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Conference turris::womannotes-v2

Title:ARCHIVE-- Topics of Interest to Women, Volume 2 --ARCHIVE
Notice:V2 is closed. TURRIS::WOMANNOTES-V5 is open.
Moderator:REGENT::BROOMHEAD
Created:Thu Jan 30 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 30 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1105
Total number of notes:36379

569.0. "Boycott Information" by USCTR1::DGRAHN () Tue May 02 1989 12:56

         
    I would like to create some discussion around Boycotts. I would
    hope this file would become a place where "consumer activists" could 
    share information about boycotts, it's impacts and where to get more 
    information. 
                          
    		 	EASTERN & CONTINENTAL
   
    I recently attended a meeting where a Flight Attendent from Eastern
    Airlines spoke about the Eastern struggle, it was a very informative
    discussion and her last request to the audience was to boycott
    not only Eastern but also Continental. There have been some very
    obvious and unscrupulous dealings between Eastern and Continental
    for the betterment of Continental, masterminded by Lorenzo. The
    most famous was the $600 million reservation system that Eastern
    owned and Lorenzo sold it to Continental for $100 million on a note
    that's due sometime in the next century - the real kicker is that
    Continental is leasing it back to Eastern for $125 million a year. 
    
    		       		EXXON 
  
    I was reading a recent article in the local paper about the Alaskan
    oil spill which mentioned that a state legislator from Bedford - Sen. 
    Carol Amick and a leading environmental group is calling for a one-day 
    boycott on May 2, 1989 to send "a message where it will be heard - in 
    their pocketbooks". The article went on to say "We were so outraged last
    month over the cerelessness of Exxon and the slowness in cleaning up the
    oil spill that I directed all of the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Exxon 
    credit cards to be returned to them", said society President Gerard 
    Bertrand. 

    I began boycotting Exxon March 25, the day after I learned about 
    the oil spill and have some mixed feeling - I hear only 10% of 
    Exxon stations are owned and operated by the Exxon corporation the
    rest are owned privately so my actions could really have a significant 
    effect on the little business person/private station owner.  
     
    				DOMINO's PIZZA
    				FLATELY- TARA Hotels

    According to Boston NOW, Tom Monahan president of the pizza delivery 
    giant made a sizeable contribution to a Pro-life organization 
    which supported the 1988 Michigan anti-abortion referendum ballot 
    question. There are similar allegations against Flately, Tara Hotels 
    in which Flatey is accused of making contributions to the Pro-life 
    organizers behind the 1986 Massachusetts anti-abortion referendum 
    question.
 
    Deborah
    

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569.1Consumer interest is more important!RAINBO::RUTue May 02 1989 13:1821
    
    RE: .0
    
    I don't understand, what's wrong with Frank Lorenzo?
    Why are you so againt him?   In my opinion, the Eastern can not
    survive because the high labor cost, that's it.  It is outrageous
    to pay a non-skilled baggage handler for $15/hour above plus benefit.
    And 60+% of Eastern Mechanist Union are non-skilled.  What's wrong
    with this nation is the union has too much power.  The Eastern should
    be allowed to hire replacement of striking worker at market labor
    rate.  If we can not make the labor competitive, the trade deficit
    will be there forever.  We can see what the Eastern strike 
    affecting us already -- higher ticket price.  We the consumer should
    have a say on this -- tell the strikers to go back to their job
    or stop getting public welfare.
    
    As far as the Exxon, it is the fault of government because the oil
    company are not allowed to build pipe line from Alaska to lower
    states.  Pipe line are much safer,  althrough nothing is 100% save.
    
    Jason
569.2Bad managementULTRA::GUGELWho needs evidence when one has faith?Tue May 02 1989 14:3226
    re .1:
    
    Why everyone but *you* is against Frank Lorenzo (or a story of
    godawful management):
    
    Frank Lorenzo is a *VERY BAD* manager.  He ran Continental into a
    multi-million dollar debt, and then expected the court to bail him
    out by allowing his firing of hardworking, honest employees, who had
    done nothing wrong or incompetent, and hiring new ones to replace them.
    Now he's trying to do the same thing with Eastern.  That's called *bad
    management* by everyone *I* know, including most managers.
    
    Do you think royally p*ss*ng off all your employees is the best way
    to run a company?  Do *you* just dig your heels in and stick to your
    own selfish, simple way when you disagree with someone at work?  That's
    what Frank did and is continuing to do.  Or do you sit down and
    rationally try to work it out?  Would you like it if Digital *forced*
    you to take a 15% pay cut?  And when you wanted to talk it over with
    management, they just refused to talk to you about it?  That's what
    Frank did.  Do you think that should be the first place that management
    should look to cut back?  Or should it do something else before hitting
    *you* up?  Do you think running *two* companies (not just one!)
    into bankruptcy court is a good way to run a business?  That's just
    business as usual to Frank.
    
