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May 2, 2009 Mountain Equipment Co-op votes down Israel boycott Mary Frances Hill, Canwest News Service VANCOUVER -- Members of the outdoor goods retailer Mountain Equipment Co-Op voted down a controversial resolution to boycott Israeli-made products at the chain's annual general meeting Thursday night. Jubilant participants leaving the meeting said the motion wasn't even close to being passed. MEC spokesman Tim Southam was more restrained, saying that while he couldn't release the exact margin by which the motion was defeated, it was definitely "by more than half." The motion was proposed by BC Teachers for Peace and Global Action (PAGE), a group affiliated with the B.C. Teachers' Federation. On its website, PAGE said it's concerned that selling Israeli-made goods amounts to supporting Israel's policies, and "MEC's members may not be aware of their organization's disturbing lack of concern for the human rights of Palestinians." Hanna Kawas, chairman of the Canada Palestine Association, said the vote doesn't extinguish his group's resolve to publicize the chain's sale of Israeli-made goods, and called for a boycott of all Mountain Equipment Co-op outlets. "(MEC) is supporting war crimes and apartheid," he said. "We will promote a boycott. It's a global movement that's gaining strength. We'll continue to do what South Africans did against apartheid." The chain gets two products through Israeli companies: seamless underwear and a hydration system for hikers and bikers. "We're pleased at the outcome, and that the policy of MEC has been upheld," said Michael Elterman, chairman of the Canada-Israel Committee for the Pacific Region. "It made sense, because it's not just about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but about ethical sourcing and MEC policy." The motion fuelled a storm of controversy long before members cast their votes. A half-hour before the meeting began, about 40 people stood outside the doors at Simon Fraser University's Segal School of Business, locked out of the meeting. Southam came outside to tell them the room's capacity had been reached, and no more members would be permitted in, due to fire regulations. MEC member Romy Zaidel, who had been waiting outside for about 30 minutes, said the retailer's poor planning harmed the co-op's democratic process. "(MEC knew) there would be a bigger turnout than normal, and it's their responsibility to accommodate all voting members," she said. "We're being denied our right to vote and it's their ethical responsibility to let us vote." After the meeting, Southam admitted MEC could have managed its logistics better. "This was an unprecedented situation. What we learned from this is that some of our processes weren't adequate," he said. "But we feel good that the meeting was conducted in an orderly manner and that the democratic process worked." The co-op has an ethical sourcing program "to improve the human condition in factories." All factories that work with the co-op are screened before any contracts are signed. MEC has outlets in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec and Halifax.
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