Through the National Retail Federation and another group called the West Coast Waterfront Coalition, major brand-name companies are urging President George W. Bush to intervene in the lockout of 10,000 West Coast dockworkers. Gordon Segal, CEO of Crate&Barrel, is chairman of the NRF. Andrew Zetcher, President and CEO of Talbots, is a vice chairman. The Bush administration hasn’t ruled out the use of troops to replace dockworkers. Take one minute to help these dockworkers. Fax Gordon Segal and Andrew Zetcher and tell them to help end the lockout and oppose government intervention.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As CEO of your company and an important member of the board of the National Retail Federation (NRF), which is a member of the West Coast Waterfront Coalition (WCWC), you may know that the NRF and WCWC are calling on President Bush to intervene in the lockout of 10,000 West Coast dockworkers. While this may reopen West Coast ports, allowing your company and other retail stores to receive merchandise in time for Christmas, it would not end this labor dispute or help ILWU members get a contract.

In the last year dockworkers moved record amounts of cargo and they want to return to work now. They are willing to help load and unload military cargo and provide services to ships bound for Alaska and Hawaii, which rely on west coast shipping for supplies.

Instead of inciting government intervention in this labor dispute, the NRF and WCWC would be served better by telling the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), which employs the dockworkers, to immediately end the lockout, open the ports and negotiate in good faith for a contract.

I urgently await a response regarding how your company will behave in this labor dispute. I certainly hope you will choose workers' rights over corporate greed and help reopen the ports.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 04, 2002