[lbo-talk] decentralization, Whole Foods style

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

At 1:35 PM -0400 5/29/03, Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>  > Both of these are closer to you than Whole Foods
>
>If Da Net says so, my walking experience of Baltimore does not 
>matter very much, I suppose.  The Whole Foods to which I walk is 
>located in the 1100 block of Fleet st, a ten minute walk from where 
>I live (1400 block of Baltimore st.) - but I must be dreaming it up.
>
>More seriously, I know the "organic  foods" stores in Baltimore - 
>and these are small operations selling tofu products, vitamins, yoga 
>classes etc. - but they are NOT cooperatively owned grocery stores, 
>as those that I know from, say, the People's Republic of Cambridge 
>i.e. containg a full line of groceries, like bread, milk, produce, 
>meat & poultry etc. To de-Americanize my life, I got rid of tee-vee 
>and car, and I shop for groceries daily by walking to a neighborhood 
>store - as most Europeans (and New Yorkers) do - and the 
>neighborhood Whole Foods store fits that pattern very well.
>
>What is more, baltimore is avery different place than say Berkely. 
>I would not like chains moving in to Berkeley, but I appreciate it 
>very much when they move to inner Baltimore city.  They provide a 
>healthy alternative to filthy ghetto stores for folks who do have th 
>emeans of transportation to shop (or work) in suburb.

Just to clarify one point, currently there is no union-organized 
boycott of Whole Foods:

*****   Ask the Organizing Committee

Main > Most Popular Questions
Is there currently a boycott against Whole Foods?

There is no boycott that we're aware of.  At this point, neither the 
UFCW nor the workers involved in the union effort are calling for 
one.  We encourage people to shop at Whole Foods, but we want people 
to be aware of what's going on and to communicate their thoughts to 
Whole Foods management, the workers, and other people concerned about 
workers' rights.  

Much of this effort is about highlighting the discrepancy between 
Whole Foods Market's projected image and reality.  We are focusing 
attention on their vehement anti-unionism (which includes many cases 
of Whole Foods violating federal labor laws), which goes against 
their stated values of respecting and empowering their workers and 
their right to unionize.

<http://www.wholeworkersunite.org/ask/index.php?qid=1&frommostpopular=yes> 
*****

Until a union-organized boycott is called, Wojtek can stock up on 
Euro imports at Whole Foods with clear conscience.
-- 
Yoshie

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