After handing out most of our leaflets we entered the mall and stood in front of the Eaton's store itself.
We stood around for ten or fifteen minutes distributing the rest of our leaflets, and showing off our picket signs to customers.
When we only had one leaflet left we entered Eaton's in search of a manager. We didn't have to go far before we found one!
Management had been cowering inside the store hoping we would go away. They were sorely disappointed.
The manager that we found, who would only identify herself as "Rebecca", glared at as through her deep-blue
tinted (and slightly tacky) coloured contact lenses, as we told her that we would be back again and again
until this strike was resolved in a fair manner. She seemed almost speechless as she sputtered something about
it being a weekend when most of the "real" managers were off work.
We asked her to pass along our message to other managers or head office, but she refused. We assured her that we would be back again, and left. At the entrance, as we were leaving, we noticed that some customers had used boycott stickers (which we had given them earlier) to decorate the exit doors.
All-in-all it was a successful day, and we look forward to returning to Eaton's with a much bigger group on Friday Sept.25th, at noon, at the Laurier st. entrance. Join us.
In Solidarity,
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).
A small group of community and labour activists picketed the Ottawa
Eaton's store at the Rideau Centre on Saturday Sept.12th in support
of the women of UNITE 1764. We handed out hundreds of leaflets, and talked with dozens of shoppers.
The response we received was encouraging, and people were very supportive when they became aware of the issues.
As an example, one woman came back from inside the mall after reading the leaflet to tell us she wouldn't be shopping at Eaton's until the strike was resolved fairly.
Harry, Friends of Unite 1764
