INTERNATIONAL LABOUR SPAIN:

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST MERCADONA:

For years now the Spanish CNT has been waging a campaign against the anti-worker policies of the Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona. the following is the latest action in the Spanish city of Valencia. To my knowledge the first English language account of this action appeared at the British site LibCom. Molly first became aware of this demonstration via the A-Infos website.

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CNT Demonstration in Valencia against the harassment of workers at Mercadona

Last Saturday, the 10th of July, a large group of people demonstrated against Mercadona in Valencia to publicly denounce the harassment which workers at this cruel business are subject to. ---- People started to gather in front of the Mercadona situated on the post road in Valencia. The idea was to demonstrate for an hour in front of the entrance of the supermarket to denounce the consecutive dismissals of various comrades and the harassment that continues inside the store. Comrades from Alicante, Elda, Alcoi, Sagunto, Pilar de la Horadada, Radio Malva and other sympathizers who wanted to find out about CNT's positions towards the abuses of Mercadona came. ---- People started to hand our leaflets and and we found out that the company had already learned about the call for a protest and had hired security guards especially for the occasion.

The business policies of this firm was loudly denounced over megaphones. A girl was discovered making videos and photographs of the demonstrators and had flee, to the astonishment of the passersby who saw the anti-union and espionage tactics typically used by Mercadona against all who criticize their abuse. In a moment of tension, a security guard hired by the company came out of the shop and tried to assault a comrade. He had to quickly flee and hid like a coward.

At 12:30 we left and marched in a block to another Mercadona located nearby. Hundreds of leaflets were distributed around the neighbourhood and the demonstrations of solidarity by the people there was overwhelming. A few people who knew the ex-workers affected joined the demonstration during its short but intense path.

At 13:00 we arrived at the shop on the 1 de Mayo Avenue, where a comrade who had been working there was a direct victim of the harassment and abuse of the coordinator of the facility. This shop had also hired security services for the occasion and two guards were observing us from inside the store. Many neighbours who knew the comrade joined in and refused to shop at such establishments. What surprised us most was the attitude of the two security guards who did not allow people who had a leaflet in their hands to enter and were grabbing them out of people's hands and throwing them in the trash. We also discovered various vehicles who were circling around the area and videotaping the protest; they were invited to leave the area immediately.

The event ended at 14:00 with shouts and applause for the protest and the combative nature sustained during its 2.5 hours. Thousands of leaflets were distributed and we managed to empty two shops almost completely. The whole neighbourhood was informed of the bullying practices of Mercadona. The comrades from Radio Malva did live interviews with some of the workers affected who told about their conflicts. You can listen to this here: http://radioslliures.org/audios/

More than five years have passed since the CNT started to take a stand against this cruel company: protests, demonstrations, informational pickets and a long, indefinite strike. The fight has just begun and until Mercadona stops its harassment, mobbing and anti-union repression, we will not abandon our struggle, even though the other unions remain silent and actively collaborate with the management to get rid of workers who are fighting for their dignity.

For more information on Mercadona and to access the forum, go to: http://www.cnt.es/mercacoso

MERCADONA HARRASSES AND DISMISSES THE CNT CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR SOLD

ORGANÍZE AND FIGHT!

Source and photos: http://www.cnt.es/noticias/cronica-y-fotos-manifestacion-en-valencia-contra-el-acoso-laboral-de-mercadona

http://libcom.org/news/demonstration-valencia-against-harrassment-workers-mercadona-14072010

CANADIAN LABOUR:
CUPW GOES FROM BOYCOTT TO ORGANIZE:



Last month the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) voted to end its almost 20 year old call for the public to boycott private postal outlets. If you are like 99.99% of the Canadian population your immediate question would be "what boycott ?". That says pretty much about the infinitesimal "success" of CUPW's campaign. Nowadays the actual Canada Post post office is a rare and endangered bird. To its credit CUPW has seen, even if only belatedly, that something just isn't working and given new conditions is even something of an absurdity . In that they are far superior to the average leftist organization.



The new reality is postal outlets in convenience stores and pharmacies, staffed by minimum wage workers, and CUPW sees an opportunity in this reality...to organize such low wage workers to better their condition. As an union with about 54,000 present members CUPW has resources for this even though the task is undoubtedly difficult for many reasons (small size of the workforce at each workplace, transience of employees, well practiced anti-union tactics of the chain stores,etc.). CUPW already has a small contingent of organized members (536) who are actually not connected to postal service at all, and in 2003 they managed to finalize their organization of about 6,000 rural and suburban mail carriers. This was difficult as said carriers were defined not as employees of Canada Post but as "contractors". It worked however.



