News Archives

United Methodist advocacy agency looks at boycotts

3/28/2001

NOTE: For related coverage, see UMNS stories #150 and #151. A head-and-shoulders photograph of Jim Winkler is available.

ARLINGTON, Va. (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church's social action agency has decided to join two boycotts, one against Philip Morris Companies and the other against NORPAC food products.

Governing members of the Washington-based United Methodist Board of Church and Society approved the decision at their semi-annual meeting, March 22-24. The meeting was followed by a legislative briefing March 24-26, also sponsored by the board.

The board agreed to join a boycott against Kraft products initiated by INFACT, a nonprofit organization working to stop life-threatening abuses by transnational corporations. The boycott is directed at Philip Morris Companies Inc., the parent company of Kraft Foods. INFACT cites increased tobacco marketing to children and young people as a reason for the boycott. The board is concerned about Philip Morris' international expansion in this area.

Board members also concurred with the Oregon-Idaho Annual (regional) Conference in joining the boycott of NORPAC frozen and canned products, including the Flav-R-Pac/Westpac brand. The Oregon-Idaho Conference has conducted a three-year study of the labor issues involved, and the board accepted the conference recommendation.

In addition to joining the boycotts, the board tried to avert a third boycott by offering a mediator in a dispute between Mt. Olive Pickle Co. in North Carolina and FLOC, a labor union working with field laborers. The board's Work Area on Peace with Justice heard presentations and questioned company and FLOC representatives, then recommended offering a mediator to try to bring reconciliation. The board has approved a boycott if Mt. Olive Pickle impedes the discussion; if the union is an impediment, no boycott will be declared. Board observers will report on progress at the October meeting.

The board also voted to end its table grape boycott following last November's declaration by United Farm Workers that it was halting its leadership of the campaign because of contracts and other achievements.

In all the actions regarding boycotts, the board acted on its own. Only General Conference, the denomination's highest legislative assembly, can speak for the whole church.

Board members spent a major chunk of their meeting time discussing guidelines for issuing public statements, action alerts and amicus briefs.

The members approved a set of guidelines that must be followed in determining to join or originate an amicus - or friend of the court - brief. The guidelines include staff preparation of a statement citing theological perspective and policy connections, review by legal counsel and approval by the executive committee of the board, or in some cases, the full board.

Proposed guidelines for press statements, sign-on letters and action alerts drew discussion by the board members, particularly around the issue of who speaks for the board between meetings and whether board approval should be required for statements and the like in advance of release. The board approved a provision for sending a draft of such items to members for information only, and the guidelines were adopted.

Jim Winkler, a United Methodist layman and longtime board employee, was installed as general secretary of the staff on March 22 at Arlington Forest United Methodist Church. Winkler began his duties Nov. 1.

Board members who participated in installation were assisted by the church pastor, Edward P. Winkler, Jim's uncle. The general secretary's brother, Christopher Winkler, pastor of Community United Methodist Church in Winfield, Ill., gave the opening prayer; and his father, Eugene H. Winkler, senior minister at First United Methodist Church/Chicago Temple, preached the sermon on "The Promise of a New Day."

In other business, the board:
Â· Agreed to enter into a covenant relationship with the Shared Mission Focus on Young People.
Â· Named Bishop William Hutchinson to attend a conference of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography.
Â· Determined that the executive committee as well as the environmental justice work area members will review and approve the names of individuals being appointed to a bioethics taskforce being created by the board.
Â· Decided to seek consultative status, which it has with the United Nations Economic Social council, with three other U.N. agencies - UNICEF for children's issues, the International Labor Organization for labor issues, and UNESCO for education, science and cultural issues.

The board approved four grants to juvenile offender rehabilitation projects from the Human Relations Day Offering funds. The grants were $20,000 for the Oklahoma Annual Conference Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries work with juvenile offenders; $20,000 for Salem United Methodist Church in collaboration with Pleasantville (N.J.) Public Schools; $20,000 for Methodist Action Program of Wilmington, Del.; and $11,000 for Partners Mentorship Program in San Diego.

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