Digesting Whole Foods’ Unsavory Politics

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/4762/digesting_whole_foods_unsavory_politics/

Monday
August 17
11:00 am


Photo courtesy of ElephantJournal.com

The left has always had its share of hypocrisy, but mega-green grocer Whole Foods has dished out a virtual cornucopia of outrages lately.

When CEO John Mackey aired his views on healthcare reform in a Wall Street Journal op-ed (a longer version appears here)—warning that “a government takeover of our health-care system” is on the horizon—many customers felt betrayed by the world’s earth-friendliest supermarket chain. But it’s hardly the first time Mackey has presented, even flaunted, right-wing views.

Apparently seeing no contradiction between conservative politics and a supposedly enlightened food empire, Mackey has dismissed criticisms that its expanding commercial grasp over the natural foods market contributes to inequity in the food industries.

And like other mega-retailers, Whole Foods is all business when it comes to dealing with organized labor. Over the years, the company has systematically shut down efforts to unionize its employees.

As Matthew Blakely pointed out in a 2007 Nation article, the hippie veneer doesn’t square too well with its militant anti-unionism:

It’s the second-biggest union-free food retailer, behind Wal-Mart. Yet in its twenty-seven-year history, only one of its 197 stores, in Madison, Wisconsin, successfully unionized, and that union fell apart with no contract to show for workers’ efforts. Instead of bargaining with the union, Whole Foods challenged its validity. Mackey even went up to Wisconsin and personally handed workers copies of a pamphlet titled “Beyond Unions.” When the Madison Whole Foods voted to decertify in 2004, Mackey spread his beyond-union gospel on a nine-month cross-country tour, during which he discussed with employees “what Whole Foods was about.” The store has also fended off unionizing attempts in Berkeley, California; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Falls Church, Virginia.

Mother Jones reported earlier this year that an internal memo issued by Mackey listed shutting out unions as a major priority for the company. According to a recording of an employee meeting at a San Francisco store, a manager warned workers,”once you become represented by the union… basically everything, every benefit you have, is kind of thrown out the window, and you renegotiate a contract.”

Whole Foods has joined forces with hipster coffee mogul Starbucks, along with bargain behemoth Costco, in a massive public campaign to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.

FULL story at link.

[tinkerbell41]

1. It will be hard but i will NEVER go back!

Unless they change their practices, views, and Unionize

[graywarrior]

2. Yeah, I'm done with them.

[Webster Green]

3. Whole Foods sucks!!

I have two different friends who were injured on the job at Whole Foods. The company has put them through hell to collect any damages (they both have permanent disabling injuries).

I've been boycotting that yuppie fucking shit-hole since 2001. :thumbsdown: