Wisconsin businesses just say “NO” to union thugs and left-wing bullies.
Dawn Bobo shows the sign that she put in the front window of herstore, Village Dollar, 1000 Main St. in Union Grove, Wednesday March 30, 2011. Her store is one of numerous Union Grove businesses threatened with “public boycotts” by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. According to the letter businesses received Tuesday, they will be targeted for declining to display a sign stating, “This business supports workers rights,” with an AFSCME logo.(Mark Hertzberg [email protected])
Union thugs continue to harass and threaten Wisconsin businesses. But, these thug tactics may not work out in their favor.
The Journal Times reported:
The government workers union is threatening to boycott numerous businesses here for declining to display a poster stating their support for “workers rights.”
Many Union Grove businesses Tuesday received a letter from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Each of them declined to display a sign stating, “This business supports workers rights” – with a prominent AFSCME logo below that. As a result, the union threatened them with a “public boycott.”
The fact that many other businesses got the same letter is little consolation for Dawn Bobo, owner of Village Dollar store, 1000 Main St., which she opened 1 1/2 years ago.
“I’m a new business, and I need to concentrate on issues that won’t offend half of my customers,” she said Wednesday. “I work 60 hours a week, and I don’t get any of the benefits that (union members) get.”
Several weeks ago, Bobo said, five female union members showed her the poster and asked her to display it in her front window.
“I said I can’t put up any type of signage for either side,” she recalled. “They said, ‘No problem,’ they were all smiles.”
But Tuesday shop owners got the letter from AFSCME Council 24 Field Rep. Jim Parrett, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
“It is unfortunate that you have chosen not to support public workers rights in Wisconsin,” it began.
“These signs simply said, ‘This business supports workers rights,’ a simple, subtle and we feel noncontroversial statement given the facts at this time,” Parrett wrote.
He listed the government institutions AFSCME represents in the area, including Southern Wisconsin Center and several corrections facilities.
After making a case that government workers are badly treated by Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans’ recent moves to remove most collective bargaining rights, Parrett wrote: “With that, we’d ask that you reconsider taking a sign and stance to support public employees in this community.
“Failure to do so will leave us no choice but do a public boycott of your business. And sorry, neutral means ‘no’ to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members.”
…The threatened boycott may backfire, based on what merchants heard Wednesday. “We have actually had quite a response the other way today,” Kieslich said.