569.3SX4GTO::HOLTRobert Holt UCS4,415-691-4750Tue May 02 1989 15:075
    
    Frank reports to the Texas Air Board of Directors, who will
    ultimately pass on his managerial prowess. 
    
    
569.424733::STANLEYWhat a long, strange trip its beenTue May 02 1989 17:192
    Texas Air certainly has benefited from his drain of Eastern assets.
    No doubt they are happy with him.
569.5sell off assets...PH4VAX::MCBRIDEPikes Peak or Bust!!!Wed May 03 1989 22:457
    If I expected to declare bankrupcy I would transfer the title to
    my car and any other belongings to someone with my interrests at
    heart...say maybe...my brother.  Mom and Dad...you hold the T.V.
    and the Microwave.  I wonder if the scope of the assets was increased
    if it would still be a good idea?
    
    
569.6The owner can sell off assets if he wants to!RAINBO::RUThu May 04 1989 13:1913
    
    Eastern Air has long history of troubles,  long before Frank
    Lorenzo came to rescue it.  It was under many different management
    teams and none of them had success.   Of couse, there were management
    errors.  In the business system of this country, no top management really
    get punished for bad judgement.  They can always blame others or
    have execuses.  Frank is no exception.   His real problem is the
    militant Mechanics Union who try to blame everything on him.
    
    I wonder there is anyone want to buy Eastern and the Union.
    It is a hot potato.
    
    
569.725520::STANLEYWhat a long, strange trip its beenThu May 04 1989 15:117
    Oh come on!  He systematically drained Eastern's assets over to
    Texas Air.  It wasn't bad judgement.  It was what Frank wanted to
    do.  He took over the airline to plunder it's assets and finish
    it off.  Typical of what many of the leveraged buyouts are about
    today.  
    
    Mary
569.8Exxon/Dominos updateUSCTR1::DGRAHNThu May 04 1989 21:2733
    EXXON - I heard on the radio that Exxon's sales were down 13% for
    the month of April and that the May 2, day of boycott has created
    a movement to return credit cards.


    DOMINO's - NOW has officially called a national boycott of Dominos
    pizza and cautions those interested in picketing because it's a 
    Franchised company. They went on to say that the safest way to 
    protest/picket would be to call an informational/awareness 
    demonstration to explain to consumers that when they purchase 
    Domino's products they are doing so from a "company" owned by 
    a man (Tom Monaghan) that is anti-womens rights and against 
    abortion. Also, he has denied Ann Harbour, Michigan NOW access 
    to recreation facilities that he has made publically available 
    to the community for use/functions solely on the basis that he 
    does not agree with NOWs political and abortion views. This 
    issue is currently in litigation.

    Since Domino's is two-thirds Franchised, NOW urges that 
    activists inquire as to the ownership of the establishment and 
    discuss this boycott/protest with the owner/manager or choose 
    one corporately owned . 
    
    My dilemma, I have some ambivalent feelings about these kinds of
    issues. I hate to hurt the little business person who usually 
    has the least amount of resilience to bounce back but I also 
    don't want to loose abortion rights and don't want to support 
    those that fund anti-abortion activities.

    Deborah
    
    
569.10boycott tipsSTAR::BUNNELLTue May 09 1989 09:3327
    How to boycott Exxon products and NOT hurt the business person?
    Well, try NOT buying plastic garbage bags (made by oil companies)
    and buy the BIO or  PHOTO-degradable ones instead. 
    Read the labels on any product you buy, especially plastics because 
    EXXon is big there. 
    If you boycott one product/company you are probably patronizing 
    another in return so you are still 'helping' the business person, 
    just be careful *who* you support. Of course you are still hurting 
    the Exxon-station owner, but we all have to  be more responsible 
    environmentaly so you have to make choices in favor of what you 
    believe in.
   ----------------------
    
    Try to CONSERVE more oil/gas, make one  trip in your car when you
    run errands instead of many smaller trips which generally uses more 
    gas. 
    SHAWs super markets use BIO-degradable plastic bags for produce and
    groceries. I have informed other super markets that I wish they did
    too and if they don't I will either bring my own bags or not patronize
    that store any more. 
    I think one  way to 'boycott' is to inform the business of
    what it is you object to (for me, a lot of it is pollution--air or
    land, anit-choice) and tell them that if they continue to needlessly 
    (pollute, contribute to anti-choice, etc) then you will be forced to 
    boycott them or patronize their competitor.