As local business leaders met inside the Bellevue Hyatt Thursday afternoon, more than two dozen people occupied the corner of Northeast Eighth Street and Bellevue Way, protesting the impending opening of two Walmart stores in Bellevue in coming months.

Organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the protest was in response to this month’s Bellevue Chamber of Commerce luncheon, which featured Jennifer Spall, director of public affairs and government relations for Walmart in Washington and Oregon.

“The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce is bringing in Walmart and spreading all of this good news about them coming here,” said Tom Geiger, communications director for UFCW21. “But [we feel] the community doesn’t think it’s true.”

The protest brought members of UFCW, Working Washington and a handful of other organizations who are in opposition of Walmart’s presence in Bellevue.

“It’s disgusting when local governments welcome [Walmart],” said union member Mary Nguyen.”We should have a say in what our community looks like.”

Before the luncheon, which was attended by several Bellevue business owners, Spall took a few moments to speak to the accusations being made by the protestors. In regard to the supposed “secrecy” that the protestors believed was practiced by PMF Investments of Bellevue and Walmart, Spall said they followed all the rules.

“That’s just how land use deals are done,” she said.

RJ Williams, a volunteer with Working Washington, and Gerald Hankerson, a member of the Main Street Alliance, shared Nguyen’s sentiments. Both men came out to protest because they are worried about the negative effects that a company like Walmart will have on small businesses in the area.

“I’m bothered that the city didn’t even ask the small businesses what this means for them.” Hankerson said.

In this same vein, union member Joe Solorio explained that their goal in protesting the luncheon was to encourage Walmart to make a change. An employee at Fred Meyer in Shoreline, Solorio claimed he is looking for Walmart to “higher their standards so [he] doesn’t have to lower [his].”

Spall said that there is nothing she could say in support of Walmart that would ever change how the union protestors feel about the company. But she believes protests will stop when the doors open – especially when the community sees the potential for growth in the Kelsey Creek and Factoria areas.

“[But] the same people will follow me when we announce our next site,” Spall said.

The new “grocery only” Walmart in Kelsey Creek is scheduled to open June 27.

*This story has been revised