A group of Racine County residents is inviting, well, everyone to participate in "Local. Pizza. Friday." this Friday to send a message to Papa John's owner John Schnatter.
Schnatter recently announced he will raise prices on pizza and reduce employee hours to balance out increased costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. But a story at Forbes.com says that the $100 million company will only see a .4 to .7 percent increase in healthcare costs for employees working 30 or more hours a week as required by the ACA.
To support the employees of Papa John's, and to try send the chain a message, some local residents, including Patch columnist Heather Rayne Geyer, are organizing a day to eat at locally owned pizza restaurants.
"Papa John's owner has decided to combat the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka Obamacare) by increasing his prices, threatening terminations and lowering employee hours - simply to avoid and protest employee health benefits," the invitation reads. "Find a local pizza joint like Wells Bros in your area and send Papa John's a message while supporting your local businesses."
A fan and customer of Papa John's created a Facebook event to promote Papa John's Pizza Day this Friday after he got wind of a bunch of boycott events across the country and over 15,000 Facebook users have already vowed to support the company's efforts.
"Papa Johns has been targeted by the left for a boycott, for simply articulating that ObamaCare would hurt profits and force cutbacks in employee hours. Stand up to this nonsensical and illogical action and support Papa Johns this Friday," the post reads.
One supporter on this Facebook event page said she will make a point of eating at Papa John's on Friday because she admires Schnatter standing up to the president's healthcare mandate.
"(I will eat there) because we admire him for not getting bullied. Face it, most of the employees are kids that can still be under their parents insurance until their 26 now anyway," wrote Leslie Beaty Jenkins.
Here at home, Angie Aker said she is going to participate in the Papa John's boycott event because she thinks there needs to be a change in the way people think about how employees are treated compared to how companies are regarded.
"Most (corporations) have turned larger profits than ever. So the idea that they are going to suffer by being made to treat employees with dignity, give them decent benefits, a living wage, is only valid if you have the attitude that corporations should be able to just make unlimited profit no matter who they trample on," she said.
Todd Streeter said it's all about supporting local businesses.
"I'm participating because I believe supporting small business owners who statistically are proven to reinvest more of their revenue back into their communities is the right thing to do," he said. "(This is) a grassroots action to simply make a conscientious effort to spend my hard earned money on businesses that offer a fantastic product and reinvest in our community."
Heather Mullee doesn't live in the area, but said she will participate in her town anyway.
"I'll be ordering pizza from a local place in Montana and sending my receipt to Papa John's," she posted on Facebook. "Although we don't have one in our town...hopefully the message will still get through."
There's that crazy incoherent logic again!
So then, by your commenting here, we can all safely assume that you have no job and live off the system, correct? Or does that logic only apply to "right wing fifth column members," (whatever that's supposed to mean) and not liberal progressives such as yourself? "weenies" - how mature of you. As far as Pizza goes, and so long as the ingredients are all sourced from the USA, Hoffa will continue to buy that which tastes best to him, judging the product wholly on its own merit, as opposed to other factors, thank you very much. these kinds of boycotts/messages do far more harm to the local individual franchisee than they do to corporate. A day of operating at a loss instead of a miniscule profit could mean that the local owner has to take out a high interest loan to just meet payroll and other other expenses for the month. The interest paid on that loan is money that comes directly out of the individual local owner's pocket, thus hurting and impacting his family the most. That also translates into less money being reinvested back into the local community, as that owner and his family now have less money to spend patronizing other local businesses. But hey - who cares about that local entrepreneur, their employees, and their family - right? After all, they're just "casualties for the greater good," right? Just as long as it isn't you that's being directly effected, right? Isn't that selfish? BTW - What kind of car do you own/drive?
I'm a Cherubim, I work for tips.
http://www.cheaptnfjacketoutlet.com/
He will get his bite in the end. (Multiple puns intended)
If you were going to Papa John's for a pizza tonight but boycotted or if you were not going there but did, sound off. I was not going to have pizza and I didn't.
AT&T is also feeling the $$ squeeze as a result of the ACA (and a reduction in the need for land-line-based telephone services) and may have to reduce employee labor and/or benefits to avoid incurring financial losses. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/03/26/atandts-1-billion-charge-connected-to-health-reform-is-just-the/ Would you thus recommend a boycott of AT&T services in the interest sticking it to the corporation? Maybe not, if one has family member(s) working for AT&T who could be harmed by such a boycott? Or maybe it’s moot, if such family member(s) belong to the CWA (Communication Workers of America) and, under the threat of a strike, have negotiated a labor contract with AT&T that protects employee wages and benefits? http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2012/04/04/att-workers-in-five-states-including.html http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2012/07/23/att-strikes-union-deal-for-midwest.html In view of the foregoing and in view of the fact that Papa John franchisees do not have the benefit of union protection, is it really fair of you to readily dismiss any potential boycott-related harm to Papa John workers as “ridiculous.” Is it really fair of you to recklessly state that “there often needs to be some casualties [to Papa John workers] for the greater good [of sticking it to the Papa John business franchise entity]?” I guess when one’s glass house is protected from stones; it’s easy to throw them around?
In short, your intentions are good, but likely misguided.
I don't have a problem with buying Citgo gasoline. Venezuela is a very nice place with a lot of great people. There is a crisis of corruption right here in Wisconsin. A ruling party that takes bribes from a secretive business cabal has been co-opted and checks with ALEC before listening to the people of our state. Make no mistake there is a cancer in our state government and it will take a long time to cure now that it has metastasized with a gerrymandered map that allowed their candidates to take office even though there were almost 200,000 votes more for their opponents. Sometimes it is matter of choosing the lesser evil and keeping the focus local as much as possible. Courage, keep up the good fight!
AT&T is not on my happy company list, that is for sure. There is no denying that. But they do treat their employees well and pay them a living wage (Papa John's does not). At least they do as long as the CWA is there - so I am grateful to both for that.
Although I do not always agree with your point of view, I nonetheless do appreciate your contributions to Patch, as well as your passion in expressing your opinions. I'm going to do my best to make it to the Patch meet-up on Saturday. I would thus be honored to buy you and/or your husband a drink if either or both of you show up as well.
BTW, no courage needed. Trust me, it's a very laid-back affair. Music, drinks and company. It's all good.
It's mixed crowd. Talk of politics, IF ANY, is likely on the back burner....spent more time during the last outing talking about music. Would love to talk "American Horror" w/ Heather A. and anyone else who watches. P.S. Where is Dan Bell? No Blogs from him in a while......
I do not worry about ME getting along with someone from here in the real world...remember, my parents are Tea Partiers (shudder). I just worry about BEING hated...and like getting things thrown at my forehead. I do agree that meeting IRL would be a benefit. However, I am much stupider in person. I need the written word to communicate. Otherwise I sit there like a mouth breather just drooling and making random noises. Add alcohol and I will probably walk away with less respect than I started with :)