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Simple English definitions for legal terms
primary boycott
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A quick definition of primary boycott:
A primary boycott is when a group of people refuse to do business with someone or a company to show their disapproval of their actions. It can also be when a union stops dealing with a former employer. The term comes from a man named Captain Charles C. Boycott who was ostracized by the Irish Land League for his treatment of Irish tenant farmers. Under the Sherman Antitrust Act, even peaceful persuasion to refrain from dealing with someone can be considered a boycott.
A more thorough explanation:
A primary boycott is a type of boycott where union members refuse to do business with a former employer. The term "boycott" comes from Captain Charles C. Boycott, an English landowner in famine-plagued Ireland of the 1870s, who was ostracized by the Irish Land League for his ruthless treatment of Irish tenant farmers.
- A unionized grocery store refuses to buy products from a farm that has recently laid off its workers.
- A group of former employees refuse to purchase products from their former employer in protest of unfair labor practices.
These examples illustrate how a primary boycott involves a refusal to do business with a party to express disapproval of that party's practices. In both cases, the union members are using their purchasing power to send a message to the employer that they disagree with their actions.