One certainly wishes CUPW all the best in their new direction. It is certainly needed. One hopes that this also means drives to organize other workers in this sector such as couriers and other communications workers. Here's how CUPW put their new direction in their website.
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Private postal outlet boycott ends
– Campaign to organize private outlet workers begins


The National Executive Board (NEB) of CUPW unanimously voted in June to end the two-decade old boycott of private postal outlets and franchises.

The union believes this move is necessary for a variety of reasons.

Many communities do not have public post offices. They only have private outlets. It is very difficult for people to boycott private postal outlets and franchises when it is the only service they have.

Also, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the union to organize workers at private outlets if we continue the boycott. These workers are not likely to want to join a union that wants to put them out of work.

The union's decision to end the boycott does not mean we support the privatization of postal services

But private postal outlets are a reality. And allowing the employees who work in these outlets to make less than us does not help us.

Organizing will help us

As you know, the union’s main job is to negotiate collective agreements for its members. Most members expect the union to negotiate better wages and working conditions. Most employers resist union efforts to make improvements. Canada Post, for example, constantly compares our members’ wages and working conditions to the less favourable wages and working conditions of similar workers.

During negotiations, management negotiators say “You don’t need an increase or a break. You’re already doing better than most workers.” Or they say, “We'd like to contract out because it’s cheaper.” But if we raise the wages and working conditions of workers who are employed at franchises and private postal outlets, we will be able to eliminate the comparisons that hurt us at the bargaining table and we will also take away Canada Post’s incentive to contract out.

In short, organizing is the right thing to do and it is also the best way to protect members.

CUPW is currently organizing franchise workers in Montreal and elsewhere.

CANADIAN LABOUR- ONTARIO:

BOYCOTT SEARS:

On April 1 2010 (no foolin') Sears Canada locked out almost 500 employees at their distribution warehouse in Vaughan Ontario. This was in response to the employees, represented by United Steel Workers Local 9537, refusal to accept across the board cutbacks in both wages and benefits. Since then Local 9537 has garnered support form numerous other labour organizations in Canada and has called for a boycott of Sears to put pressure on the company to deal reasonably. They have a Facebook page for the boycott that you can check out for ongoing information. On April 27 the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) called for endorsement of the boycott. The Sears workers and their supporters want you to boycott Sears until this dispute is resolved and to spread the word as much as possible. You might also want to write Sears management about the matter. Here's a list of Sears executives.

The following is a list of email addresses of corporate executives and the corporate head office address of Sears Canada Inc.:

**Dene L. Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer - drogers@sears.ca
**Allen Ravas, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer - aravas@sears.ca
**Tim Flemming, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Procurement and Supply Chain - tflemmi@sears.ca
**Dennis Singh, Senior Vice-President, Retail Stores - dsingh@sears.ca
**Vincent Power, Corporate Communications - vpower@sears.ca

Sears Canada Inc.
290 Yonge St., Suite 700
Toronto, Ontario
M5B 2C3

CANADIAN LABOUR:

BOYCOTT SKLAR PEPPLER, ALAN WHITE FURNITURE:

The Sklar Peppler plant in Ajax Ontario is one of those where "bankruptcy pays", at least for corporate management, as detailed in the story below. Not so for the workers laid off during the wheeling and dealing. The United Steelworkers reports that the Canadian Labour Congress has called for a national boycott of Sklar Peppler and Alan White Furniture in response to the underhanded way that workers at the plant have been treated. Here's the story from the Steelworkers' website. The news is not yet up at the CLC website, but it likely will be shortly.

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National Boycott of Sklar Peppler, Alan White Furniture

RELEASE, 13 April, 2010 - About 100 Steelworkers lost their jobs when a Canadian plant was closed and production shifted to Mississippi.

In support of 100 Steelworkers who lost their jobs and severance pay, the Canadian Labour Congress is asking its three million members to boycott Sklar Peppler, AW Manufacturing Inc. and Alan White brand furniture products.

