We are asking for an adjunct activity to support UNION WORKERS. This is a call to BOYCOTT Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway, and FEDEX.
This boycott has NO END DATE. The only day to stop is when they GO OUT OF BUSINESS just like all the little shops in my town.
Taking America Back One Purchase At A Time
An Invitation to: All who would like to join us in an attempt to regain power of our vote by reducing the power of the corporations!
Our focus at this time is to boycott the corporations that are hurting us the most whether it be by sucking the money (life) out of our communities, avoiding paying their taxes or buying our political process.
We need help in all of the following areas: Leaders and Followers, Artists and Researchers.
Creating a window sign along the lines of Neighborhood Watch that people could print and place in a window. The creation should be printable on 8" x 11" sheets. We could even have a variety to give everyone a choice. We probably should make a sign specifically for merchants also.
Since our Mainstream Media Won't: Researching corporations to help us see who are the most important to go after. Researchers could report on CEO pay & tax avoidance strategies, political contribution history, average worker pay, average management pay, any worker or human rights abuses. What percentage of their goods & services are off-shored. I think you get the idea...all information that as shoppers will help us to make better choices.
Get the Word out! Tell your friends, family, & neighbors, talk about it in your blogs, put a by-line on your e-mails.
Start finding local merchants to patronize, if they don't have something you need ask if they can get it. Tell the merchant what we are doing and where they can print a sign for their window. If something is too expensive ask them if they had more business would the price go down.
Our target date to begin boycotting is March 1, 2011. Starting early is okay. Shop local, Buy American when you can. Shop Farmer's Markets...and spend an afternoon at the Swap Meet instead of the mall. Only go to the corporate stores for things you can't get along without and you can't find anywhere else!
Don't stop boycotting! This movement will take time. Don't forget the reason the day after Thanksgiving is called 'Black Friday' is because that is usually the first day of the year these stores get out of the red ink. The more red ink they run between now and November the harder it will be to run black before the end of the year. In addition, don't forget your local merchants don't have any reason to trust us to change how we shop on anything like a permanent basis. So give them time to ramp up and get the things you want on their shelves.
Could this be America's Egypt moment? It could be a start! Particularly, if we can find a way to address our financial institutions as well. Contact
Rdc1@comcast.net for further information
E mail contact rdc1@COMCAST.NET
http://www.ftapeople.net/forum/showthread.php?6501-Fight-against-Walmart-stepped-up
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newrules.org/retail/key-studies-walmart-and-bigbox-retail <<<This one especially!
http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart/
http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/ib223/ <<<Another good one. This Economic Policy Institute also put out this report
CEO-to-worker pay imbalance grows
http://www.dsausa.org/lowwage/walmart/Dec17_03.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mkCUK3kcKs
http://www.ftapeople.net/forum/showthread.php?6501-Fight-against-Walmart-stepped-up
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newrules.org/retail/key-studies-walmart-and-bigbox-retail <<<This one especially!
http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart/
http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/ib223/ <<<Another good one. This Economic Policy Institute also put out this report
CEO-to-worker pay imbalance grows
http://www.dsausa.org/lowwage/walmart/Dec17_03.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mkCUK3kcKs
If you need any help with research, let me know. It's something I like to think I'm quite good at it. These should be quite enlightening and perhaps give you some fresh ideas to add to our arsenal.
If you do the math on the CEO-to-worker link you'll see that an average CEO makes as much in one day as his/her worker does in one year. (start with 5 days x 52 weeks = 260 work days a year (not counting holidays) It turned my stomach and became my new definition for obscene.
Talk to you later, Mark
Hi Roberta,
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great info gathering. I do believe the union busting is going to be the final straw that brings America out of her apathy!
Glad I found this. I've already been doing my part. ;-) Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteLinks don't seem to embed properly, here's the address to the CEO to worker pay imbalance site.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epi.org/economic_snapshots/entry/webfeatures_snapshots_20060621/
-- Mark --
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with Phi Och's song, "A Small Circle of Friends"? I think it describes what we're up against in this country. The corporations have seduced us with comfort and ease. Gandhi used a vital, well-understood and visible focus for his nation-building, unifying, protest. Is there any thing similar that we can use in this country? What is the one thing that everyone realize is vital to their existence, but is controlled by the rich, evil, corporations?
