(1) We are raising money to support the women on the line directly. To contribute send cheques made out to "Friends of UNITE 1764" to PO Box 461, Kingston, ON, K7L 4W5, Canada, and the money will be deposited in an account directly for use by the women in the local. There are no overhead charges deducted from this money!
(2) We are gathering letters and statements of support to help sustain morale on the line and to show JB Fields and their retailers that the women have support from across the world. Please ask your union or local to send a statement, or send one in your own name. You can e-mail statements to friendsofunite@hotmail.com, or mail them to PO Box 461, Kingston, ON, K7L 4W5, Canada.
(3) We are organizing a boycott of stores that carry JB Fields socks until those stores stop selling the socks, or until JB Fields settles fairly with its workers. To support this campaign you can:
(a) Organize a picket of a retailer in your area. We are currently focussing our efforts on Mountain Equipment Co-op and Eaton's but feel free to target a retailer that is more accessible in your area. There is a more complete list of retailers which sell JB Fields socks here, templates for leaflets and letters can be found on the main page.
(b) Send a letter to Mountain Equipment Co-op (info@mec.ca) telling them to stop selling the socks. Please send us a copy of any letter for our web site (e-mail us at: friendsofunite@hotmail.com).
(c) Sign and distribute our petition calling on MEC to stop selling the socks.
(d) Don't buy JB Fields socks or shop at stores that sell them.
(4) Go to the picket line. To get there take the Glen Miller Road exit from the 401 into Trenton. Turn South towards downtown. Drive a couple of blocks and the plant is on your right hand side. You can't miss it because of all the picket signs on the road-side!
Here is a brief overview of what others are doing in Canada (city-by-city):
In Regina, Eaton's pickets are still happening regularly. The daily pickets -- started in part as a response to the firing the UNITE sisters -- have been stopped after more than two months. The emergency pickets have been replaced by once-a-week pickets with a view to getting a bigger turnout and building a sustained campaign capable of lasting as long as necessary. The daily pickets were a success and 1000's of people have been made aware of the situation as a result.
Also in Saskatchewan, the Federation of Labour has passed a motion supporting the strikers and condemning JB Fields.
In Toronto, Friends of UNITE 1764 members took part in a united front rally at the Eaton's centre on Nov.7th. A large range of political groups handed out hundreds of leaflets calling for an Eaton's boycott. With 2,000 leaflets printed up, the Toronto group plans to be back to leaflet regularly (to take part check the upcoming events page). The Friends of UNITE also took part in the International Day of Action in Defence of Immigrants and Refugees the same day, where a woman from local 1764 was the third speaker.
In Ottawa, Friends of UNITE 1764 members handed out about 5000 leaflets (about the strike and calling for a boycott of Eaton's), during the Good-Bye Premier Harris rally on Oct.17th. Click here for more on this.
A recent Hamilton picket resulted in the distribution of more than 500 leaflets.
Friends of UNITE 1764 in Kingston is currently organizing a regional gathering of activists (to take place in Trenton sometime in November). They are also distributing letters to stores in that city that carry JB Fields products (warning them of possible picket action). If you are interested in going to the regional gathering, and haven't yet contacted us, click here and let us know.
More company attacks: The Women of UNITE 1764 have been FIRED.
Regina shows how to respond. DAILY PICKETS in Saskatchewan.
EATON's Panics: Calls security to silence picketers.
Regina: Still picketing Eaton's every day!
We urge supporters to organise pickets of their local Eatons... even one person pickets can be effective, and to report their actions to friendsofunite@hotmail.com
Please consult the boycott list for other targets such as Sears, Mountain Equipment Co-op,Club Monaco, Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, etc. We suggest you also complain to company management about the carrying of JB Fields products.
A template for a letter to these companies is available by clicking here. A copy of the Toronto
leaflet
is available by clicking here.
E-mail
us if you are planning solidarity events in your region or if you want
to find contacts to help you get down to Trenton (or if you'd like passengers).
