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We are an autonomous group of Harvest Coop members, workers, and labor activists who have begun to meet every other Tuesday to ensure that the Coop is democratically run, a good employer, serves the community, and participates in coop and other related movements.


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[edit] News


More firings at the Harvest for the month of May

Word spead among workers at the JP store that the night shift manager had been fired. A co-worker told me he saw Marc Cutler, Sandra Andrew, and Don Pierce entering the store together. We all know this means someone is getting fired. We were all surprised that of all people they would fire Joe Gambon. Joe was a hard worker and an effective manager. He was well liked by Harvest employees despite his role representing management. Joe gave management’s perspective when customers asked about high-profile terminations. Management’s assault on Harvest employees has gone beyond targetting union sympathizers.

The official excuse for his termination was because he bought a ham and cheese sandwich from the deli for $2.49. There is a button at the deli station labelled “Tarzan” which is for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. All other sandwiches are $5.99. Employees used to get all types of sandwiches at the lower price, or else buy slices of bread, meat, and cheese individually to make an inexpensive sandwich. Management had cracked down on employees getting built up sandwiches at this reduced price, although it was not clear if the Tarzan sandwich had been completely eliminated. One deli employee said that Joe allowed employees to get ham and cheese sandwiches at the lower rate, and often did this himself.

Two and a half dollars is a profitable price for a ham and cheese sandwich, so it is unclear why management would want to fire a good worker over this. Most Harvest employees are paid the minimum wage, or pennies above it. Even supervisors and department heads are paid well below industry standards. On top of that we lose half an hour of pay to our lunch break every day. Despite a 20% employee discount, nobody wants to spend five or six dollars on a meal. When we do, we order out. Without the Tarzan rate for simple sandwiches, there are no affordable options at the deli for workers.

At the same time in Cambridge almost the same story happened. A head cashier that was well liked by co-workers, and another cashier, were both fired for supposedly undercharging for prepared food.

Is management paranoid? Is this part of a plan to reshuffle supervisors and institute new policies? Are they trying to create fear among workers? We can only guess as to their motivations. But what is absolutely clear is that job insecurity is a huge problem for all workers at the Harvest coop.

Workers must unite to protect each other from these arbitrary attacks on our livelihoods. Each time management attacks we must publicly embarrass them and make them pay a political price. We must collectively demand that firing workers for trivial reasons must end. Workers must be organized to discuss management’s decisions, and refuse to cover shifts if we feel that a fellow worker has been fired unjustly. A majority of us must sign up with the union to demand a legally binding contract that will protect our rights.


Sincerely,
The Harvest Employee Organizing Committee

NLRB Ruling Disappoints
May 22nd, 2008

On Friday, May 16th, the Boston regional office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) dismissed the Unfair Labor Practices charged against the Harvest on behalf of Diego Bencosme and Deon Furtick. Management responded by immediately hiring a new employee for the understaffed deli department. Three employees had been working ten hour shifts, six days a week, in order to cover the deli. Although the Harvest hired someone in February to replace Deon, another employee injured his hand on the meat slicer a month later and has not returned to work. The injured employee said he was never told about a steel mesh glove that employees are required to wear when cleaning the slicers, although he had been on the job for three months.

The union representing Deon, the IWW, was informed of the NLRB decision over the phone. Evidence provided to the NLRB remains confidential so it is difficult for the public to review their decision. The only new information was that management had testified they gave Deon a verbal warning back in October, although there is no written record of this. They also claimed that firing Deon for not punching out for lunch was consistent with other cases in which employees were fired for showing up late. According to NLRB investigating attorney Daniel Fein, it all “falls under the rubric of misrepresenting hours worked.” Fein even defended management's claim that Deon failed to apply for the supervisor position back in September, which was the initial cause for employees to confront Operations Manager, Marc Cutler, in what they thought was legally protected collective activity. Deon put his application in an office mailbox labeled “Human Resources” which Harvest Human Resources Director, Sandra Andrew, claims she was not aware existed. The IWW believes that the entire hiring process began when we encouraged Deon to complain about being required to do the job of deli supervisor without the title or raise.

Deigo Bencosme's unfair termination case was dismissed because he was a supervisor, and thus not protected under the National Labor Relations Act, even though he only supervised one other employee in the Harvest's tiny meat department.

Harvest employees have no comprehensive handbook on workplace policies. There are only a series of memos which are written in language that is impossibly strict. Normally these policies are only loosely followed, but occasionally someone is fired. Among the employees we have spoken to, firings are always a surprise and never the end of a warning process. Without any provisions for job security, it appears that jobs at the Harvest are designed to self-destruct.

