[lbo-talk] Boycotting the unorganized?

Paul paul_ at igc.org
Wed Jan 19 10:48:29 PST 2005


I am not sure that the situation is so unclear.

Most large supermarket chains in NYC (and similar cities) are unionized on a city-wide basis around union "locals"- a result of much struggle in more favorable times. The newly emerging "gourmet" chain supermarkets such as the Garden of Eden and Gourmet Garage have actively fought unionization with the usual tough tactics, drawing on the changes in NLRB rules since Reagan etc. Apparently, the union has made very serious previous efforts (including walkouts of the workers) to organize the 4 other 'Garden of Eden' supermarket stores.

The union is asking customers to "Buy Union" - and NOT buy non-union from similar stores, when practical. This has been a long-standing union request and has some impact. They are asking you to boycott the company because of its resistance to unions, not boycott the unorganized workers. In fact, it is very disingenuous of the company to put it this way: Garden of Eden workers would be unionized but for the company's all out efforts.

As you say, this store has JUST opened. Union drives are VERY expensive and it is a pity that this union did not (or rather, could not?) afford to put the months necessary into just this one store. One certainly has to urge them to do more of this and more worker and community outreach. On the other hand did you reach out to the when they were picketing and leafleting outside the store? Did the picketing/leafleting workers strike you as rank and file union members sincerely trying to improve the situation in their industry? Surely they could have described to you their long and ongoing fight with this particular company?

I am sure you noticed that this is chain is not really a specialty gourmet shop, just a dressed up upscale supermarket seeking snob appeal. As you point out there ARE several similar but unionized alternatives in your immediate vicinity (with less rip-off prices!). Not to mention the plethora of mom-and-pop bodegas very nearby but on less fashionable streets (e.g. Dominican, Puerto Rican, Haitian and African-American and Arab owned, they have all the staples often at better prices these days but also offer things you might find a change) - what is the problem?

Sure, it is far from a perfect good-guy/bad-guy situation, but as a tactical decision (i.e. making the best of what we can to help ordinary people trying to improve their lives) it seems pretty clear.

Paul

At 02:57 AM 1/19/2005 -0500, you wrote:


>I have an ethical/tactical/union question in everyday life that I was
>hoping someone could help me clear up.
>
>A new store has opened up in my neighborhood, a small gourmet supermarket
>called the Garden of Eden. Afaict, they've been in business 14 years, and
>this is their 5th store, all in New York City. So they are neither a Mom
>and Pop operation nor a megacorp.
>
>3 days after they opened, the United Food and Commercial Workers turned up
>outside picketing. But -- and this is the part where I'm confused -- the
>workers in this store are not on strike. There hasn't even been any
>serious effort to organize them. (There couldn't have been in 3 days,
>especially the initial 3 days, and interviews with workers confirm
>this. They say they were hastily handed cards w/o any explanation.)
>
>So something about this doesn't seem right. It seems to clearly violate
>the principle of never boycotting workers unless they ask for it. The
>workers involved aren't in any way scabs, because like I said, no effort
>was made to unionize them and there is no strike. And this boycott, by
>hurting them directly the day after they got their jobs, seems to be
>infuriating them and making them never want to join the union on
>principle. (The gist of the union literature is that people should shun
>this store and shop at D'Agastino's (another gourmet supermarket) up the
>street instead. D'Agastino's management included coupons for $5 off the
>first few days.)
>
>At least at first sight, this rubs me the wrong way. It seems to be
>asking me to hurt workers who haven't done anything wrong. It just
>doesn't seem right.
>
>Is there something crucial that I'm missing? Is this a common
>tactic? Has it worked in the past in the sense that the boycotted store
>ends up getting a union? Is this how D'Agastino's and Fairway and
>Gristede's got unions?
>
>Anything thoughts or URLs that would help me sort this out would be
>appreciated.
>
>Michael
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