Virginia union leader explains the boycott of Amazon, Home Depot, and Target

The five-day “We Ain’t Buying It” holiday boycott of some of America’s biggest retailers is about making sure that corporations pay their fair share and reminding them of the power of working people’s dollars, a Virginia union leader says.

A national coalition that includes labor and civil rights groups is calling for a holiday boycott of some of America’s biggest retailers. 

Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Black Voters Matter, Indivisible, and Until Freedom are calling on people to avoid shopping at Target, Amazon, and Home Depot from Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, through Cyber Monday, Dec. 1. 

The reason? These billion dollar companies have been too willing to go along with harmful Trump administration policies. 

Target, already the subject of an ongoing boycott that’s hurting the retailer’s bottom line, earlier this year ended some of its DEI programs. 

Home Depot is being targeted because its parking lots have been the site of dozens of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting day laborers. The company has drawn scrutiny for not speaking out against the raids, and has denied allegations it coordinated in any way with ICE.

Amazon executive chair Jeff Bezos, one of America’s most well known billionaires, donated $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, and Amazon has supported the Trump administration’s digital transformation and artificial intelligence capacity. Amazon is also being targeted for not doing enough to create safe work environments and union busting. 

LaNoral Thomas, the president of SEIU Virginia 512, told Dogwood the five-day boycott is about making sure that corporations pay their fair share in the long term and reminding them of the power of working people’s dollars. 

She also said there would be less inequality in the US if these companies paid their fair share in taxes. 

“Every working person shouldn’t just be surviving,” Thomas said. “They should have the ability to thrive, and if everyone pays their fair share of taxes, that happens.”

Thomas, who hasn’t shopped at Target since Trump was inaugurated, urged people to shop at small and minority-owned businesses around Virginia, giving special mention to the shops in downtown Manassas. 

Thomas said the positive results on Election Day showed what happens when people come together for a common cause.

“Coming off the heels of that huge victory on Election Day, this is a moment to once again challenge people to stand together for what’s right and send a very resounding message that we are no longer going to allow party politics to divide us,” Thomas said.