Friends, Back in March, I wrote to you on behalf of SFVYD to enlist your support for a boycott of Circuit City. Each of you, in turn, answered the call and helped to spread the word that this company's mistreatment of workers was a perversion of capitalism that was bad for labor, consumers, and all those pursuing the American Dream. Many of you also joined us for a series of protest rallies in front of Valley Circuit City locations - braving scorching temperatures and heated opposition from store management to do so. For taking time out of your busy lives to fight selflessly for workers, I am deeply grateful.

Make no mistake, our Circuit City boycott has made an important impact. Through our demonstrations thousands of Valley residents were alerted to the company's callous firing of loyal, hard-working employees, and as a result chose to make their purchases elsewhere. Through our combined e-mail lists we have alerted thousands more that Circuit City is undeserving of our business. Our boycott garnered newspaper and radio coverage, and caught the attention of supporters all over the state.

While it is disappointing that our efforts have not led to management hiring back these fired workers, I do not believe Circuit City won this round. Their stock is currently trading at its lowest level since 1996 - not a sign that getting rid of their best employees was a smart financial move. For our part, we now have a working coalition of labor-friendly organizations that can be called up at a moment's notice to respond to future mistreatment, and bring it to the public's attention. This protest action was a new experience for SFVYD, and we learned lessons today that will make us doubly effective tomorrow.

Recognizing that success, and recognizing that it has now been almost six months since the firings took place, I believe it is time for us to conclude our public protests and focus our energies on what lies ahead. With the '08 elections in front of us, scheduling protests and bringing out enough people will become increasingly difficult, and should not distract us from larger issues.

That being said, THIS IS NOT THE END OF OUR BOYCOTT. I, for one, will never shop at Circuit City again; their values are totally abhorrent to me, and to patronize such a company would make me part of the problem. I know from our conversations that many of you feel the same way. I will continue to educate friends and family about Circuit City's history, and not let this be forgotten. I know you will do the same. Again, thank you everyone - individuals and organizations - for joining together in this endeavor, and let us stay vigilant to protect the American Dream from those who would sell it for profit.

Best regards,
Damian Carroll Immediate Past President, SFVYD