After moving to Ajax from Whitby in 2006, furniture manufacturer Sklar Peppler went into bankruptcy in August 2008, affecting about 100 Steelworkers.

“The President of Sklar Peppler bought the company’s assets out of bankruptcy in late 2008 and proceeded to close the facility,” notes Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada. “He then bought AW Manufacturing Inc., another furniture manufacturer in Mississippi, and now uses product from that plant in Mississippi to sell to Sklar’s customers.

“The hard-working Steelworkers that were employed by Sklar Peppler in Canada not only lost their jobs, they lost their severance pay in the bankruptcy proceedings,” Neumann says.

“The Canadian Labour Congress has endorsed a national consumer boycott against Sklar Peppler, Alan White branded furniture and its manufacturer AW Manufacturing,” says CLC President Ken Georgetti.

CANADIAN LABOUR- SUDBURY:

CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF LOBLAWS:

Sudbury apparently has more than one labour dispute going on. The management of National Grocers have decided to close their warehouse in Sudbury. As if the prospect of losing one's job was not enough the workers were offered the bare legal minimum in terms of severance pay. The RWDSU union (the UFCW affiliate, not the more radical Western Canadian RWDSU who actually list the Canadian IWW in their links) who represent them are protesting this action and are calling for a boycott of Loblaws. Loblaws is, of course, part of the international Weston empire, and it goes under many aliases. These include Superstore, Great Food, Zehrs, Maxi & Cie, T & T Supermarket, Provigo and others. See this link for full details including their franchises. A local Sudbury boycott has little chance of success. A national (or international ?) one might be more likely to succeed. Of course the ultimate 'deal maker' would be an occupation of the warehouse before the goods were removed. Here's the story from the Sudbury Star.

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Union calls on citizens to boycott Loblaw products

Posted By JESSY BRUNETTE, FOR THE SUDBURY STAR


Sudburians who want to show their support for National Grocers employees based in Sudbury who are losing their jobs should boycott Loblaw products in protest until the company improves its severance offer, say the workers.

"We're calling for a boycott of all President's Choice and No Name products and telling everyone to shop at Metro," said Bruce Lawrence, who has worked for 38 years at National Grocers.


Lawrence said the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union has always worked well with National Grocers in Sudbury.

"Why are they treating us like this now?" he asked.

Lawrence and the union are upset Loblaw is offering one week's pay for each year worked up to a cap of $25,000.

"Basically, the company has offered the minimum wage for employment standards," said Derik McArthur, the union's Northern Joint Council president. "They can't offer anything lower because it's against the law."

McArthur said the last day of work for union members will probably be April 24.

"Loblaw has once again shown its lack of caring and compassion for its employees, their families and the communities they operate in," he said.

"Generally, a company will pay employment standard severance if they are going out of business. This is certainly not the case for Canada's largest food retailer."

McArthur said the severance offered here is lower than what displaced workers in southern Ontario received.

The union and Loblaw met last week to discuss the pay.

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"They said this is the new direction the company is taking," McArthur said. "Oddly enough, on the same day, there was a bakery in Quebec, a Westons bakery that is connected to Loblaw, that said in a press release they were to receive well above the standard requirements and relocation assistance.

"We're not asking for anything more than what everyone else is getting. We're asking for equality."

Julija Hunter, Loblaw Companies Limited's vice-president of public relations, said Tuesday details of severance packages are confidential and it would be inappropriate for the company to comment.

"We thank our colleagues for their dedication and appreciate their hard work," she said. "We have honoured the terms of our collective agreement with the union and provincial labour laws."

In early March, Loblaw Companies Limited announced it was closing its massive National Grocers warehouse on Lorne Street, throwing more than 125 people out of work. The union represents 107 of the warehouse's employees.

Loblaw Companies said it was making the move to realign its distribution centres from five facilities to four in Ontario.

The Lorne Street warehouse supplies non-perishable food to Loblaw-affiliated stores across northeastern Ontario, including stores in Greater Sudbury, New Liskeard, Manitoulin Island, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. Store banners include Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, Freshmart and Valumart.

The union held a rally at the Lorne Street warehouse. Horns were honking, people were yelling and songs about unions and replacement workers blared outside the warehouse during the demonstration.

Darrin Paquette has worked at National Grocers for 24 years and said he is "very disappointed" with the severance pay.

"We were counting on something similar they offered to the branches in southern Ontario," Paquette said.

