Kwik Trip Won't Formally Address Threat of Boycott

LACROSSE, Wisc. -- Kwik Trip will not be offering a formal reply to a letter from the leaders of seven Wisconsin labor unions calling on the convenience store operator to publicly oppose a law that decimated collective bargaining rights or suffer a boycott, according to a report by the Wisconsin State Journal.

"At this time, we're not going to make any response," John McHugh, director of corporate communications, told the newspaper.

The unions sent the letter to Kwik Trip and to M&I Bank, saying they would "publicly and formally boycott" the two Wisconsin companies if their executives did not come out against the bill by March 17, according to the report. M&I Bank said last week it is not taking a position.

McHugh said Kwik Trip has fielded quite a few phone calls and e-mails, both in support of the proposed boycott and opposed, but did not know how many. "We've been taking all the calls as fast as we can and listening to all the concerns," he told the newspaper. "We certainly understand the emotional reaction that's coming on both sides." He said revenue figures are not being disclosed.

McHugh said Kwik Trip officials are "confused" about why the convenience store company was targeted. Employees contributed to the campaigns of both Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic opponent, Tom Barrett, in last November's election and received no direction on political contributions from the company.

"We're a Wisconsin-based, family-owned business," he told the newspaper. "We employ over 6,000 people in this state, and profits come back to our co-workers, all of whom are middle-class. Forty percent of pre-tax profits come back to us co-workers."