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News :: Miscellaneous
New Old Navy not welcome by all Current rating: 0
10 Jun 2002
Modified: 02 Jul 2002
On June 3, Champaign welcomed the grand opening of a brand new Old Navy store in north Champaign. However not all visitors were so welcoming, as a number of anti-Old Navy/Gap notes were secretly distributed across the store and parking lot.
June 3rd saw the opening of yet another corporate chain store in north Champaign, this time, a (quite large) Old Navy. Upon hearing of the stores grand-opening within just a few days before it, a small group of individuals decided to act. It was'nt long on the grand-opening day before Old Navy was hit with close to 100 small notes hidden through out the store in pockets of shirts, pants, and any other garments sold stating, "The corporation that owns Old Navy, The Gap, and Banana Republic exploits and underpays foreign workers, denying them a living wage and the right to unionize. The company consumes land at any cost, including clear cutting redwood forests in California and consuming acres of farmland, furthering the problem of urban sprawl. Inform yourself: http://www.gapsucks.org, http://www.nosweat.co.uk, htp://www.sweatshopwatch.org." After the group had dispersed through the store, planting as many notes as possbile, it was’nt long before one of the many employees discovered one of the many notes and the rest of the staff became suspicious of any shoppers. Employees began scanning the isles for the suspects, and the racks of clothing for any more notes. After quickly leaving the store, any remaining notes were tucked under the windshield wipers of cars in the parking lot, just as a group of men in Old Navy shirts wearing headsets came storming out of the store at a relatively fast pace. Although it’s doubtful Old Navy could have contacted the police or done anything more than simply to impose a ban from the store, no one was going to wait around for these security employees to catch up. Everyone involved jumped in the one vehicle taken to the store, and peeled off the property immediately with the entire action having taken less than 20 minutes.
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Great job!
Current rating: 0
10 Jun 2002
You did a great job showing how vulnerable they are! Watch how they tense up when people start bringing the truth into their stores! Do it again and see if they hire extra security guards. Is the text of your message available on the web anywhere?

I wonder how much they city gave them in tax breaks.
Love it.
Current rating: 0
10 Jun 2002
You're heroes.

@%<
By the way...
Current rating: 0
12 Jun 2002
I don't know how many people read this newswire, this is the first time I've posted anything. But anyhow, I was considering further actions like this one, and was wondering if anyone would be at all interested in helping out. Thanks for the encouragment by the way.
uh...
Current rating: 0
19 Jun 2002
So I definitely believe the best way to fight crippling poverty in foreign countries is to protest the actions of large, diabolical corporations that provide the single best economic opportunity for numerous people in developing nations. Perhaps if we were to boycott such stores, we could stave off the greatest (and possibly only) means of subsistence for these people. My greatest concern for articles that address the plight of low-wage laborers in developing nations is the complete lack of understanding as to why mega-evil corporations and sullen workers interact in the ways that they do. For further information, I point you to: http://web.mit.edu/krugman/www/smokey.html
for any "concerned fellows"....
Current rating: 0
20 Jun 2002
Modified: 21 Jun 2002
wow, frankly i did'nt expect to run into this view point here. however, debate is always good. ok, so you believe it's not all bad for large companies such as the gap to have factories in foreign nations to provide a job market. these large corporations know that these individuals in these impoverished nations are in desperate need of jobs and money, and they completely exploit that. if you're not going to ask for the actual removal of these corporations from these nations, is it wrong to boycott or hold civil protest in the name of actually reforming the working conditions these people are under for these greedy global tycoons? i really don't think so. also, by taking the stance that these corporations actually add something to these nations, i don't think i'm mistaken by assuming you can only be in favor of globalization. ideally, in my opinion, after reforms for these places of employment, we should try to limit the global reach of these companies, (and capitalism as a whole) as much as possible. we should try to stimulate different economic growth in these areas. these people should be self sufficient and begin to develop their own economy rather than feeling the pressure to work, and working at one of these factories. besides, do you think these monstrous companies in all honesty give a rats ass about the people they are employing in honduras, or saipan, or where ever else? do you think they care about "providing a place for these poor people to work"? no. otherwise they'd have better working conditions, or would provide aid in some other way. these companies would have factories in this very country run in similar fashion if they could get away with it, i assure you. as long as the profits are rolling in, none of the fat cats at the top are going to care who is doing the grunt work.
further actions
Current rating: 0
02 Jul 2002
Just found this article and the subsequent discussion thread. I would be interested in discussing your ideas and plans for future actions and I know a few others who would be too. So, how about it? Any plans? How/where should we contact you?