Shop Stores That Treat Workers Like Human Beings

Of course you are not shopping today, when it means encouraging the slave-driving plutocrats exploiting their employees.

And you're not shopping tomorrow, on Buy Nothing Day.

But when you do start your holiday shopping, stick with the stores that acknowledge their employees' humanity by closing on Thanksgiving.

Costco, of course.  Dillard's. Burlington Coat Factory. TJMaxx and Marshall's. JoAnn Fabrics. Designer Shoe Warehouse. Petco. Barnes and Noble (just this once) Crate and Barrel.

Not to mention every locally-owned, non-chain store you can find and buy something in between now and New Year's.

Think Progress:

Instead of shopping at Macy’s or J.C. Penney, for example, consumers have the option to go to Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. Instead of Walmart, Kmart, or Target, they can go to GameStop, Barnes & Noble, or Bed, Bath & Beyond. Instead of Sports Authority, shoppers can get outdoors gear at Patagonia or REI.

And consumers may be prepared to stand in solidarity with retail employees who say they don’t want to work on the holiday. Less than one in five people who say they’re going to shop over Thanksgiving weekend say they’ll do it on the holiday itself, a drop from nearly a quarter last year, while the majority aren’t even going to shop in actual stores. Half of Americans say they think shopping on that day itself is a terrible idea. That may be why opening early didn’t juice holiday sales for the stores that made workers come in on the holiday last year.

Shop at The Stores That Respect Workers' Thanksgiving

The fact that stores in the U.S. get away with ruining the one uniquely American holiday is more than suffiicient proof that socialism will never prevail against vicious capitalism here.

From Nation of Change:

This year, more than a dozen retailers will open their doors on Thanksgiving Day, leaving millions of workers with little choice but to forgo their holiday to jumpstart the biggest shopping weekend of the year. With profits in mind, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Kmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Toys R Us, and more, have announced early Thanksgiving hours.

Still, there are a handful of places — large and small, national and local — that are resisting the pressure in order to give their employees a real holiday.

“That’s one day that’s a family day,” an employee at the Charles Ro Supply Company, the country’s largest toy train store, said of its policy to remain closed on Thanksgiving Day. “Home life’s a little more important.”

Patagonia Head of Retail Marketing Vickie Achee explained the company’s decision to keep stores closed “so our associates can celebrate the holiday with their family/friends. This has been our tradition during our tenure in retail.”

Costco, Nordstrom, REI, Burlington Coat Factory, and American Girl also confirmed they’re closed on Thanksgiving.

While some closed stores may not be direct competitors to the big box retailers, staff also doubt some that will open, like Staples, are real contenders on the blockbuster shopping day.

Many companies that are opening on Thanksgiving have explained that employees are “excited” to work holiday shifts and to earn some extra pay. However, that’s rarely the full story. At Kmart, managers are reportedly denying requests for time off for Thanksgiving shifts that being at 6 a.m., even though the company claims this isn’t company policy. Meanwhile, part-time retail workers struggle with too few shifts on wages that pay well below a living wage, forcing them to work the holiday because they are already underpaid.

Even if they did have a choice, one in four workers do not receive any paid vacation time because the U.S. is alone in not mandating paid sick days, vacation, or holidays.

Kentuckians now have access to Thanksgiving-respecting, well-paid-unionized-worker Costco in both Louisville and Lexington, so we can say fuck walmart without any loss of convenience.

Boycott Walmart on Black Friday

You really should not be shopping Walmart ever - have you tried Dollar General, Family Dollar and Big Lots? - but if you still do, then here's the perfect chance to quit cold turkey.

And this time it's not a bunch of upper-class liberals asking you to boycott a store they've never stepped foot in themselves.  This time it's Walmart workers who are asking for your direct support.

 

Diane Sweet at Crooks and Liars:

It's time to take a stand and support the workers who are standing up to live better through an unfair labor practice strike.

Walmart workers decided to strike on Black Friday after they were targeted for retaliation for speaking out about substandard work conditions and treatment last month in the first ever walk out in the history of the company.

We ask you to help us feed the workers who will walk out on the company next week on the biggest shopping day of the year.

https://www.wepay.com/donations/walmart-strikers-food-fund

The workers are demanding the following from Walmart:
Improve Workers’ Lives
Pay a minimum of $25,000/year and guarantee quality, affordable health coverage for all Walmart associates and workers in the company’s US distribution chain.

