[lbo-talk] Boycotting the unorganized?

joanna bujes jbujes at covad.net
Wed Jan 19 16:55:57 PST 2005


It's really very simple: 4 legs good; 2 legs bad.

Get that straight, OK?

Joanna

John Thornton wrote:


>
>> Picketlines are not that complicated. When a union puts one up and
>> asks you
>> not to cross it, you don't cross. Period.
>>
>> - - - - - - - - - -
>> John Lacny
>
>
> This is certainly oversimplified.
>
> I have a neighbor who owns a small grocery store. He was head of
> purchasing for a grocery chain that closed their doors. He and a
> friend from that operation took out an SBA loan using their homes as
> collateral. Bill (my neighbor) employs himself, his wife, his mother,
> his wifes mother, his daughter, his son, a friend of the son, and a
> friend of the daughter occasionally. Both his children are attending
> university. His partner runs the meat counter (among other things).
>
> When they opened the store there was a picket line out in front. Bills
> is one of four non-union grocery stores in this town. Two are a large
> chain and the other is a sole proprietor similar to Bills. The union
> picket line moves from one location to another in front of all four
> locations. I support the union action with concern to the two large
> grocers, Price Cutter perhaps, I'm uncertain because I don't shop there.
>
> Bill worked for the union in his previous job and was always very
> pro-union. He did not however feel the need to make his entire family
> pay union dues as an added expense to his small operation. Through
> their stupid actions the unions have lost the support of a previous
> union member. Bill speaks negatively about the union from time to time
> when a customer brings up the picket line. He feels like the union has
> stabbed him in the back. The union looks foolish picketing a small
> store like this and it does their cause irreparable damage when a
> previously strong union supporter is occasionally near tears when the
> subject of their picket comes up in the store. Guess whose side most
> customers sympathize with, poor old Bill trying to make a living
> employing his whole family or the union?
>
> I like Bill and like shopping at his store. I cross that picket line
> every time it goes up. I have tried to converse with the picketers
> about how this is demonstration is counterproductive but they usually
> begin telling me how clueless I am and sometimes resort to invectives.
>
> According to you I am wrong in crossing this ill placed picket line.
> Am I a scab that should go fuck himself too?
>
> John Thornton
>
>
>
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