A boycott is a request to refuse to buy or use products or services of a certain company. A hot declaration goes much further.
A boycott is a very serious and major offensive and should not be undertaken lightly. It should be well organized with a solid chance of success. It is a subtle and complex operation which requires much thought and serious commitment.
GUIDELINES BY WHICH THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE ONTARIO FEDERATION OF LABOUR WILL CONSIDER ENDORSING CONSUMER BOYCOTTS
1. The Executive Board of the OFL shall consider a request to endorse a consumer boycott upon application signed by the ranking officer of the requesting union.
2. Each union requesting Executive Board endorsement of a boycott shall complete, in advance, a report (to be kept confidential if requested) providing information necessary to carry out an effective boycott and a list of all other affiliates who would be affected. The Executive Board shall consider the information provided and the trade union issues involved, in determining whether the Board shall endorse the Boycott.
3. The union initiating the request will be primarily responsible for boycott activities, with the OFL, supplying supplemental support. The union shall designate at least one person to serve as the "boycott co-ordinator" and the OFL will, in turn, designate a co-ordinator.
4. Immediately upon receipt of the request, the OFL President shall notify the Executive Board. Affiliates affected by the boycott shall be given an opportunity to state their support or objections to the boycott before Executive Board action is taken. When necessary, the Executive Board will convene a meeting of all affected affiliates. Where the Executive Board has endorsed the boycott, announcements or publicity on the decision shall be released only after consultation with the affected union.
5. The OFL shall maintain and publicize a list of active boycotts of identifiable goods and services.
6. The initiating union shall co-operate fully in providing information to the Federation co-ordinator for the purpose of reporting to the Executive Board.
7. Co-ordinators shall provide reports to the Executive Board on the status of each endorsed boycott and activity conducted at regular meetings of the Executive Board. The Executive Board may review its endorsement as necessary.
9. Where a boycott is judged by the Executive Board to be inactive, but the affected union requests continuation, the union will have the opportunity to state its position to the Executive Board, and the final decision on continuing or terminating the boycott shall be made by the Executive Board.
10. No listing (referred to in Item 5) shall be continued beyond one year unless specifically requested by the union and agreed to by the Board.
HOT CARGO DECLARATIONS
A hot cargo declaration means that all affiliated locals and their membership are expected to refrain from not only dealing with the company or their goods and services, but to REFUSE to handle the hot products in any way, be it on the job, in transit, or outside the workplace. Because of the significance of this declaration, its impact on the trade unionists required to observe it, and its great value in winning certain disputes, it must be used with even greater care, only when necessary, and only when it can be effectively implemented.
Accordingly, it is essential that the guidelines for declarations must be rigorously applied. In making such requests, affiliates should recognize the following points:
1. The HOT declaration will only be approved when conventional strike action and picketing appear insufficient to win a settlement.
2. As the ultimate weapon, the hot declaration will not normally be used during the first few weeks of a strike, except when employer attempts to scab make an early hot declaration essential.
3. The hot declaration will only be used when there has been an opportunity to have adequate consultation with all affiliates affected, to ensure that it can be implemented, as well as to determine the best timing and conditions for its implementation. The affiliate applying will be required to assist the Federation by supplying a list of all affiliates who may be affected.
LABOUR DISPUTES
Boycott Policy
