Warm Reception on Chilly Day for Circuit City Protesters

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/04/09/warm-reception-on-chilly-day-for-circuit-city-protesters/

Warm Reception on Chilly Day for Circuit City Protesters

by Mike Hall, Apr 9, 2007

It was a cold and windy Saturday morning, but that didn’t deter nearly 40 volunteers from nine unions in the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Labor Council. They wanted to deliver a message to Circuit City customers: The electronic giant’s recent firing of 3,400 workers was corporate greed at its worst.

The workers weren’t fired because they didn’t do their jobs, but because the company said the mostly long-time hourly employees were making too much money—and they wanted to replace them with new workers at lower pay.

Labor Council President Gregg Potter says the informational pickets—who distributed more than 600 leaflets at the Whitehall and Bethlehem stores—won a good reception from customers and some Circuit City workers. Some prospective customers did an about-face and headed elsewhere, says Potter.

We had many folks drive by and beep their horns in support of our effort, and many shoppers simply turned around and left to go to Best Buy or other locations. Many took the time to thank us for supporting a group that needed the help. Keep in mind that we do not represent Circuit City workers nor are there any organizing campaigns at Circuit City. We did this simply because it was the right thing to do.

Potter says several Circuit City workers came out to talk to the union members and thank them for their support. Says Potter:

If left unchecked, this kind of action will only continue at companies across the United States. Many CEOs across this country will stop at nothing to pad the bottom line and appease Wall Street.

Ever since Circuit City announced the firings last month—along with the fact that the axed workers wouldn’t even be allowed to apply for the pay-slashed new jobs for 10 weeks—many commentators and columnists have slammed the action.

Take a look at the latest from Barbara Ehrenreich at The Huffington Post who explores where Circuit City’s Wal-Martization of its workforce might lead.

THIS story is not copyrighted.

[AX10]

1. I will not be shopping at Circuit City.

[donco6]

2. No Circuit City for me. eom

[JohnyCanuck]

3. Now just what's all this fuss about?

If the fired workers can't afford bread, they can always eat cake instead.

[TommyO]

4. I wish I had known about this - I would have showed up

at the Bethlehem store (just a few miles from my home) to support what the LV Labor Council was doing.

[Javaman]

5. They lost my business, I used to buy all my audio gear there. no more. nt