BRATTLEBORO — Editor's note: Following is the text of the letter addressed to the Brattleboro Food Co-op Board of Directors and presented to the board at its meeting on Sept. 10.
The following statement was written by a group of Brattleboro Food Co-op employees, based on conversations with many staff members over the past few months, and after gathering many stories from co-workers.
Because we feel that we have the right to work in an environment:
• in which employees routinely review department managers (and the general manager), and not just the other way around,
• in which managers must follow progressive discipline protocols and cannot fire or mistreat employees merely because of personal disputes or disagreements,
• in which department managers, and upper management, are accountable and take responsibility for their actions and decisions,
• and in which employees are not discouraged by their managers from speaking up regarding grievances;
Because we, the workers of the Brattleboro Food Coop, feel that we have the right:
• to have a legally-sanctioned forum in which to address grievances,
• to have a voice in a democratic decision-making process, so that we may participate fully in the decisions that affect our working conditions,
• to work in an environment in which there is transparency regarding how decisions are made,
• to work in an environment in which the books are open,
• and to have a say in negotiating fair salaries, cost-of-living raises, and benefits;
Because we feel that we have the right:
• to work without threat of termination without cause,
• to work without fear of being offered severance packages out of the blue and with no justification,
• to work without threat of bullying, intimidation (either passive or outright), or mental harassment by department managers or upper management,
• and to be able to depend on a weekly paycheck, regardless of lack of planning on the part of management;
Because we feel that we have the right to work in an environment:
• in which the safety and well-being of staff is seen as a priority,
• and in which employees are valued as the engine without which this business could not operate, and are treated with due respect;
Because we are tired of working in an environment that takes such pride in calling itself a cooperative, but does not include staff in the cooperative community vision; and
Because we feel that these rights have been lacking in our place of work,
We seek to exercise our legal right to form a union so as to have the power to negotiate for and protect these rights, and so that these rights will be guaranteed in a legally binding document.
To this end, we have been collecting the signatures of our co-workers, and already have the support of a majority of the 160-plus members of the BFC staff. We believe that a union will be the best way of securing the rights we seek, and feel that forming a union would be the quickest, most effective, and most cost-effective method of addressing our concerns. We also believe that forming a union will help us all to work together more successfully and cooperatively, which is crucial after last year's tragedies and as we move forward with our new, larger store.
At this time we present the Board with a recognition agreement and ask that you not delay in giving us your support and agree to have a third party verify the signatures we have gathered. We trust that the Board will see recognizing the Union as part of its Powers and Duties (as stated in the BFC Coop Bylaws, April 4, 2009, Article 5, Section 5.1) of “securing good conditions of employment and assuring that the purpose, mission and principles of the Coop are properly carried out,” reminding the Board that the mission of the Coop “is to provide quality products at reasonable prices in an environment which is organized fairly and honestly, for its shareholders, staff, and community” (Bylaws, Article 1, Section 12). The staff is ready to be treated fairly and honestly.
We respect that you [board members] have an agenda before you, and do not wish to take up any more of your time. We would be happy to meet with members of the Board to expand on or clarify any of these points, or to answer any other more specific questions you might have. Please know, however, that such a discussion would not constitute negotiation, as we are not willing to negotiate with management, or with the Board, and will not waver on our decision to unionize.