Paquette added the support received from the community yesterday was great.

"We've got the Steelworkers here and lots of horns," he said. "The people who are driving by seem to be supportive."

At 33, Steve Patay has to find a new job to support his two young boys. He has been working at the warehouse for 15 years.

"It's just horrible, they are not giving us enough notice," Patay said. "They are giving us the bare minimum and it's leaving a lot of the guys high and dry. Lots of people with families work here. It's not enough time to put anything in order.

"All the others branches had a year or six months notice. And it's literally nothing here."

AMERICAN LABOUR - RHODE ISLAND:

SUPPORT PROVIDENCE HOTEL WORKERS:

Workers at the Westin Providence Hotel in Rhode Island have been hit with unparalled employer demands. As part of the fight back the people involved have called for a boycott of the hotel. Here's the story from the Jobs With Justice network.

RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI

Support Westin Providence Workers
The Westin Providence Hotel unilaterally imposed a twenty percent reduction in wages for all workers. They tripled employees' health insurance costs and significantly reduced employees' sick days, vacations, and holidays. Tell the Westin owners to stop using the economic crisis as an excuse to unnecessarily slash wages and benefits.
Tell me more

RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI

Please go to this link to sign the following petition in support of the boycott called for by the hotel workers.

RIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRIRI
Full Petition Text:
We stand in solidarity with the Westin Providence Hotel workers. We will stand behind the boycott called by the Westin Providence workers and will support any strike called by the workers.

We call on the Westin Providence Hotel to respect their workers and to respect the work that made the Westin Providence Hotel a success.

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:

AN XL BEEF BOYCOTT -FINALLY:

Last November 24 Molly reported (one of three reports on the subject here at Molly's Blog) on the call on the part of locked out workers at XL Foods in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan for a boycott of XL products. At the time I had some rather harsh words for the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) and their hesitation in calling for such a boycott. That hesitation, I am happy to say, is over, and the SFL has called for a boycott in support of the workers who have been locked out since the beginning of last September. Better late than never I guess. Here's the story from The Canadian Cattlemen.

MJMJMJMJMJMJMJ

Sask. unions call for XL boycott over lockout:
With no new talks in sight to end a lockout at XL Foods' beef processing plant at Moose Jaw, Sask., the province's labour leaders have called for a boycott of the Alberta parent company's beef.

As of Wednesday, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada) Local 1400, which represents 200 employees at the Moose Jaw plant, reported no bargaining dates have been set and XL Foods has yet to respond since the workers voted in October to reject its last offer.

The workers, who have been without a contract since the end of January, came back in September from a five-month shutdown to be greeted by a company-imposed lockout, then rejected an XL Foods contract offer later that month.

"XL Foods locked out those workers to put pressure on them to accept concessions at the bargaining table," the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour said in a statement.

The Regina-based SFL, the overarching body for unionized labour in the province, urged in its statement that consumers "ask where (the) meat comes from" at grocery stores and meat markets, and not to buy if the answer is XL Foods.

"If you are at a restaurant, ask where the beef is coming from; if the answer is XL Foods, consider some other product," the SFL said.

It also recommended that consumers ask those questions every time they buy beef, as businesses may switch suppliers often for better pricing.

UFCW president Norm Neault said recently members have been distributing leaflets with the same general message.

Neault said he had yet to hear from XL but recently had heard from a provincial conciliator.

Unionized employees walking the line at the Moose Jaw facility recently got a boost in picket pay, he said, as affiliated unions in the U.S. raised money to support the locked-out staff.

That news was offset by a recent ruling from the federal Employment Insurance program, which according to Neault said the locked-out workers are not entitled to EI benefits relating to their layoffs beyond XL's originally scheduled recall date of Sept. 28, 2009. The company by that time had announced the lockout.

The UFCW noted that its Local 401 is also currently in talks with XL at the company's Calgary beef plant. UFCW-represented staff at that plant have been working under the terms of their last contract, which expired at the end of March 2009.

Bargaining sessions between the union and XL in Calgary are scheduled for Feb. 23 and 25, UFCW staff in Regina said.

Bargaining is also expected to begin in early 2010 for unionized staff at XL's plant at Brooks, Alta.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

VICTORY AT WILD EDIBLES:

The following story is from the website of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). The organization Brandworkers International is a social advocacy coalition that has fought this particular campaign for over two years, waging a boycott that eventually forced Wild Edibles management to settle with the workers. Here's the story.

