Hypothetically, how could someone picket Target?

[MannyGoldstein]

This Target anti-union video has me ticked off: http://gawker.com/5811371/heres-the-cheesy-anti+union-video-all-target-employees-must-endure

Had a thought: suppose one wanted to stand outside of a Target and hand out leaflets to customers, pointing out that Target is anti-union and forces employees to watch an unfair video? I'd imagine that Target would toss you out of their private property (sidewalk, parking lot). Or is there a provision in the law that allows protest outside of an establishment even if you need to be on private property to (reasonably) do it?

[leveymg]

1. Depends upon where you are.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-08-26/bay-area/17122359_1_picketing-appeals-court-mall-management

SAN FRANCISCO
August 26, 2008|By Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

California shopping malls can't prohibit union members from carrying picket signs, standing on sidewalks or picketing during the peak holiday season, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned restrictions on picketing imposed by a company that manages shopping centers in Santa Cruz and Sacramento.

The decision follows a California Supreme Court ruling in December that declared unions have the right under state law to leaflet in malls and ask shoppers to boycott stores. By contrast, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not protect freedom of speech in malls or any other private property.

[danbeee46]

2. Options

This applies to my state on NY. I don't know about the laws elsewhere.

You don't have a right to hand out leaflets if the property owner doesn't want you there. So you have a few options:

1. Start and wait for the property owner to ask you to leave. You can refuse and wait for the police to arrive and then leave when they ask you to do so;
2. Start and wait for the property owner to ask you to leave. You can refuse and wait for the police to arrive and let yourself get arrested.
3. Start and wait for the property owner to ask you to leave and then do so.
4. Stage your protest on public property closest to the store and hope that people will see you.

If you really want to be noticed you can do what some Wal-Mart protesters have done. Take your leaflets into the store and start distributing them to customers. Obviously, the store manager will be on you very quickly, but you will have made your point.

[patrice]

3. I like your suggestion to go into the store! Consider adding: wear a red shirt that's as similar to

a target-employee red-shirt as possible in appearance.

[CBGLuthier]

4. Why protest a CORPORATION for being anti-union?

They all are. They paid their employees to watch bullshit. I imagine a lot of their employees viewed it as bullshit.

I worked at a place over 30 years ago where organizing attempts were made and they too had a strong anti-union program. It is the nature of the beast. To expect otherwise is foolish.

[Scuba]

5. To educate their customers, who might then decide to shop elsewhere.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Well, one thing I would never do is...

print up a bunch of stickers saying:

"If you are looking for help with this product, good luck. There is such a huge turnover here due to the low pay and lousy working conditions that hardly anyone knows what they are doing. What you are looking for is probably out of stock anyway."

and stick them on the back of boxes.

It might work better than trying to hand out flyers to shoppers who don't give a shit, but it would be a rotten thing to do.

[MineralMan]

7. Look out for that one. If you're picketing you'll be OK if you

leave when told you're trespassing. If you do that sticker thing, you can be charged with vandalism. It all depends what you're trying to do. If you're trying to be arrested, well, that's pretty easy.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Aye, if you're caught, that is. And the truth is I'd really rather not...

do anything I wouldn't own up to.

[MineralMan]

8. People hate leaflets that are handed to them.

Better to picket with signs on the nearest public area where drivers enter the Target parking lot. You cannot be forced to stop and people don't mind reading signs. One thing I've learned is that annoying the people you're trying to reach is not an effective strategy. So, picket, but don't obstruct people who are going about whatever they're going about. Annoy someone and your message goes unheard.

Leaflets are a waste of money.

[eilen]

9. Our IBEW puts a humongus inflatable rat at the entrance to the parking lot.

It is on public land so they can't throw them off.

[MineralMan]

10. There you go. Since virtually everyone drives to Target,

that's an effective strategy, and they can't be forced to leave. If you're not there, your message goes unseen. The message is what's important, not the strategy used to make your statement.