Park Slope Food Coop employees accuse management of meddling in union efforts

[brooklynite]

Last edited Tue Aug 27, 2019, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

The Brooklyn Paper

Labor leaders are accusing management at the Park Slope Food Coop of violating employees’ efforts to unionize by refusing to sign a “neutrality pledge,” despite a recent settlement with federal labor authorities.

“They’re not just squashing the unionization efforts. They’re intimidating workers,” said labor organizer Chelsea Connor. “They’ve taken retaliatory measures against employees.”

Workers’ are demanding management at Park Slope’s unique brand of food-based communism sign a “neutrality pledge” committing the store to refrain from taking any action that would stymie their effort to organize, which has so far been plagued by accusations of union busting on the part of the market’s granola-munching leadership.

“Companies aren’t allowed to retaliate against unionization efforts, but many of them do — as is the case with the Food Coop — because labor laws aren’t strong enough,” said Connor. “So, neutrality agreements offer an added layer of protection to workers while they’re going through the unionization process.”

The Union Street grocery store between Sixth and Seventh avenues employs 72 full-time paid staffers, who work hand-in-hand with co-op members that contribute two hours and 45 minutes of labor per month in exchange for the right to purchase cheap, organic produce and use the supermarket as a platform to advocate for international issues.

Hmm, the Park Slope Food Coop is about as socialist as New York gets.

[marble falls]

1. Unions are an agent of social change for the better. Why isn't a living wage ...

good thing?