12
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2019
COOP
told staffers they “should have a
backup plan” if their collective
bargaining scheme petered out.
The Nation Labor Relations
Board — the federal body that
governs labor laws in the United
States — ordered managers not
to meddle in the unionization process
amid a settlement earlier this
month, which required the co-op
to post fl iers detailing their rights
to organize.
But even with federal watchdogs
breathing down their neck,
co-op management still haven’t
warmed to the unionization effort,
according to Connor, who said
that whatever passes for ownership
at the leftist supermarket remains
obstinately opposed to the
neutrality pact.
“We asked them for a neutrality
agreement, and they wouldn’t
even sit down with us to talk about
it,” she said. “They haven’t even
come to the table to discuss it.”
The recent settlement bars
Connor from speaking openly
about certain aspects of the coop’s
secretive inner workings,
but she was able to describe how
employers use various tactics to
cow perspective union members
— such as threatening them with
termination, writing them up for
disciplinary actions, and reassigning
them to arduous tasks as
punishment.
Co-op workers declined to be
interviewed publicly for fear of retaliation,
but their website details
the complaints that have led them
to advocate for collective bargaining
power.
One of the major sticking
points is their status as “at-will
employees” who can be terminated
at any time, without proper
cause. They also complain of overwork,
inconsistent scheduling,
and inadequate workplace safety
standards.
Co-op members have supported
the market’s full-time staffers
through an online petition that
has garnered 3,300 signatures,
and union advocates hope the recent
settlement and added attention
will lead additional shoppers
to intervene on their behalf.
One petition author said she
hopes members’ grassroots advocacy
will force management to engage
in good-faith discussions.
“The management... said that
the members don’t have anything
to do with this. We are pushing
back against that,” said HanaKyle
Moranz.
Co-op management did not
respond to requests for comment.
Park Slope Food Co-op members have gathered more than 3,300 signatures in support of the unionization efforts by the
co-op’s full time staff members. Photo by Caroline Ourso
Continued from page 1
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