Citizens Co-op Workers Union

My name is Brett Ader. I have lived in Gainesville for about 18 months, and had been a volunteer with the co-op for most of that time before being asked to fill the role of interim general manager after the previous GM left abruptly in October 2013.  In addition to my work with the co-op, I also run a mobile wood-fired pizza company called Humble Pie.

I initially gravitated to the co-op because like many of us I was looking for something a cut above the average grocery or “health food” store, both for myself and as a source for my business.  The issues surrounding where food comes from, how it is produced, the labor practices and environmental impact associated with production - these are all factors that weigh on me as an individual and as a business owner.  The co-op seemed to be structured around these central points, while simultaneously serving as a model for a community based, democratic, transparent workplace.

It quickly became clear that those who shop at the co-op believe in these values too, and have been under the impression that they were supporting a business that did as well.  Getting to know fellow members by name and help shape the co-op with our tiny staff and shoestring budget was an exhilarating, rewarding experience.  I truly felt like we were doing something different, something beyond simply selling groceries or Micanopy Maiden kombucha, and I was proud to be a part of it.

During my time as interim General Manager, the facade slowly began to erode as I became acquainted with how many on the Board of Directors handle their positions.  A disregard for and outright hostility towards transparency, an obvious air of superiority over other members, and a general disregard for their duties as defined in the bylaws seemed common practice.  Ultimately I was discouraged but still felt confident, firm in my belief that the collective conviction of my fellow worker-owners and our community would be enough to overcome those hurdles.

However, at the now infamous worker-owner meeting in February it was made clear by the Board of Directors and our recently hired GM that any notions of democracy, solidarity, or even cooperation are to them simply hollow words used to greenwash the image of this business. The tragedy, and in the end the irony of it all, is that we have been duped by a shortsighted and power hungry few who despite their doublespeak will in the end be the downfall of our co-op.

The following is from the Citizens Co-op website under the heading “values,” and I think that both the management and Board of Directors of OUR co-op would do well to understand that these tenets should be what we not only try to live up to, but strive to transcend.

My name is Kelsey Naylor.  I earned my degree in Humanities and Communications from Florida State on a Bright Futures Scholarship. Before I was hired at Citizens Co-op, I was a volunteer for five months.  I had just come back to Florida after working on a raw milk dairy farm in Petaluma, California.  When I found the Co-op, I was really thrilled to have access to so many high quality, local products.  I started working a two hour shift every Wednesday. Even as a volunteer, I started to get to know the members of the co-op.  Often, the same people came in each Wednesday after the Farmers’ Market. It was then that I realized the co-op was more than an “Organic Grocery Store”.  It was a Community!

When I was told the co-op was hiring last year in April, I was simultaneously applying for organic farm internships in New England and the Pacific Northwest.  Although working a register and stocking shelves wasn’t quite what I had in mind for the upcoming year, I felt the co-op was actively trying to better our local food system.  It seemed important to learn the other side of the food system, to better understand the needs of consumers seeking local and organic foods.  Working in Gainesville would also give me the opportunity to help my mom start farming her land in North Ocala.  

A month after I was hired, the Local Food Buyer position opened up.  I was really enthusiastic about taking this role.  Just as I had developed relationships with the members and shoppers at the co-op, I soon felt the same with many of the local vendors.  Alachua County has so many badass, creative, talented small business owners!  From coffee, to kombucha, bread, honey and everything in between.  These vendors weren’t just looking to sell a product, they believed in the co-op and what it stood for.  Many are members also.  Of course, I’m upset and scared about having lost my job, yet I can’t help but still worry about “my” vendors.  Are they still getting regular orders?  Are they being treated well by the new staff?  Are their products being displayed properly?  My job was so much more than simply placing an order when a shelf gets low.  

Maybe that’s what hurts the most about what happened to me and my fellow “worker-owners”.  We worked so hard and honestly cared about the success of the store.  We weren’t just clocking in for a paycheck (besides, a good chunk of that paycheck was spent at the co-op!).  We gave more than our time.  We felt the weight of the business on our shoulders.  We took that stress and responsibility home, as if we were indeed co-owners of the business. Our morale, our drive to go above and beyond was taken away from us on February 18th--and by the people who are supposed to protect the co-op’s future.  For me personally, that is inexcusable.

My name is Sylvia Arnold. I’ve lived in Gainesville for the past nine years, I initially came here to go to college but haven’t left. I have an AA in art history and an AS in emergency medical services. Despite having lived all over the world, I never felt a sense of belonging until I came to Gainesville. Here I’ve been employed for a myriad of local businesses including the Civic Media Center (CMC) where I found my interest and later empowerment in grassroots activism.  Without the Civic Media Center moving to south Main Street, I would never have had an interest in Citizens Co-op.

When I applied to Citizens Co-op at the end of October 2013, I wanted to work in and around the South Main Arts Community Center (SMACC) and especially in a place I thought was practicing an alternative business model. I found the practice of this model was true on the microscopic scale amongst the workers in the store. I found my nitch in being the one who could take an extra task or fulfill the gaps in a routine each shift I worked.  It was not easy but every challenge was accomplished. I seriously began to consider turning this job into a career with seeing how much time, work and commitment the Co-op required to grow. Sadly, as time went on I began to see that this alternative business model really wasn’t practiced the higher the chain of authority went.

My name is Teresa Burlingame. I am a graduate from UF with degrees in biology and wildlife ecology and conservation. I have been living and working in Gainesville for 6 years, doing everything from helping run an environmental summer camp to studying the genetics of insects. After being a member, avid shopper and volunteer at the co-op, I was lucky enough to be hired as a worker-owner this past October.  In the cover letter I wrote expressing interest in employment I stated:

“Building a strong community base where you live, and supporting the local workers is incredibly important; not only do you have a group of people that cares about each other and can help each other when times are tough, but you are also living in a way that is considerably more environmentally sustainable. I strongly desire to be a part of the co-op because I think you are doing great work in keeping the community together and alive.”

