Thug Tactics Used by WEAC-Fox Valley

Was WEAC-Fox Valley Letter Seeking Support or Threatening Boycott?

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=14258222

Updated: Mar 15, 2011 6:56 PM CDT



By Emily Matesic

The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry is in a war of words with the Fox Valley chapter of the Wisconsin Education Association Council over its reaction to the amended budget repair bill.

The dispute stems from an email WEAC sent to all 1,400 members of the Chamber.

Shannon Meyer, president and CEO of the Fox Cities Chamber, says she’s fielding lots of angry calls and emails from some Chamber members.

They’re unhappy with an email they received from WEAC-Fox Valley.

“Out of 1,400 members, I literally had over a 100 phone calls and hundreds of emails of people that are concerned,” Meyer said.

In the email, WEAC asks Chamber members to show their support for the union in its battle to save its ability to collectively bargain.

In exchange for signing a pledge that says they oppose limiting collective bargaining, businesses will receive a poster they can put in their window so union members with “substantially less discretionary money to spend” can support those businesses which support them.

“We purposely chose to go in a positive direction, not a negative one. We haven’t talked about boycotting people. We have talked about advertising, as businesses do, places that support us, and we think they should get our dollars,” WEAC-Fox Valley’s executive director, Henry Krokosky, said.

We’re told Chamber members who complained viewed it as the beginning of a boycott attempt by the teachers union.

“There is veiled threat within the email that’s stating, put this poster in your window and we’ll make sure your business isn’t boycotted, but if you don’t it’s very clear that if you don’t those businesses are going to be boycotted in the future,” Meyer said.

WEAC-Fox Valley says the idea wasn’t a threat at all, and that the accusation shows a double standard.

“I go and try to defend my members’ economic interest, and when there’s a perception that some of the businesses’ economic interests are going to get hurt they go wild. I think they’re not viewing it on a level playing field,” Krokosky said.