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or a merchant union that can actually negotiate for better treatment.

I'm not a Lawyer, but the problem is that as independent agents, any such cooperation would likely be illegal under Federal Antitrust laws.  This page, although written for doctors,  has some guidelines as to what is permitted and what is forbidden...

www.msma.org/mx/hm.asp

This is NOT Legal advice-talk to an Attorney for that...

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The Wisdom of bagginsbill:

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