Readers: To unionize, or not to unionize?
COURIER LIFE, AUG. 30-SEPT 5, 2019 35
Labor leaders are accusing management
at the Park Slope Food
Co-op 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 Co-op — 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.”
Readers shared their thoughts
online:
This is why I would never shop
at the corporate controlled store in
this story. Not to feel superior, but I
just couldn’t be part of their capitalist
machine. I really wish I could be
relaxed like the shoppers who just go
here with no guilt about the system
they’re promoting - but I just feel too
much moral guilt. That’s my fl aw I
guess.
Freesia from Park Slope
I am not surprised about this situation,
being that the Coop and the
other food coops in the city with the
same model food coop structure are
a breeding ground for anti-semetisim
or anti-israeli politics in regards to
the boycott with divestment or BDS.
It is hypocrisy.
Rensen Leskat
from Clinton Hill
So what does Freesia do? Grow
his/her own fruits and vegetables?
Raise her/his own chickens in Park
Slope? Only do, even every day shopping,
in the smallest shops? Besides,
Freesia, needing lots of extra bucks,
to afford that; small shops have been
known-to sometime NOT pay their
employees at all. Especially those
with quaint sounding names. I know
BS when it’s shelved. Fact, the food
store (grocery) industry, is hardly a
monopoly?
SCR from Realityville
Even Park Slope liberals realize
how destructive unions are to our
country. This is why we need federal
right to work laws ASAP.
Hillary from Prison
If there are workplace safety concerns,
the workers should report it to
OSHA. They will inspect and require
the store to remedy the situation. Not
sure what “overwork” is, but if they
are not being paid for work time, the
city and state take that very seriously.
Unionizing would potentially
help the issues of inconsistent scheduling
and a lack of due process.
Tyler from pps
Aiden: “Unique brand of food
based Communism”. OK, I’ll admit,
that made me chuckle, but they’re
hardly unique. Agrarian Communism
is older even than it’s most popular
proponent, Jesus of Nazareth.
K. from ArKady
Unions are not destructive to the
country. That is a fanatic right wing
view. Unions in fact work very well
in protecting workers in other countries,
where they have not been infi ltrated
by mafi as and half blind corporate
shills. Another social security
if you will.
Leif Ericsson 33
Member of Food Coop for eight
years and union member from 1998
to 2007. Still active as volunteer with
union. Sure there are downsides to
both parties but are the claims accurate.
Also how many trolls here
speak from fi rst hand knowledge or
experience? I survived many rounds
of downsizing in the workplace with
the union support enabling me to retire
shortly later. I also advocated for
the union in its entry to our representation.
So how well founded are the
disgruntled grievances? Or are they
stooges seeking to undermine the
paragon of the Food Coop paradigm
for malicious purposes? Speculate
and spout your ignorant conjectures
for the sake of sharing your Fascist
opinions.
wiseowl from mid brooklyn
I’ve been a PSFC member for a
long time now. It’s a good shop. I can
tell, because I have worked in union
and non-union shops, both as as a
union member and as management
in a union shop. Several members of
my family worked as police offi cers,
fi refi ghters, postal workers, public
library staff... pretty conservative
folks. Since I joined the PSFC a number
of my fellow co-op members have
become co-op staff members and they
seem happy working there, although
it’s stressful like any busy workplace
would be. They are paid much more
than minimum wage and have a good
benefi t package. The food available at
the PSFC is fresh. That’s why we’re
all here: good food. Leftist? Communist?
Really?!? Such language sounds
very, very odd, anachronistic even.
Person from Bayridge
This article demonstrates a really
skewed understanding of neutrality
agreements. The union organizers
are, in fact, asking the leadership
of the stores to give up their right to
share their perspective with employees
on how unionization could affect
the store, customers and employees.
Not agreeing to neutrality does not
mean that the store’s leaders are trying
to interfere with anyone’s protected
right to organize. They are
just maintaining their right to ensure
that employee get facts and perspective
from both sides.
Bob from Park Slope
Safer streets, but safe
enough?
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
a plan to enhance traffi c
safety along Coney Island Avenue
in response to a deadly crash that
claimed the life of a cyclist in Midwood
earlier this month.
“This was a heartbreaking
tragedy, and we’re taking action
to make this corridor safer for everyone,”
de Blasio said. “Starting
immediately you’ll see enhanced
NYPD enforcement of reckless driving,
while DOT accelerates the installation
of nearby bike lanes and
other safety measures. We will not
rest until we reach Vision Zero.”
As fi rst reported by AM New
York, de Blasio ordered the Department
of Transportation to install
pedestrian islands and new
left turn signals, in addition to
lengthening pedestrian crossing
times at intersections along the
bustling north-south thoroughfare
between Park Circle and Brighton
Beach Avenue, according to mayoral
spokesman Seth Stein.
Readers discussed the announcement
online:
Bike riding is inherently dangerous
because cars are big and your
body small. Only separating vehicles
pedestrians and bikes makes it safer
but not totally safe.
Frank from Furter
Enforcement.... speeding, doubleparking
(not ticketing, immediate
towing), aggressive/dangerous turning,
not yielding, not maintaining adequate
space.
Tyler from pps
Yet another knee-jerk reaction to
a non-problem. While tragic for the
bicyclist, it could have as easily been
a pedestrian (almost was), or no one
at all that got hit. Accidents happen,
and had the jack-hammer behind
the wheel been paying attention it
wouldn’t have... THAT is the root of
this problem, not the lack of protection
for cyclists.
JD from Gravesend
Labor’s too loud!
The West Indies Day Parade is a
Brooklyn tradition. Why however
does the city continue to allow “Labor
Day Week” early morning outdoor
concerts to take place in a neighborhood
until 3AM? This is a quality of
life issue. This would not be allowed
behind the Metropolitan Museum or
in any other city. Why is it okay to
disrupt the tax-paying citizens that
live in the residential neighborhoods
surrounding the Brooklyn Museum
(that is a member of CIG that receives
money from the city) for four nights in
a row? These outdoor concerts are put
on by for-profi t promoters. A better
location would be at an indoor venue
like Barclays. The Brooklyn Museum
should use its parking lot as a sculpture
garden, not to host crappy holiday
markets and late night concerts.
An Unhappy Sleepless Neighbor of
the Mayor.
Darcie LaFarge
Prospect Heights
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
Submit letters to:
Anthony Rotunno, Edi tor, Courier Life,
1 MetroTech Center North, Brooklyn,
NY 11201, or e-mail to editorial@
schnepsmedia.com. Please include
your address and tele phone number
so we can con fi rm you sent the
letter. We reserve the right to edit all
correspondence, which becomes the
property of Courier Life.
SOUND OFF TO THE EDITOR
LETTERS AND COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
/schnepsmedia.com