Management at the Harvest has remained steadfast in their determination to not rehire Deon despite numerous letters and phone calls from members, leafleting outside the store by union activists, articles in newspapers such as the JP Gazette and the Industrial Worker, and a legal case before the NLRB. The IWW plans to appeal Deon's case to the NLRB's national office in Washington DC. But that process could take another six months. Harvest members should reconsider in what sense they own this coop, when the community is so impotent to reinstate employees in the face of management's power.


Letter of Solidarity from the Vermont Workers' Center
May 20th, 2008

Dear Harvest Board and Management,

Here at the Vermont Workers' Center (VWC) we actively support workers' basic right to organize. We field the calls of wronged workers daily on our Workers Rights Hotline, help them organize for living wages, and advocate for the general establishment of health care as a human right.

Over the years, unfortunately we have spent a good deal of time combatting anti-union efforts commited by transnational corporate employers across our state and country. It is unfortunate that it is not just for-profit corporations that choose to deny workers' rights to organize and fire pro-union workers.

We have been reading about your labor posture down in Boston, and Cambridge, and are concerned about the firings of Diego Bencosme and Deon Furtick. Thus far we have read the anti-union letter you attached to employee checks, and the articles from The Bridge, and JP Gazette.

Here in Vermont, at two of our large local food co-ops the workers have formed a union (City Market and Hunger Mountain Co-op, both with the UE). They now work cooperatively with management to set fair workplace policies. It is a shame that the Harvest Co-ops have acted like corporate behemoths, not food co-ops. No workers at our Vermont co-ops are vulnerable to the 'arbitrary and capricious [and] retaliatory action' described by the former judge, who represented Mr. Bencosme, in the JP Gazette article. Our co-ops are highly successful operations and fair places to work, the two actually go hand in hand.

I strongly suggest that you reconsider your anti-union actions, reinstate the two fired workers, with pay, and respect your workers right to organize, and remain completely neutral in future organizing efforts. Sincerely,

James Haslam
Director
Vermont Workers' Center
294 North Winooski Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
james@workerscenter.org
www.workerscenter.org
802-272-0882


Pressure builds to rehire fired workers
Sunday, May 4, 2008

Bosses at the Harvest Co-op have suffered bad publicity several times in just the last couple weeks. On Friday, April 25th, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in western Massachusetts passed out flyers at the opening ceremony of the River Valley Market in Northampton. Members of the new cooperative were receptive and concerned. The General Manager of the River Valley Market even told our volunteers that she would call Harvest's management on our behalf.

Back in our own community, the IWW and its allies were at the thirtieth annual Wake Up the Earth Festival next to the Stoney Brook T station last Saturday. Once again, management had to answer questions about their labor practices as we passed out flyers to community members in front of their display table. Once again, we received a warm response from the community which is overwhelmingly sympathetic to the issues of working people.

Perhaps our best step forward however, was an article by David Taber in the May 2nd issue of the Jamaica Plain Gazette, "Co-op accused of union-busting." This is the paper of record for our community and will undoubtedly reach thousands of new people.

The Harvest's management has already paid a heavy political price for their insensitivity, but it is still unclear whether or not they care. Deon and Diego have outstanding complaints with the National Labor Relations Board which may yet force the Harvest to rehire them with back pay for lost wages. But so long as business continues as usual at the co-op, community opinion may not matter to them. Management has also failed to move on important community issues such as handicap accessibility and restoring the community bulletin boards at both stores. It may be that collective action on the part of workers is the only way to force management into being responsive to the community's needs and values. Our struggle at the Harvest Co-op is a microcosm of the people's struggle against corporate power around the world. Only when strong unions and strong communities come together will we begin to turn the tide against poverty wages, job insecurity, environmental degradation, the lack of services for those with special needs, and the lack of democratic empowerment where we all work and live. Change must begin here.


Sample Letter from a Member
March 31, 2008

Marc Cutler
Manager of Operations
Harvest Coöperative Market
57 South Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Dear Mr. Cutler:

I write as a Harvest Coöp member concerned with our coöp’s recent labor practices.

I first joined the then-called Boston Food Coöp in 1980 at its first Allston location. I had previously belonged to two other food coöps in New York. I was a newcomer to Boston, happy to learn of a principled connection to healthy and organic food cheaper than that offered in the for-profit system. I had hoped that this coöp would prove an alternative to the large corporate model, nourishing community as well as bodies. I had also hoped that these principles would inform the treatment of its workers.

I signed petitions to have this coöp open at its Jamaica Plain location and have shopped at this store several times a week since it first opened.

In 1980, contributing work hours as a coöp member was obligatory. These days, I make it a point to exchange friendly words with all the J.P. workers, as I no longer meet them “behind the scenes” as a cheese-slicing member/contributor.

There are many wonderful people serving at the Jamaica Plain store. For the last four years, Deon Furtick always stood out for his courtesy and the excellent service he provided to all customers at the deli counter. I am appalled to learn of the circumstances of Mr. Futick’s firing.

