NEW: Unions Kick Off ‘Buy Local’ Campaign
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Union members throughout Rhode Island have begun sweeping the state in support of local businesses. On Thursday, members of the National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI), the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (RIFTHP), and other Rhode Island unions kicked off their ‘Unions Buy Local’ campaign by forming ‘cash mobs’ in Bristol and Warren and giving a big jolt to local businesses. As part of the campaign, upon completion of every local purchase, union members are presenting the cashier, waitress or store owner with a ‘Union Buck’–identifying them as a proud union member and supporter of local businesses. The campaign is designed to encourage union members to support local businesses within their communities.
“There has been so much negative talk lately about hard-working, middle-class public and private union employees, and much of this talk has come from the business community,” stated Larry Purtill, President of NEARI. “But we shouldn’t be fighting with each other. We should be working together to grow local businesses and grow local economies. In Rhode Island alone we have over 100,000 working and retired union members. This campaign is our way of showing the business community that we are the ones spending money in their shops. We are the ones eating in their restaurants. We are the ones who support them on a daily basis.”
“Wealthy Rhode Islanders are not the ones supporting these local businesses–middle-class Rhode Islanders are,” said Frank Flynn, President of RIFTHP. “Classroom teachers, firefighters, police officers, state employees, social workers, nurses, grocery store workers and other union members are supporting these small businesses. We think it’s time to show the business community the vast purchasing power of union members–and help these small businesses in the process.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe ‘Unions Buy Local’ campaign will run from Mothers Day weekend until Fathers Day weekend. Each week, cash mobs of union members will assemble in a different town and spend their money in local shops and restaurants. The six-week campaign will cover cities and towns throughout the state and will not be limited to just those towns where the cash mobs assemble. The campaign will move to Wakefield, RI on Friday, where a cash mob will assemble at Wakefield Elementary School at 3:45 p.m. and head downtown to shop. It will roll into Wickford this Saturday, May 12, where union members will meet at the Brown Street parking lot and the cash mob will commence.