ReplyDeleteI sent this letter via Organic Consumers Association Mail System.
ReplyDeleteMessage sent to the following recipients:
Representative Stephens
Senator Scheffel
Message text follows:
February 8, 2011
[recipient address was inserted here]
Dear [recipient name was inserted here],
Like most consumers, I want to avoid foods that contain genetically modified organisms, but they are not labeled.
In fact, the federal government does nothing to regulate, or guarantee the safety of, agricultural crops -- and now food animals -- that have been altered with foreign genes. There has never been a longitudinal scientifically rigorous health study on the impacts of eating genetically altered foods.
The little science there is shows that GMOs are more likely to trigger novel allergies, are less nutritious, sprayed with more herbicides, and contain elevated levels of hormones that correlate with common cancers.
And, there's no doubt that the most common GMO foods are linked to epidemic levels of obesity and diet-related diseases. These include artery-clogging meat and milk products from animals fed GMO grains, trans fats from GMO vegetable oils, and high fructose (GMO) corn syrup.
Public health depends on labeling GMO foods so consumers can avoid them.
Mandatory GMO labels are popular with consumers, consistently earning polling numbers politicians dream of.
I am hoping that you and your colleagues in the state legislature can help. Please stand up for consumers' right to know and truth in labeling by introducing a bill to label GMO foods this year.
I look forward to hearing from you on this important topic.
Sincerely,
Mark K
A forward from the Move to Amend organization:
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping educate your fellow citizens about the Movement to Amend the Constitution!
Now we're looking ahead to the rest of 2011 and we have one primary goal: RESOLUTIONS!
The Revolutionary War was defined by a resolution -- commonly known as the "Declaration of Independence" - a statement of protest and resolve to throw off the King of England -- and his colonial corporations.
In 2011 we need "Resolutions of Independence from Corporate Rule" to ring from cities, towns, counties, union halls, political parties, student associations, and community group board rooms across the country. The groundswell of our collective voices will create a thunder that our elected officials in higher office will not be able to ignore!
You can get started building this movement right now!
As a member of a political party, union, student, or community group…
* Pass a resolution through the board or governing body of your organization. Link:
http://movetoamend.org/organizing-resources/organizing-local-action-toolkit#PassResolution
Form a Move to Amend group to organize in your community…
* Check out our Local Action Toolkit for information about how to get started and ideas for action. Link:
http://movetoamend.org/organizing-resources/organizing-local-action-toolkit
We can promote your events/meetings to Move to Amend petition signers in your region. Use our application form to submit your promotion request. Link to application form:
http://movetoamend.org/submit-local-event
If you already have a group…
* Check out our sample resolution and tips for getting your resolution passed and start working on one to adopt in your community.
Link to Sample Resolution:
http://movetoamend.org/organizing-resources/organize-your-town-pass-resolution-legalize-democracy-and-abolish-corporate-per
Link to "Tips For Getting Your Resolution Passed":
http://movetoamend.org/organizing-resources/organize-your-town-pass-resolution-legalize-democracy-and-abolish-corporate-per
* Affiliate/Partner with Move to Amend and join the movement -
Link here for more information:
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B9G1X7hhDo1MNDJiM2VkZjMtOTIwOS00ZTNkLWE5NTQtOTNiYWYyYTVjZTE0&sort=name&layout=list&pid=0B9G1X7hhDo1MNGY1YWY5NGItZDliZi00MmMxLWFiOWYtNTYzZDJhNzU5NzMw&cindex=9&pli=1
Communities just like yours are already getting started! Check out our map to see where resolutions have passed or campaigns are forming. Let us know--use this E-mail address: info@movetoamend --if your efforts need to be added.
Link to Map:
http://movetoamend.org/resolutions-map
Yours for democracy,
Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap
National Field Coordinator
Move to Amend Executive Committee
I am Re-posting this from an earlier post from Sharon H., because it is so important to remember civility, and why we're boycotting the Big Boxes:
ReplyDeleteThat is why it is so important to treat each person with respect no matter where they stand. It is only what we want for ourselves and everyone deserves.