I was so proud to be a part of this cooperative and worked actively every day to make it better for everyone involved.  I strived to do my absolute best in helping every customer that came in, member or not, have an experience that was different than your average grocery store. Lately I am afraid that Citizens Co-op has not been living up to the standards I thought it held. Being fired from the co-op broke my heart. Working there was more than just a job; it had become a passion.

Since it happened I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues and I am forever thankful for the support that we have seen from the community as well as nationwide. On March 24th when I woke up I quickly had to come to terms with the fact that my 5 month old kitten that I had been desperately trying to save for weeks after suffering acute kidney failure was not going to make it. I grabbed my phone to inform my vet only to see that I had been fired via e-mail along with 4 of the hardest workers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The next day I was also informed that someone very close to me was seriously ill. Times have been tough, but I am still standing strong for the co-op I believe in. I want my co-op back!

Two workers at Citizens Co-op, Anna Mack and Jon Church, went on strike to protest the recent firings of fellow union members.

We've found a job listing on employflorida.com and Craigslist. Is Citizens Co-op management planning on replacing Union workers?http://gainesville.craigslist.org/fbh/4385258888.html

Citizens Co-op Workers Union met today with General Manager Lisa McNett to discuss their concerns about union recognition.

Sylvia Arnold, Brett Ader and Kelsey Naylor represented the Citizens Co-op Workers Union. A few union members were unable to meet as two workers were in the store working, one was delayed out of town due to inclimate weather and another was dealing with an ailing pet.

The union informed management that they understood their legal rights to unionize, time was given to management to consider voluntary recognition and they consulted an attorney to confirm that the union was legal in the structure of Citizens Co-op.

McNett informed the group she was not authorized to recognize the union as the representative of the Board of Directors. McNett then added that the union would not be voluntarily recognized by management.

Citizens Co-op Workers Union thanks Lisa McNett for coming to the table and meeting with us.

To keep in touch with Citizens Co-op you can follow them online:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/citizenscoopworkers

Tumblr: coopworkerunion.tumblr.com/

First, here is the link to the video from the Quarterly Member Meeting from March 13. Second, we are all looking forward to a productive meeting with management tomorrow morning, March 18th at 8:30am, in order to discuss our concerns.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQdLEG_UyV43uVZaDFPrEBP20PYfLPqGk

The Worker-Owners at Gainesville’s food cooperative, Citizens Co-op, petitioned to unionize our workplace under the umbrella of the Industrial Workers of the World on Tuesday, March 11. As the management of Citizens Co-op has been silent to the demand, we are requesting support from Citizens Co-op Members and the Gainesville Community.

We believe that forming a union is in-line with the Co-op’s stated values and will strengthen the framework for a healthy workplace while ensuring fair treatment for present and future workers.

Over the past weeks, workers have witnessed actions from Co-op’s management and the Board of Directors that directly threaten the stability of the business. These actions oppose the Co-op’s stated values to provide transparency and democracy in the workplace. As worker-owners, we are extremely worried about the future of the Co-op.

In mid February, a mandatory meeting was called by management between the Board of Directors and Worker-Owners. At this meeting, the workers raised questions about the role of their Worker-Owner Representative: a voting member of the board tasked with bringing the concerns of the worker-owners to the Board as stated in the by-laws.  However this Representative was asked to remove themselves from portions of the most recent Board  meeting, after which it was revealed that finances, pay rates and employment termination were discussed.  These are key discussions  the Worker-Owners feel the Representative should be present for, to communicate their voice.

Members of the Board responded by telling the worker-owners that their representative seat on the Board is not a right. Our Board Chair stated that the representative seat is “a gift and a privilege that can be taken away at any time,” and the bylaws are subject to change at the will of the board - therefore our request to see them in writing was pointless. It was even said “this [work environment] is not a democracy,” and if we didn’t like hearing that we could work elsewhere.

Immediately following this meeting two of our most senior staff, one of which was the  Worker-Owner representative, were fired. Neither Worker-Owner was given a warning, and the decision was not discussed with the Worker-Owner representative or any other staff. Many of their responsibilities were not accounted for and gaps in our ordering, marketing, and general store functionality are weighing down on us, the membership and investors.

We felt this was the safest way to move forward after our jobs and representation were put in jeopardy.

Much of what motivates the workers is the promise of investing our time and energy into a business, that by design, would uphold the tenets of a cooperative. This means truly working together, sharing responsibilities, and discarding the top-down power structures that fundamentally differentiate us from traditional business models.

Workers at Gainesville’s local food cooperative, Citizens Co-op, have just announced The Citizen Co-op Workers Union to unionize their workplace under the umbrella of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). They are asking the co-op’s management to voluntarily recognize the union.

As a community-owned and run organic foods store in which member-owners elect a board of directors and vote on issues affecting the business, the workers feel that a union is in line with the co-op’s values. It will lay the framework for a healthy and democratic workplace for present and future employees. The workers are not seeking higher pay or benefits at this time, but rather greater transparency and fairness in the workplace. They feel that unionization will enhance the co-op’s place in Gainesville and strengthen the community. To these workers it feels like the next logical step for the co-op.

A large part of the work at Citizens Co-op is to assure that the members and the community have access to quality foods and products that are held to the standards outlined in our mission statement. By unionizing, the workers are ensuring that the patrons of the store are promoting a business that respects its worker-owners and operates in a fair, democratic, and truly cooperative manner.

Show your support of the Citizens Co-op Workers Union by shopping at Citizens Co-op!