While the children of the locked-out workers at American Crystal Sugar Co. have written CEO Dave Berg, urging him to end the 14-month lockout of their parents, support for the boycott of American Crystal Sugar products is growing.  

This slideshow highlights some of the action last week as union and community allies took the boycott call to Denver; Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Appleton, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau, Wis.; Wichita, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Parkersburg, W.Va.

Members of unions from the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) and activists from Jobs with Justice demonstrated in front of a Chicago Walmart and urged customers to boycott American Crystal Sugar products and support the workers who have been locked out since Aug. 1, 2011. There have been several actions around the nation this week in support of the workers and the boycott. 

Palermo’s Pizza, where workers have been on strike since June 1 protesting unfair labor practices, has received some $26 million in local, state and federal funds since 2005. The majority of funds were earmarked for job creation and economic development. But a new report from the AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research finds little evidence Palermo's has kept its word.

Released today in Milwaukee, “Too Much Pork in the Pepperoni Pizza?” finds that because of the lack of transparency and accountability on the part of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), which administered much of Palermo’s corporate welfare, “We can’t know whether Palermo’s has kept its promise.”

Because of American Crystal Sugar’s continued refusal to end its 14-month lockout of more than 1,300 workers and return to the bargaining table, working families across the country today launched a boycott against American Crystal Sugar (ACS) products. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says:   

Making record profits while giving working families and communities the shaft is just plain wrong.

The AFL-CIO has endorsed a nationwide consumer boycott of American Crystal Sugar Co. products starting Oct. 15. The boycott is in response to the company’s 14-month lockout of 1,300 workers at its processing facilities in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa. If the company returns to the bargaining table in good faith and reaches an agreement, the boycott will be called off.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the locked-out workers—members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM)—“are responsible for American Crystal Sugar’s profitability and previously strong reputation.”

After more than three months on strike, workers at Palermo's Pizza and their supporters continue to put pressure on Costco, the largest retailer of Palermo's products. Because of mounting public pressure and more than 50 actions at various Costco locations all over the country, Palermo’s CEO Giacomo Fallucca met with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka last Friday, to begin a discussion to resolve this issue for workers and Palermo’s customers.

Closing in on their third month on strike, workers at Palermo's Pizza and their supporters continue to put pressure on Costco, the largest retailer of Palermo's products.

Beginning today, thousands of community activists and workers in more than 20 cities around the country will be participating in a National Week of Action at various Costco store locations. These events will inform Costco customers and employees of the worker abuses at Palermo's Pizza.