I know he was discussing the possibility of having union representation for coöp workers, and further, that he had just received a seniority pay raise the day prior to his firing. I have seen a copy of the relevant personnel file, and understand that he was fired for not clocking out for a break. However, some other workers have been paid during lunch.

Given these circumstances, I looked for a warning in Mr. Furtick’s files. I also looked for a disciplinary caution. I could find neither. Generally, opportunities to improve or correct mistakes are the first action taken; firing remains the last.

Having read both sides of the recent firing of Mr Furtick, I am not at all satisfied with the Coöp’s explanation. It is very disturbing to read that a senior worker has been dismissed immediately upon 1) receiving a pay raise and 2) discussing union activities. It raises the likelihood that his termination was retaliatory in nature. Arbitrary enforcement of rules smacks of favoritism. (Although firing senior employees making higher rates will certainly keep costs down!)

There is an obvious lack of due process in this case. Mr. Furtick would have been treated more professionally had he worked at a McDonald’s. I am depressed by a pettiness that makes a multinational look enlightened and magnanimous by comparison.

A Coöperative that is proud of its practices need not worry about being “under attack” by union-organizing by any union. If the work environment is fair to everyone, then workers can certainly be trusted to decide what is in their own best interests. Perhaps this will lead them to unionize in future. Perhaps it won’t. In either case, it can’t be our decision unless we are not only coöp members but workers as well.

As a coöp member, I urge you to re-consider the termination of Deon Furtick. Please do the fair and decent thing and rehire him, with back wages dating to the day of his wrongful firing.

Respectfully,

Lynn McSweeney

cc: Jessie Myszka, President, Harvest Board of Directors
Christopher Durkin, Director of Membership & Community Relations
Michael St. Clair, General Manager
Matthew Andrews, Jamaica Plain Harvest Coöp worker
Michael E. Miller, Ph.D.

Previous News Items

[edit] Events



[edit] Community sharing SHOW AND TELL potluck at the Haley School


Come share your

  • Work
  • Interests
  • Art
  • Political Ideas
  • Hobbies
  • Community Project

Thursday MAY 22nd 5:30 pm to 7:40 pm at the Haley School cafeteria, on American Legion Highway between Baby Nat's and Wendy's. Free parking. (570 American Legion Hwy, Roslindale, MA 02131, 617-635-8169)

kid- and adult-friendly

Bring information or a short talk or some art or a project you are working on. Bring some food to share, and hang out with neighbors and friends.

Ideas for sharing: Talk with kids about what you do for a living Tell us about the food co-op you belong to Meet a new family Hand out flyers, business cards, poetry you wrote Bring some art supplies and do an art project together Plan a new community project Develop an action plan to help with the presidential election Talk about a book you liked Share a painting you did Discuss your business Talk about the serious problems at the Harvest Food Co-op Learn about the Haley community gardens talk about the school budget share some recipes

Questions? Ideas? call Adam Frost at 617-325-9526 or email adamfrost@computerCareAndLearning.com



The IWW benefit for the family of Deon Furtick was held April 26th, 2008 at Encuentro 5 in Chinatown. We had free food, cheap beer, speakers discussing The Harvest, and lots of music. Everyone had a great time and we raised $500 for Deon! Thank you to all who came or sent contributions through the mail.


  • Spanish - English Conversational Group

Meet with us every Monday from 4:30 - 6:00PM at the Jamaica Plain Branch Library (Directions) to practice the Spanish language. We have fluent speakers to answer questions. We read and discuss topics relating to immigrant rights, labor rights, international movements and other current events.

  • Grupo de Conversación en Inglés

Biblioteca de Jamaica Plain
12 Sedgwick Street
(La Dirección)
Venga y praticar su Inglés
Todos los jueves a las 6 p.m.
Gratis

  • Store sponsored events:


MEMBERSHIP AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
Meets the 4th Thursday of each month at 6 PM in the Community Room in the Cambridge store. Members and workers should attend to talk to new people and give a counter-balancing perspective to management's spin.
The next meeting at Harvest Cambridge will be Thursday, May 22nd at 6 pm

offical MSCC events.

[edit] Job Openings

The information here is provided by workers and is not guaranteed to reflect the intentions of management. By announcing job opportunities here, we hope to recruit progressive-minded, community-oriented workers to the cooperative, ensure adequate staffing, and reinforce standards for wages. It is illegal for any company to discriminate against union members when they employ new workers!

The Harvest has a new webpage and is posting job openings there.

  • Jamaica Plain

There is an open position for stocking dairy and other refrigerated products in the evening. This job is part of the grocery department. Starting wage for new hires is $8.00 per hour. You can expect about thirty hours a week, although you may be able to ask for more.

  • Cambridge

We do not currently have reports of staff shortages. If you work at the Cambridge store and your department needs more employees, please let us know.

Contact us for more information about Harvest jobs.

[edit] External Links

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