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After Hard-Fought Campaign, Workers Achieve Victory At Wild Edibles!:
For Immediate Release:

Brandworkers

January 20, 2010

Contact: press (at) brandworkers.org

Workers Reach Comprehensive Settlement with Prominent Seafood Company

Protracted Grassroots Campaign Saw Over 75 Leading Restaurants Stop Serving Wild Edibles Products

New York, NY- Lawyers filed with a federal bankruptcy judge a global settlement agreement totaling over $340,000 and containing strong workplace protections in a high-profile set of litigation brought by workers against one of New York's leading seafood companies, Wild Edibles, Inc.

The comprehensive settlement comes after a bitterly-contested campaign in which some two-dozen recent immigrant workers and their non-profit organization, Brandworkers, used grassroots actions, media advocacy, and community organizing in an effort to win legal accountability at Wild Edibles, which supplies seafood to some of NYC's most famed restaurants in addition to operating retail seafood outlets.

"We're on top of the world today because more than anything we showed that ordinary workers can get organized, take action together, and win," said Raymundo Lara Molina, a former Wild Edibles employee and member of Brandworkers.

The parties are requesting that the judge, Robert E. Gerber, of Federal Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, approve a settlement for over $340,000 in unpaid overtime as well as compensation for workers who were retaliated against for asserting their rights; a binding protective mechanism for collective activity; and an enforceable commitment to place Wild Edibles into compliance with all workplace laws including health & safety and anti-discrimination protections.

The settlement would resolve outstanding litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act and National Labor Relations Act in addition to state law claims and ensure that Wild Edibles, which brought unsuccessful legal claims against the Brandworkers campaign, would refrain from filing further suits. The agreement should allow Wild Edibles to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after being laid low by the workers' spirited campaign.

"In this economic downturn, it's more important than ever that workers' rights are respected and wage theft is not tolerated," said Cesar Barturen, a former driver at Wild Edibles and a member of Brandworkers. "The message we're sending today is that there's great power in workers taking on our problems together and speaking in a collective voice."

In a campaign that stretched over two years, workers and supporters persuaded over 75 of New York's leading fine-dining restaurants to stop serving seafood from Wild Edibles until workers' rights were respected. The workers attracted prominent supporters along the way including clergy and then City Council Member Eric Gioia, whose district included the Wild Edibles processing facility.

The workers effort at Wild Edibles was part of the Brandworkers Focus on the Food Chain initiative which is promoting a sustainable food system that incorporates respect for workers' human rights. Thousands of recent immigrants labor out of sight in NYC's food processing sector, often in workplaces where legal rights are routinely violated. Focus on the Chain provides workers with legal, advocacy, and organizing tools to win justice at work and broadcast a collective voice in the public arena.

The workers' campaign received critical support from the Industrial Workers of the World; the Law Office of Rankin and Taylor; Levy Ratner; the Urban Justice Center; Debevoise & Plimpton; and Vladeck Waldman, among many others.

Brandworkers is a New York-based non-profit organization protecting and advancing the rights of retail and food employees. The organization topped off 2009 by receiving the highly-regarded Union Square Award for pursuing social justice through grassroots mobilization.
Related Links
Foodstuff Workers Industrial Union 460
New York City GMB

CANADIAN LABOUR/AMERICAN LABOUR:

THE UNION HOTEL GUIDE:

Planning on getting away from it all for the holidays ? If so this item from the AFL-CIO Blog may be of interest. A guide to which hotels are unionized, a better deal because it's a fairer deal. The original guide comes from the Hotel Workers Rising website, sponsored by the Unite Here union. My only objection...the guide only lists hotels that are organized by this one particular union. Here in Canada (and I suspect the case is the same in the USA) there are a number of hotels that are organized by other union such as The Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees, Local 17, the UFCW and, most prominently the Canadian Autoworkers (CAW). You can find a substantial guide to the many hotels organized by the CAW HERE. Think of this addition to what comes below as Molly's little pre-Christmas gift.

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UNION HOTEL GUIDE:

Union Hotel Guide before you book a room. The user-friendly online directory helps you identify union-staffed hotels across the country.

