Protect Michigan Families Small Business Toolkit

Main Street Michigan

Dear Volunteer,

We appreciate your willingness to talk to local businesses about supporting collective bargaining and the right to negotiate fair wages, benefits, and good working conditions for all Michiganders.  Please start with those businesses where you shop or are familiar to you. 

Main Street Michigan is about hard-earned dollars from you and your co-workers that help keep our economy running by shopping at gas stations, grocery stores, hair salons, hardware stores and other businesses all up and down Main Street. 

The current trend – to cut wages and benefits for public and private sector workers, and to take away our rights on the job – isn’t good for the middle class, and it isn’t good for small businesses where we spend our money. 

Please visit at least five local shops and ask them to support Protect Our Jobs. 

1.    Ask to speak to the owner or manager:
•    Let them know how often you and your co-workers shop at their place of business.
•    Explain that when he or she supports Protect Our Jobs, his or her shop will be added to a growing list of hundreds of other businesses, which also support middle class families.

2.    If they say YES,
•    Make sure he or she signs the letter and photo release form while you are there so there are no delays in getting the business added to www.protectourjobs.com.
•    Once these forms are completed, see if she or he would be willing to take a few photos to be added to the website.
•    Make sure you give the business owner the Protect Our Jobs website and contact information.

3.    Last, but not least, thank him or her for their support. Let the owner or manager know that you will be telling your friends, family and co-workers know about his or her decision to support Michigan customers.

Grab your toolkit and head out today!

Please take this toolkit into any business where you shop, and ask them to proudly display their support for you and the other working families that shop there.
In addition to visiting five local businesses, you can also sign up active or retired members of your union who run their own small business to support Project Our Jobs.  Examples of these might include tutors, lawn and garden services, home repair, or any other service provided to paying clients or customers.

Main Street Michigan

Instructions
•    Using the materials in this toolkit, please visit small and local businesses in your area to ask for their support for collective bargaining.  Start with businesses where you shop or which you are familiar.

•    We want to approach only local businesses, including restaurants, stores, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. Also, many active and retired union members operate their own small businesses.  This might include tutoring students, handyman services, lawn and gardening services or operating and managing rental property.  Even a one-person operation is a small business, and the operator can sign on to support working families!

•    We do not suggest, however, visiting banks, fast food chains or other restaurant chains, chain grocery stores, or chain retail stores.   Local managers of chain stores are not authorized to make decisions on these types of issues, so we are focused on Main Street Michigan.

•    Make sure you ask:
¬    Is this a single location or a part of a chain?
¬    Is the owner present?
¬    If not, is there a better day or time to reach the owner?

 Main Street Michigan 
Script

Hi, is the owner available? (If not, find out how you can best reach him/her in the future.)

1.    Introduction

Hi, I’m _______ and I work at _________. I’ve been coming here for years. Today I’m here because I’m volunteering with the Protect Our Jobs coalition.

2.    Why I’m here today.

We are a coalition of labor and community groups. Nearly 700,000 Michiganders signed a petition to put a vote to protect collective bargaining on the ballot in November – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Union, and Non-Union workers. We know the best way to have a strong economy is by having good jobs for workers, like me, who spend our hard-earned wages in local businesses, like yours.  Since we already have collective bargaining this campaign is about making sure we protect it.

3.    What’s the issue?

Lansing politicians have been making it harder for workers like me to earn a good living, support our families. We want everyone to be able to make a reasonable living so that we can all support our local economies and businesses like yours. For years, Michigan has been a leader in defining positive relationships between labor and management, so we can work together to solve problems.

This amendment protects Michigan workers like me – which means it helps protect your business and your customers.

4.    Will you support us and sign this letter?

We’re proud to have your support and we’ve developed a website where people all across Michigan can see a list of small businesses that have signed a letter of support for the workers in their communities. We are encouraging our coworkers, families, friends, and general public to keep their hard-earned dollars local and shop at the businesses listed on the website.

We would like to showcase you and your place of business on our website. Is it ok if I take a picture of you in front of your business?

If they are unsure, give them a card and invite them to go to the website. Ask when you can come back.

If they say no, say thank you for their time. Do not start a fight or make any threat

Main Street Michigan Talking Points

ϖ    Michigan has been a national leader defining the relationships between labor and management to create win-win resolutions for business and workers.

ϖ    Lansing politicians and special interests are pushing attack after attack on Michigan workers who have seen their incomes stagnate or decline while corporate CEO’s make millions.  It’s time to level the playing field for everyone.

ϖ    Protect Our Jobs is a coalition of workers working to amend our state constitution to help ensure fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions, and to improve the quality of life for all Michiganders.

ϖ    The Protect Our Jobs Initiative is the best way to maintain a stable business climate and help Michigan’s economy continue to get stronger.

ϖ    Most importantly, we know the best way to have a strong economy is by having good jobs for workers, like me, who spend our hard-earned wages in local businesses, like yours.

ϖ    We’d love to add your name to a list of businesses who support Protect Our Jobs so that we can advertise your business on our website and printed materials.

ϖ    Will you sign on to support the Protect Our Jobs Initiative?