Washington, D.C., December 8, 1995 --
Ford
employees in Belfast think it would be a great mistake for
Irish-Americans to call off the Ford Boycott.
"I have talked to some Ford
employees," said Father McManus, President of the Irish National
Caucus -- the group that launched the Boycott in October 1986. "They
feel very strongly that Ford has not done anything in the past year to
merit a cancellation of the Boycott."
"These employees are some of the people
who first gave me information about Ford when we launched the
Boycott," explained Fr. McManus. "So, they have been
giving us reliable information from the beginning -- long before some
others from Ford got involved."
"Also," he emphasized,
"Ford's discriminatory record in Belfast is not the only reason for
the Boycott. Of equal concern, is Ford's consistently abusive
opposition to the MacBride Principles."
Timex & Coke Boycotts Ended
The Caucus had conducted two other boycotts
-- against Coca Cola and Timex. But these Boycotts have been
called off.
The Boycott against Coca Cola was called
because Coke was the largest advertiser at Windsor Park -- home of the
Linfield Football Club. The Coke Boycott was launched in March
1992. At that time Linfield had not fielded a local Irish Catholic
player since 1950. But by 1995 Linfield was fielding 5 Catholic
players. Because of that progress and because the two parties in
Northern Ireland that brokered the loyalist cease-fire -- the
Progressive Unionist Party (PVP) and the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP)
-- had made representation to the Irish National Caucus, that Boycott
was called off.
The Timex Boycott was launched in May 1991
when its owner Fred Olsen of Norway purchased Harland and Wolff. That
Boycott was called off in November, 1995 after Fr. McManus had a four
hour tour of Harland and Wolff. He had been talking to union
people in Harland and Wolff for over a year.
Ford's Bad Faith
"What I look for," Fr. McManus
explained, "is good faith. This is the bottom line. Discrimination
can't ber changed overnight. But if there is good faith, then
anything is possible. Isn't it ironic that Linfield and Harland
and Wolff have shown good faith, but not Ford," he asked.
"Since the MacBride Principles campaign
(1984) and the Ford Boycott began I've not seen one expression of good
faith from Ford. They have stonewalled, lied and covered-up.
And all the time they habe conducted an abusive campaign against
the MacBride Principles." Fr. McManus restated the terms of
the Boycott:
