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What Happened at the PNC Park Anti-Sweatshop Home Opener

Between 20 and 25 Student and Labor activists showed up during the course of the day and we are still comparing notes, so here are a few broad generalizations and thank yous.

VICTORIES DECLARED:

  • On March 2 we were harassed and then arrested for what we did yesterday. This past Friday we finally had civil rights on paper. Yesterday we had civil rights in ACTION.
  • Because it rained until 1:40 in the afternoon, attendance at yesterday's game was about 15,000. Tiny. Not only that but the entire Pirate sponsored activities on the bridge and the waterfront were canceled. Even so, we were able to nearly ONE THIRD of all the fans in attendance with a leaflet. That is ACCESS. That is POPULAR EDUCATION. If we try and imagine the total number of people that learned something about sweatshops and MLB yesterday, by talking about it in the stands or sharing the leaflet on the ride home; the stadium is the best sweatshop education realistate there is.
  • People who came to leaflet were empowered. It is not obvious what we can say to encourage someone to take a leaflet on the way to the ballgame. Talking to strangers about sweatshops is not something that just comes naturally. We all have to learn how to do it, and the people who came did. Not only that, but lots of people left with petitions and fliers to take back to their school to talk with people that they do know about sweatshops and No Sweatshops Bucco.

THANK YOUS:

  • Thanks to everyone who braved the rain yesterday. It was yucky all morning and until 1:40. It was wet and it was a little cold. We were there, the Pirate Fans were there, and we talked to A LOT of people. Congratulations! The post game leafleting was much nicer, I agree. The other thing about the end of the game that will always be nicer is that everyone leaves at the same time, a people flood.
  • Thank you for the awesome leaflet. The narratives, the crossword puzzles and the 5 reasons were written and then edited several times by numerous people. That is what makes a kick ass leaflet. Special cheers to Brad - who burned the mid night oil slapping it together and the USWA Staff Union Local who made the press move and then made a rainy day delivery. Everyone was proud to hand that leaflet out, and the fans knew what it was about right away.
  • Thanks to the rock band ANTI-FLAG for the ability to talk to rocking punks about sweatshop last month at their show. Hardened No Sweatshops Bucco campaigners were delighted to meet 12 new friends from Belleview or Avalon HS who came out to talk to baseball fans after running into us at the show. We'll have to send a picture to the band and see if they'll do a little website action.

GET INVOLVED:

As we figure out what to do next here; the most important thing is keep everyone involved. That's not easy. It is not easy to solicit everyone's opinion or make those personal phone calls or get all the address in a usable format. Please know, we want you to hang in. Please, don't hesitate to post to the Pirate Plan list, then post again if you did not get what you wanted or question was not answered. Respond to peoples' messages. If they ask for it, it is because they need it and they want YOU. When you sign people up on the petition. Make sure their email addresses are legible and ask them if they'd like to be on the plan or announce lists. Make a note of it and let's get 'em on there. Every email not added is potentially a fellow traveler that we don't have with us screaming "No Sweatshops Bucco!"

For the One Big Union, Kenneth X346812