From: mtoups@andrew.cmu.edu
Date: Tue Mar 19 2002 - 13:06:20 EST
Here's an update on the Pirates/Major League Baseball
anti-sweatshop campaign. Contact Ken (pgh_iww_iu450@yahoo.com)
for more info.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Sweatshop/Major League Baseball Campaign Update
March 12, 2002
Pittsburgh Sisters and Brothers,
In an effort to clarify our legal rights around the stadium before the Home Opener, a group of 12 leafleted and petitioned around PNC Park during the March 2 Open House. The weather worked out and several thousand diehard fans came over to the North Shore to buy tickets and sit in the Pirate’s dugout. The overall response of Pirate Fans to the leafleting and petitioning was pretty good. Some fans were concerned that we were calling for a boycott, which we are not. There were union folks who signed the petition and, in general, folks were pretty darn receptive to learning more about the issue. There is a long road ahead toward winning the hearts and minds of Pirate Fans, but this is okay, because we have a whole baseball season ahead of us. The issue is rock solid. People want to stop sweatshops. It is up to us to provide a clear way for Pirate Fans to make their voices heard.
Now, about the legal stuff and our rights in the space, the Pirates are clearly confused. They say that they “own” everything, the sidewalks around the stadium and half of Roberto Clemente Bridge on game days. Their lease with the stadium authority might even say this. At the end our leafleting on March 2, four of us were arrested. The charges are bogus and they are based on a claim that they told us to vacate the sidewalks four times and we refused. The ACLU and layers Healy and Titus have offered to help us get Federal Injunction before the Home Opener to protect our rights in the space.
So all lights are green for a grand Anti-Sweatshop Home Opener. While it would be nice to do the actually Home Opener on April 9, the reality is that a 1:35 weekday game is not best for most of us. While a couple diehards will probably leaflet, we are asking everyone to come out for the first Saturday Afternoon game on the 14th.
Here are the plans for the 13th, you all are invited, bring a friend. The game starts at 1:35. We are going to meet at the half way point on the Roberto Clemente Bridge at noon to start leafleting and petitioning on the bridge and on Federal Street. We will work in pairs, each with a sign, a clipboard, and big stack of leaflets. At 1:45 we are going to head up to the park for a wiener roast (beef or veggie). We’ll have about 2 hours to eat, share experiences and strategies, listen to the game on the radio, and maybe play a little softball. After the 7th inning stretch, we’ll head down to the other side of the stadium and do another 1 or 2 hours of leafleting and petitioning. So it is like a picnic/education/demonstration day.
Finally, folks, we are working on kick ass Home Opener Anti-Sweatshop leaflet. It is no easy thing to find the tone and tenor that will communicate our desire to use the space for anti-sweatshop education AND enjoyment of the baseball season. We are going to need to print it, and that’ll be some cash. This is a request for donations. We need about $500 to do a good printing, both for the stadium and for anti-sweatshop educators to get out there and talk about the issue.
This letter is heads up #1 for our Anti-Sweatshop Home Opener on April 14. More information and details are coming. Maps of where we will be and when, drafts for you to give impute for the leaflet, more general anti-sweatshop news and campaign descriptions. Please join the email list – piratesweatshopplan today by sending an email to
piratessweatshopplan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please make a check payable to IWW Pittsburgh to help cover the cost of printing and mail it to POB 99416, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Please – mark the date, April 14th, and show up at the Pirate Anti-Sweatshop Home Opener. We’re gonna talk to baseball fans about sweatshops, yahoo!
| People for Workers' Rights
| United Students Against Sweatshops affiliate
| web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/usas
| email: pwr@andrew.cmu.edu
| bboard: assocs.pwr-usas
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