Whenever possible, the Olympia Food Co-op will honor nationally recognized boycotts which are called for reasons that are compatible with our goals and mission statement.
Exceptions to this policy include:
A: Staple products that are being boycotted across the board or for which alternative brands or product lines or not available; or,
B: Dietary specialty products for which alternatives are not available.
In the event that we decide not to honor a boycott, we will make an effort to publicize the issues surrounding the boycott as well as why we are continuing to carry the product in question, to allow our members to make the most educated decisions possible.
When we become aware of a boycott of a product that we carry, we will gather as much of the following information as possible:
A: Who is calling the boycott;
B: How to contact them;
C: Basic outline of the issues involved;
D: Parameters of the boycott (what products are specifically involved); and,
E: What will end the boycott.
If a member informs us of a boycott, we will ask them to provide the above information.
A request to honor a boycott may come from anyone in the organization. The request will be referred to the Merchandising Coordinator (M.C.) to determine which products and departments are affected. The M.C. will delegate the boycott request to the manager(s) of the department which contains the largest number of boycotted products. The department manager will make a written recommendation to the staff who will decide by consensus whether or not to honor a boycott.
The recommendation should include:
A: Who’s calling the boycott and why
B: List of products we carry that would be affected
C: Information on availability of alternative products (including price)
D: Significant difficulties in honoring the boycott
E: Recommendations of other affected department managers
F: Exceptions to the recommendation (e.g. “I recommend we honor the boycott of Chinese products except for hemp twine, and here'’ why."”
The department manager will post a sign informing customers of the staff’s decision and reasoning regarding the boycott. If the staff decides to honor a boycott, the M.C. will notify the boycotted company or body of our decision.
The Co-op will not accept bulk orders for items produced by the target of a Co-op honored boycott. Bulk orders for items produced by targets of boycotts which the Co-op has not yet formally chosen to honor will be accepted.Approved May, 1993