I only bring this up because I just got busted by maxpayne for calling paulahi? a shill. I realized the counter-productivity of that and apologized immediately.
One more thing, a friend told me last night that W-M had $27 Billion in sales worldwide in 2009. If that is true we are in such a good place! Here's the #'s:
150 million households in America, half just change where they spend $40 during all of 2011, that takes 6 Billion sales away from W-M in 2011. That's 22% of their net income for 2009. That is a huge hit! And there's 10 months left in the year, which means if half of the families in America spend $4 per month less at W-M than they did in 2009 we should have their attention.
Start checking your area and find out if the 99cent & Dollar stores are locally owned. A great alternative to WM.
1) I like the Corporate Watch Taking America Back One Purchase at a Time branding for this group. It focuses the intent quite well. (UPDATE: We've had to change the name here to:
ReplyDeleteBoycott Big Boxes Blog, since the Corporate Watch brand was already in place. However, our subtitle could still be:
"Taking America Back One Purchase at a Time"
2) The 8x10 boycott signs is a good idea, perhaps with "tear-off" contact information (perhaps a local phone # or e-mail address), so people know who to keep in touch with.
3) Having similar "Support this LOCAL business" signs to give to local businesses would also be good, in addition to the Boycott signs. This would identify local businesses, and give people a recognizable logo to see as an alternative to shopping Wal-Mart. For this to work, we need both the carrot AND the stick.
4) We need to develop "feet-on-the-ground" local networks that don't rely on the Internet and cell phones, which can easily be cut off during emergencies. We need many redundant ways to link-up, using as many social networks, and person-to-person networks as possible.
We also need to establish off-grid planning cells to make strategic and tactical plans that aren't blabbed all over the networks. No need to forewarn those who would attempt to throw a monkey-wrench into our plans. (And we all know they're out there!)
5) We need to support our public service unions and trade unions in areas, such as the state of Wisconsin (and others), where the Governor there is trying to balance the budget by vilifying teachers, firemen, and other public service workers. Getting unions involved ties our movement into another large group of people who have the common interest in pushing back on the corporate hyper-control of our economy. The middle class worker and the poor are NOT the problem.
I guess that's enough of my babbling for now. Got to go make my living for a bit.
I have been going back over my old e-mails with this group, and re-posting the links that were shared. Here are some YouTube videos & other links that were shared by various people over the past couple of months:
ReplyDeleteRoberta sent these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_paTGibOTLI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4JEjVShOn0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhe-deaVSk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2RGBKBzslM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCsG4g0dzJo&feature=email
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGHhZZoMdHQ
http://www.chicagoprogressivetalk.com/listen/stream.php (the Ed Shultz show progressive talk radio. Wisconsin’s demonstrators threaten that workers will walk out on the prisons. I can’t wait for that.- Roberta)
Well, that's probably enough for this post....
Everyone needs to check out a book, "The Transition Handbook" by Rob Hopkins. There's a lot of information about how to help form resilient communities that can be prepared for when the corporations crash our economy again.
ReplyDeleteThey also have a piece on the difference between buying local (and developing local production): It's so much better than buying from the big box stores. Plus it has some good ideas about building a collaborative community, instead of just protesting. Also check out the website, http://transitioninaction.com/.
This is a very positive, grass roots response to the effects of peak oil, climate change, and globalization of production and labor, all of which are part of our problems with the government being taken over by the corporations. The really neat thing about Transition Initiatives is it doesn't matter what the government or the corporations do, the people are getting busy, taking care of themselves.
At a certain point the government and big corporations become irrelevant, since they don't really matter to our survival, if we all become localized and self-reliant within our own communities.
Not that the Boycott Wal-mart piece can't be a part of the whole thing: It's just that we have to go beyond just protesting.
We also have to be prepared for the coming economic collapse, when the corporations and government can no longer keep their ponzi schemes going and it all comes crashing down on us, because we don't have the energy resources to keep it going.
Later,
Mark K
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/03/02-14
ReplyDeleteFrom Roberta