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The James Connolly Upstate N.Y. Regional General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) will conduct an informational picket of the Circuit City store at 161 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, Tuesday, May 1st, from 2 to 4 p.m. The local IWW has joined with other labor rights advocates to call attention to the aggressive layoffs of 3,400 Circuit City employees because of seniority.

These were the dedicated line staffs of the electronic goods chain's retail outlets. The IWW here has called for Circuit City to rehire the workers at their original rate of pay.

Under scrutiny in the press after the terminations, Circuit City offered these workers a chance to get their jobs back at reduced rates of pay. The IWW has, in the meantime, called for consumers to boycott Circuit City until they take action.

In several letters to Circuit City CEO Philip J. Schoonover,the IWW criticized the layoffs as "a savage attempt to reconstruct the workplace" that even in non-union situations does not force this type of decision on the most qualified and longest serving workers.

One IWW member wondered if Circuit City and other "corporate fat cats" would have any customers left who could afford their goods if they kept dropping pay and laying off employees to enrich their bottom line. "See you on the picket line!", one IWW member signed off.

For more information please contact Greg Giorgio, IWW Delegate at 861-5627