Rebuild Communities
Sign on to a national community benefits agreement that ensures as Walmart expands into new markets, it strengthens communities, protects the environment and is responsible for the well-being of its employees in its retail stores and US supply and distribution chain.

Put Its Promises in Writing
Agree to a global labor agreement guaranteeing the fundamental human right of freedom of association for all of its associates and instruct their suppliers to do the same, and recognize and negotiate with OUR Walmart.

Elevate Global Living Standards
Establish a legally binding global responsible contractor policy requiring contractors and subcontractors to provide living wages, worker safety protections, and respect basic human and labor rights, including freedom of association and freedom from racial and gender discrimination.

How can I support in other ways?
You can join solidarity actions throughout the United States. Find out which solidarity actions are being organized and the store employees that are participating by going to the Corporate Action Network event page.

“The only thing workers have to bargain with is their skill or their labor. Denied the right to withhold it as a last resort, they become powerless. The strike is therefore not a breakdown of collective bargaining-it is the indispensable cornerstone of that process." -- Paul Clark

Click here and support the Walmart Black Friday strikers today!

See video at the link.

 

Read Before Ordering

You might have noticed that Amazon was not on the list of union-approved places to shop this holiday season. There's a reason for that.

Erik Loomis at Lawyers, Guns and Money:

Fantastic Vanessa Veselka piece about her attempt to organize an Amazon warehouse. Inspired by the WTO protests in Seattle, Veselka took it in her hands to get a job in an Amazon warehouse, contact labor, and start organizing. It didn’t necessarily go very far, but that’s hardly uncommon. Her article is a great look at the Amazon culture and how Amazon tries to ensure a union-free workplace. Very good read, many good lessons for organizers and for all of us.

I know. Amazon is criminally convenient. Resist.

Shop Union: Your Holiday Gift Guide

This is some of the best stuff around, and you can't go wrong with America's Best.

Kenneth Quinnell at Crooks and Liars:

Labor organization American Rights at Work released its holiday gift buying guide this week, spotlighting gifts and holiday supplies from union companies who manufacture products made in America. A printable version of the guide can be found online.

These days, as more and more jobs get shipped overseas, it’s not easy to know what’s made in America, let alone by union members. With our guide, you can rest easy knowing that your holiday shopping will support good, family-supporting jobs here at home. And that’s a gift every American can enjoy.

Companies highlighted in the guide include: Wilson, Louisville Slugger, Snap-On, Electrolux, Jackson & Perkins, Wendell August, Omaha Steaks, Usinger's, All-Clad, Regal Ware, Cutco, Powell's, Costco, American Greetings, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, American, Continental, United, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, and U.S. Airways, Amtrak, Libbey, Corelle, Gallo, the makers of games like Scrabble, Monopoly and Life, Disneyland, Disney World, teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL and MLS.

Read the full guide for tips on how to support these pro-union companies that create jobs in the United States.

If You Must Shop ....

Do it do it more responsibly.

"Good Guide is a web-based index that scores products from food and beverage to apparel and appliances on their health, environmental and societal impacts, allowing consumers to be truly informed.” There’s even an app for scanning products. What will they think of next?

Winter Trade Days

Relive early Kentucky settler history and find unique holiday gifts at Fort Boonesborough's Winter Trade Days Thanksgiving weekend.

Merchants and traders who appear to have stepped out of an 18th century tableau will be selling wares of the era, providing a unique opportunity to do some early holiday gift shopping.

Fort Boonesborough State Park will stage its Winter Trade Days on Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday Nov. 29, 2008 from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday Nov. 30, 2008 from 10 am to 4 pm. Dressed in 18th century costumes, merchants and traders will set up shops in the cabins and blockhouses of the fort. All merchandise for sale will consist of items available in the last half of the 18th century.

The 18th century Transylvania Store has re-located to the northwest blockhouse of the fort and includes items handmade at the fort. The Museum Store and Fort Museum will be open as well. There is no admission charge to the fort for this event.
You can find pictures of the 2007 Trade Fair at www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org. Click on "Annual Events" at the top of the page.

Fort Boonesborough is located at 4375 Boonesborough Road, just 5 miles off I-75 at Exit 95, about 10 miles south of Lexington. With its strategic location in central Kentucky, Fort Boonesborough is within easy driving distance from most of the commonwealth. The original fort was built by Daniel Boone and his men in 1775.

For more information, contact Bill Farmer at 859-527-3131 ext. 216 or email ftboone@bellsouth.net.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.