Posting at the request of Ms. Michelle Gross
Shawn,
Please send the following to the Minneapolis Issues list. Thanks!
Michelle
****************************************************************
People need to be aware that although
Mr. Metoyer attempted to abscond with our
name and service mark by filing a registration
it with the state on December 23, the state
did not complete the registration. We
successfully challenged it by showing a first
use of the name and service mark as early
as September 2002. In the state of
Minnesota, ownership of a name and/or service
mark is based on first use, not who happens to
show up on the state's doorstep first. We have
now registered Federal Mediation Now with the
state and have issued a cease and desist order
to instruct Mr. Metoyer to discontinue the
use of our name/service mark.
Anyone doing a little research would find
that many organizations do not have their
names registered with the state. For example,
the DFL party name/service mark is not
registered. Yet, no one would think it
was acceptable for an individual to help
themselves to the DFL name. Not only is
this a legal issue but it is a matter of
ethics and political principle. It is
especially abhorrent that a person would
help themselves to a group's name and
well-earned reputation in order to
collect signatures on a petition espousing
a position that is against the position of
the legitimate organization. It would be
as if a person took the name Anti-War
Committee (a well-established local group)
and circulated positions calling for the
US to go to war against Iraq.
The REAL Federal Mediation Now coalition
spent months with a small army of volunteers
combing North and South Minneapolis to educate
the public about federal mediation and collect
many thousands of legitimate signatures to
bring the city to the table, We held many
rallies and public meetings. As a result,
the REAL Federal Mediation Now coalition
(which consists of over a dozen community
groups) has a well-earned positive reputation
in the community. That Mr. Metoyer used
our reputation and past efforts for his own
ends is reprehensible. No amount of
legal gymnastics can change that. Most
ironic of all, perhaps, is that I cannot
recall Mr. Metoyer attending even one
Federal Mediation Now meeting or event
except the meeting during which
community representatives were elected.
Federal Mediation Now's position on the
community negotiating team is that those
individuals who were elected by the community
are the team. Others had every opportunity
to participate and chose not to. A number of
those trying to get on the team stated that
they were well aware of the process but felt
that they should just have an automatic place
on the team. The community clearly did not
agree. A good many of these folks who are
so certain they would be invaluable to our
team have never lifted a finger to bring
mediation here but stood on the sidelines
while we worked like crazy all summer to
arm-wrestle the city to the table. It is
the height of arrogance to let someone else
to do all the work to make something happen
and then just expect to walk in and take it
over after the work has been done.
Moreover, we have spent months developing a
well-formulated list of demands based on
community input and extensive research and
our team is ready to sit down with the city
to negotiate for these demands. Finally,
adding Olson's nine picks to the team
(some of whom are quite beholden to the city
for financial or other reasons) would cause
the team to grow to an unwieldy size,
making it difficult for us to work
together as a cohesive unit, which is a must
during tense negotiations. If Olson is so
convinced that these folks should be at
mediation, let him add them to the
City team.
Michelle Gross
Bryn Mawr
Elected member of the Community Negotiating Team
>From : Michelle Gross <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To :"Shawn Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject : Re: Zachary Metoyer post on Mpls Issues
Date : Thu, 16 Jan 2003 07:31:11 -0600
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