Just plug in city and state( or province-Molly ), and the site will display a list of hotels in the area that employ UNITEHERE! members and are doing right by their workers. You also can add the name of a hotel chain as part of the search. Click here for the Union Hotel Guide.

A link on the site also enables you to quickly see which hotels are on the union’s boycott list and where workers are on strike.

UNITEHERE! is working across the country to bring a better life to hotel workers who often are underpaid and who work long, hard hours to make our stay comfortable and safe. For example, the union is urging customers to boycott three hotels in the San Francisco area, including the Westin St. Francis, where 650 workers ended a two-day strike on Nov. 21. The Palace and the Grand Hyatt, the sites of previous strikes also are on the boycott list.

Members of UNITEHERE! Local 2 voted by a 92 percent to 8 percent margin to authorize strikes at any of the 31 upscale hotels in San Francisco. Despite earning record profits over the past five years, the hotels are using the recession as an excuse to demand changes in eligibility for the employees’ health care plan that would eliminate coverage or put it out of reach for many workers.

CANADIAN LABOUR-MOOSE JAW:

XL BEEF BOYCOTT ?:

As Molly reported last October 18 members of UFCW Local 1400 have been locked out since late September at the XL Beef plant in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Since then the workers have been walking the picket line and trying to keep their spirits up. XL workers are beginning to ask the public for a boycott of XL products, as the following story from the Moose Jaw Times Herald says.

XL Foods in Moose jaw is owned by XL Foods in Calgary which, in turn is owned by Edmonton based Nilsson Brothers Group. The company claims worldwide exports, and it seems to me that any consideration of a boycott should be national or even international. XL products are sold under their own label and also the label of 'The Original Alberta Beef'. The company operates slaughter and processing facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Here's the story from the Moose Jaw Times Herald.

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Locked out XL Beef employees start boycott campaign:
Shoppers at Moose Jaw grocery stores on Friday might have seen individuals passing out pieces of paper reading “Tainted Meat.”

However the word “tainted” wasn’t referring to the quality of the meat, but rather how unionized XL Beef employees feel about the ongoing labour dispute with the employer.

Norm Neault, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 1400 president and spokesman, said employees are asking for community support by way of a local boycott on XL products.

Although UFCW hasn’t asked Saskatchewan Federation of Labour for support with the boycott yet, Neault said it will.

He said although it may seem difficult, the union is urging residents to help bring an end to the lockout by asking store clerks and managers which are XL, and then avoiding the purchase of such items.

According to Neault, Friday was the first time the union members handed out pamphlets as part of a boycott campaign

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According to this further article from the Moose Jaw Times Herald the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) is hesitating about whether to endorse the boycott.

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Saskatchewan Federation of Labour to consider supporting XL boycott:
If the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) chooses to support the local XL boycott, it will only do so after thorough consideration.

“We don’t take boycotts lightly, because once started, they’re hard to turn off,” SFL executive assistant Don Anderson told the Times-Herald on Monday.

MOLLY NOTE:

I really have to call a time out here. What could possibly be good reasons for calling off a boycott ? One would be that the strike has been won in which case the boycott virtually calls itself off as the news is disseminated. Another is that the strike is really, completely and truly lost in which case you might as well keep the thing going out of pure spite and punishment of the victor. Another would be that the workers (not a union head office) involved themselves ask for its cancellation for whatever reason. This is also virtually self cancelling. Yet another is that there is a court judgement that leads to the bailiffs coming and seizing union assets all the way down to the light sockets and the toilet seats. Any tin pot lawyer whose whisky consumption is less than 26oz/day should be able to protect the union against that one. What is not a good reason is any desire of union officials to have complete and total control over any such boycott- just for the sake of having such control. OK, time out over.
On Friday, XL Beef employees were at grocery stores, handing out pamphlets encouraging local shoppers to boycott XL products.

Norm Neault, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 1400 president and spokesman, said the union is urging residents to help bring an end to the lockout by them asking store clerks and managers what products are XL products, and then avoiding the purchase of such items.

Neault said the union would also ask for support from the SFL.

According to Anderson, the provincial organization will take that application and contact all other unions within its membership that might be impacted by the boycott. If SFL decides to support the UFCW initiative, Anderson said his staff would encourage all 95,000 SFL members and their families to stop purchasing XL products. ( Well, I bloody well hope so-Molly )

CANADIAN LABOUR-OTTAWA:

BOYCOTT THE CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION:

The following item came to Molly's attention via the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). For five weeks now employees at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa have been on strike, and their union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), have asked the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to call for a boycott of both the Museum of Civilization (in Gatineau) and the Canadian War Museum (in Ottawa). Here's the story from CUPE.

