Help Build the Boycott —
Azteca Foods
Retail Action

Step 1
Prepare for the Action in your City

• Identify a store in your city that sells Azteca Tortillas (you will find them in the refrigerated section) where you would want to hold your action.

• Check out the entrances to the store for specified locations to leaflet (where candy is sold, for example), entrances to the parking lot, sidewalks where there is pedestrian traffic where we will distribute leaflets to store customers. Find the customer service desk in the store since that is where we will take our delegation and ask to speak to the store manager.

• Publicize the day of action. Call your local Jobs with Justice, ROC members, and UE members, and any other groups you can count on to be there for Justice.

Step 2
Send a Delegation to Store Management

• Make the first part of your demonstration a visit to store management. When people arrive at the store for the action, assemble them together and prepare them for what will happen. Tell them we will all be going into the store together to talk to the manager on duty, give him/her a letter explaining the situation and ask him/her to contact Azteca Foods owner Art Velasquez.

• Enter the store and ask for the manager (don’t take no for an answer).

• Tell the store manager: 
  (1) who you represent and that you are at their store to protest the unionbusting practices of Azteca Foods, whose products are sold in the store. Tell the manager that Azteca workers are treated unfairly and are currently fighting for their first UE contract. We will be peacefully leafleting store customers about Azteca Foods;
  (2) Give the manager the letter explaining the situation. Ask them if they will call Azteca Foods owner Art Velasquez and encourage him/her to do the right thing and negotiate a fair contract with his/her hardworking employees. Get a commitment (yes or no)!

Step 3
Leaflet Store Customers

• Have several people at the entrances to the store, parking lot, etc. If there are lots of volunteers, have some leaflet and some picket outside the store (do not block the store entrance).

• If you get hassled by the police, you can always leaflet the entrances to the parking lot while standing on the public sidewalk.

You have the constitutional right to leaflet and distribute information. Some stores have an area designated for charities, leafleters, or fundraisers to stand and talk to their customers, but even if the store doesn’t have that you can be on their property and leaflet.