Wis. Grocers Group Warns of Anti-Walker Vandalism in Stores

Wisconsin grocery store owners are bracing for an illegal sticker campaign by foes of Gov. Scott Walker, who has taken on unions and signed into law a measure eliminating collective bargaining for public employees. The Wisconsin Grocers Association alerted members about an anti-Walker product vandalism campaign planned for May 1, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Thursday.

For months, Walker’s opponents have been advocating a boycott of companies linked to donations to the governor’s campaign. Now they’re working to expand the boycott across the country by encouraging people to go into stores and place stickers on products.

Among products targeted for stickers are Johnsonville brats, AngelSoft toilet paper, Sargento cheese, and Coors beer.

The association created a sign that stores can post alerting people that placing stickers on products in stores is illegal. But the trade group's chief executive officer, Brandon Scholz, told the newspaper that he doesn’t expect the sticker campaign to succeed.

"I would be astounded if this happened to a single store in the state," Scholz said. Aside from the fact that anyone engaged in defacing products risks arrest, there is a logistical challenge, he said.

"Unless they're going to label thousands of products, it's going to have zero effect," Scholz said.