Some labor leaders and small-business owners are bristling at the prospect of Wal-Mart in their Queens backyard. And they’re eager to speak out on the subject.

As part of a recently formed alliance, they planned to take to the steps of City Hall today in what promises to be the first of many demonstrations to halt the bid of the world’s biggest retailer to enter the New York City market.

“The true legacy of Wal-Mart isn’t lower prices,” the head of the New York City Central Labor Council, Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin of Queens, said. “The true legacy of Wal-Mart is lower living standards for hard-working Americans.” Mr. McLaughlin is to speak at today’s rally.

From the steps of City Hall, the coalition will urge the City Council to conduct an in-depth analysis of the potential impact of Wal-Mart and other “bigbox stores” on the city’s economy. The coalition – which includes the National Supermarket Association, the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, and United Food and Commercial Workers, among others – will ask the city to set a moratorium on land-use approvals to big-box stores until the completion of the study.

Last month, Wal-Mart indicated its intention to purchase land at Rego Park to build its first New York City store on the site by 2008. If the purchase is completed and the city approves the store, it will probably be the first of several Wal-Mart stores to open in New York.

“We are interested in entering the New York City market,” a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, Mia Masten, told The New York Sun. “We think there’s a customer base there that we’d like to meet.”

The City Council’s economic development committee will hold an evaluative hearing on the impact of big-box stores today.

According to the chairman of the committee, Council Member James Sander Jr., the intention is to answer the question, “Are we putting the money in policies that can bring good-paying jobs to New York City, or are we encouraging companies that don’t sup port New York City values?”

Common complaints about Wal-Mart and some of the other big-box stores, Mr. Sanders said, include that they are receiving subsidies but are paying workers a wage they cannot live on, and that they have unfair advantages over local small businesses.

Ms. Masten, of Wal-Mart, said with a typical store providing 300 jobs and millions of dollars in real estate and sales taxes there was no question the store would offer benefits to the community. Moreover, she said, many small businesses benefit from the additional foot traffic, and accusations of unfair wages were untrue.