As students, we have a responsibility to be aware that GW is part of the D.C. community, and as a member of the community we owe it to the city to contribute when we think there are irresponsible business practices,” Balsam said.