The Votes are in for your Favorite 2003 Cuddly-As-A-Cactus Crooks
‘Grinch of the Year’ candidates are nominated for their actions that lead to social and economic injustices, including stomping on our rights to organize or other wrongs that cause harm to our community. Previous winners and candidates of the vote have met an untimely demise, such as former Seattle School Board President Nancy Waldman, former US Senator Slade Gorton and former UW President Richard McCormick. And . . . this year's Seattle Grinch, Darigold CEO John Mueller, is joining the ranks of fleeing Grinches, as he announced that he would "retire" soon after we delivered his award.
JwJ activists pledge “we’ll be there,” we’re not scared of any Grinch. By publicly awarding the Grinch of the Year, our expectation is that the 3 Grinches’ hearts will grow 3 sizes bigger, as Dr. Seuss envisioned. This year’s Grinch candidates cut against the grain of what it means to be an American. They could have shown great leadership to support people in need at a time of national economic crises. Instead they have turned to Grinchy motives.
Building Industry Association of WA accepts the Grinch Award in Bellingham
This year, we celebrated the holidays with our 9th annual Grinch of the Year Party.
This year’s other infamous finalists were:
- Wal-Mart . . . Low, Low Pay Grinch
- Rep. Rick Larsen . . . Fast Track Grinch
For Pierce County, see updated (2007) info here.
Darigold CEO John Mueller Personally Comes Back to Accept His JwJ Grinch of the Year Award . . . After First Running Away
 Wearing bobble-headed green Mueller masks, merrily singing carols, prancing down the driveway with signs, JwJ activists delivered the "Grinch of the Year" award at the CEO's Mercer Island waterfront mansion. Even the neighborhood dog joined us in this fun gala.
First, the Grinch was caught off guard as he was operating his garage door opener. He quickly scurried inside. After we sang at least 5 carols with Darigold lockout stylized lyrics, he finally came to the door and was handed his officially framed Grinch certificate. He then grumbled something unintelligible and closed the door. We finished our last song and departed. As we left up his long steep driveway, Mueller came sloughing out of his house shooting a fancy camera like the paparazzi. Judging from his hospitality-mansion-view-cars-estate, Mueller's holiday will not lack from material largess but rather from a shriveled cold heart. Thus is the life of a CEO at war against hardworking people and living wage jobs.
Earlier in the day, we had hoped to catch Mueller at his local grocery store. We caroled, leafleted about the Darigold Grinch, and wore costumes. The stressed out store manager got a bit out of control, then the police arrived and settled him down, and we moved onto to our next adventure at Mueller's mansion.
Take Action
Please Call and Write Darigold CEO John Mueller and ask him to end this cruel lockout of 200 workers in our community.
His home phone number is (206) 275-1265 and his address is 4748 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040.
Background
 The winner of JwJ’s Seattle Grinch contest, Darigold’s John Mueller won for locking out dairy workers since Labor Day weekend and importing out-of-state scabs at great expense after recording a 109% net earnings increase in its 2002-2003 Annual Report. Darigold workers have wanted to continue working since the first day of the lockout but Mueller will not let them. Instead, he has demanded that all the workers sign a contract that imposes drastic cuts to affordable quality healthcare and future livable wages.
This year's other callous candidate was:
- Scott Scribner, top officer of Allied Building Services . . . “Avaricious Allied” Grinch, for denying healthcare to hardworking janitors and then firing scores of these low-wage workers when exercising their right to organize.
|