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Support striking museum workers:
For the past five weeks, 420 employees of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) have been on strike. The Public Service Alliance of Canada workers want to secure a collective agreement that ends the precarious employment practices of the CMCC and affords its employees some job security.

The executive council of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has passed a resolution asking workers who belong to its affiliated unions not to visit the Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa-Gatineau until striking workers have secured a fair collective agreement.

CUPE National President Paul Moist joined other CLC executive council members on Monday to protest the CMCC’s bargaining tactics.

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Here is the declaration from the CLC.

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CLC supports striking museum workers:
Asks union members not to visit Civilization and War Museums
OTTAWA – The Executive Council of the Canadian Labour Congress is asking workers who belong to its affiliated unions not to visit the Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa-Gatineau until striking workers have secured a fair collective agreement.

The CLC’s Executive Council, meeting in Ottawa, passed a resolution saying in part that the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) “has blatantly abandoned that responsibility by failing to negotiate a fair collective agreement with its workforce.”

For the past five weeks, 420 members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada have been on strike at the museums to secure a collective agreement that would change the museum’s employment practices: 38% of the workforce is employed on a temporary basis, and museum workers are being paid 30% less on average than other federal government museum workers doing the same or similar jobs.

The CLC is also calling upon the government of Canada to force the museum “to negotiate a collective agreement that ends the precarious work practices used by the Corporation.”
Contact: Dennis Gruending, CLC Communications, 613-526-7431 or 613-878-6040 (cell.)

CANADIAN LABOUR:

BOYCOTT OLD DUTCH:

Now here's a boycott that actually affects me personally, if only in a minor way. The following item from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) tells of how the Canadian Labour Congress is calling for a nationwide boycott of 'Old Dutch' products. This is in support of workers at the Calgary processing plant, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401. These workers have been locked out since March 29, and the strike/lockout is such that they are calling for public support for their demands. You can find out more about the issue by visiting Local 401's website.

Anyways-how it affects me. Molly is what might be considered a "connoisseur of junk food". Some years back I looked at the listings for Seven 11s in the phone book. I cannot remember exactly how many there were, about 50 to 55, but, to my horror, I could remember being in all of them except perhaps 3. In the case of the three I am willing to admit that my memory isn't perfect, and perhaps I was in them as well. This is what happens when you drive across a city all day to make your living. To this day I am overjoyed if I find a Sweet Marie chocolate bar (much better than O'Henry) or Clamato Juice in a drinkable size on the shelves. Now, 'Old Dutch' chips have disappeared from the shelves in most convenience stores, though they are usually available at the service station co-ops where I buy my gas. To say the least this Canadian brand is far superior to the various American brands, such as 'Frito Lay' that have captured the shelves in the last few years, superior in both texture and taste. The difference is as stark as that between real locally baked bread and the 'Wonder Bread' that has been appearing on various shelves in the past few years.

So, sad to say, I will have to forgo the pleasure of Old Dutch chips until this boycott is over. Most of the other stuff mentioned below is easy. I doubt that the No Name, Safeway Blue Bag or President's Choice cat litter is manufactured in a food plant in Calgary, though, given corporate ethics you just never know. Personally I can do without Old Dutch chips easier than I could do without cat litter. Anyways, enough of this diversion, and feel suitably sorry for Molly. On with the story.

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CLC launches boycott of Old Dutch:
Old Dutch Snack Foods has locked out UFCW 401 members at its Calgary processing plant.
To help pressure the company to settle, the Canadian Labour Congress is asking its affiliated unions - including CUPE - to boycott Old Dutch snack foods and the following brands produced at the locked-out plant:
**President's Choice - Western Grocers
**No Name - Western Grocers
**Great Value - WalMart
**Compliments Value - Sobeys
**Safeway Blue Bags - Safeway
**Co-op Krunchie - Co-op
**Cyclone - Overwaite (Is this really the name ? If it is the marketers deserve the "idiot of the year award-Molly)
"There are 170 families in Calgary who need our help," said Paul Moist. "Affecting sales is one way we can do that."

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And don't forget Old Dutch chips- Molly