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Borders Bookshop and Cafe - which opened recently amidst huge hype in Buchanan Street, Glasgow - is owned by one of America's most vicious anti-union companies. For over two years, Borders has been in open warfare with trade unionists. It has tried to smash unions, sacked union activists and threatened to close stores if their workers joined unions. It has even banned the famous campaigning Michael Moore from one of its stores because of his pro-trade union sympathies. The US-based management of the company has produced a document entitled Union Awareness Training for Borders Managers. Under one heading Recognising Early Signs of Union Activity, Borders lists 15 tell tale signs which managers should look out for: They include: • Employees gathering in small groups of twos or threes and halting their conversation when managers approach. • Employees talking in areas that are off the beaten path. • Employees who are not normally seen talking to one another begin associating more regularly. • The tone of discussion becomes more argumentative with frequent references to the ‘company’. • Employees start spending more than their normal or allotted time on break and are late getting back to work. • Employees start having regular meetings or bar nights without inviting managers, back office staff, trainers or lead clerks. • Group complaints start to surface. Employees approach management in groups or via petitions. In America, the Boycott Borders campaign claimed the celebrated academic Noam Chomsky as a supporter, and in September, Billy Bragg appeared on stage in Los Angeles at a massive Boycott Borders concert. Borders workers need your help. No class conscious person should use Borders or its subsidiaries so long as their union busting activities continue. Please let Borders know you won’t shop at their stores until they respect workers rights to organise. Phone Borders at 0141 222 7700 or write to Borders, 98 Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 3BA
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