Wal-Mart and Black Ministers Vs.Chicago Democrats and Unions

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has won the support of dozens of church ministers in its long-running battle to expand in Chicago, a sign of how the recession has softened skepticism of the retailer in a community desperate for jobs.

The ministers, most of them African-Americans together representing thousands of congregants, are pressuring the city council to grant approval for a Wal-Mart "supercenter"—a store with a full grocery that also sells general merchandise—on the city's South Side.

Some of the same ministers as recently as last year opposed bringing the discount giant to the South Side, concerned that the company's pay was inadequate and that the store would hurt nearby businesses. But the need for jobs and tax dollars in the recession—along with a big push by Wal-Mart—has changed their minds.

The shift sets up a showdown between the ministers and another community group, largely financed by unions, that opposes the proposal, which remains stalled in the city council.

Is the Democratic party the friend of African-Americans in Chicago?