Wasted Produce

From Harvest Members

Workers and community members have been having an ongoing dialogue with management over their policy regarding spoiled produce. Written correspondences have been transcribed below. Soon we will scan and upload the original documents for you to see as well.

Memo
To: all staff
From: Marc Cutler
Date: June 4, 2007
cc: Ivonne Lazzaroni, Jorge Tellez

Please be advised that day old produce will not be given away. Produce that is no longer salable will go through the register as trash, whatever can be cooked will go to the deli and the rest will go in the dumpster. It is company policy to purchase products to consume at the store or to take home. Sometimes product will be given to employees as a sample and it is given by a manager
Thank you
Marc Cutler

[That same day volunteers from Food Not Bombs received a memo from Marc Cutler stating: "We are not able to provide product to you at this time. We are in the process of creating a better system and will inform you when things change."]


PETITION IN RESPONSE TO THE JUNE 4TH MEMO
June 18, 2007
Dear Marc Cutler,
We are writing to express the feelings of many Harvest Coop employees regarding the new policy on spoiled produce that was given to us on June 4th. For many of us, taking produce that is not salable, but still edible, is a valuable work benefit. Our wages are low and we cannot otherwise afford fresh fruit and vegetables on a regular basis. Many employees will take an overripe banana, apple or pear as a snack during the workday. Other times we may take bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes or other items with bad spots to cook at home. This new policy will force many of us to seek less expensive, and often less healthy, alternatives.
Your June 4th Memo does not offer us a rationale for this new policy. We want to assure you that we do not abuse our privileges as employees. We are all honest and hard working people who want to see the Harvest do well. We only take what is truly not salable. The quality of what we sell will continue to depend on the good judgment of Produce department employees. The Produce department always offers what we have to the Deli, although the Deli can only use a small portion of our waste.
Many of us feel that throwing away edible food is wasteful. For at least seven years the Harvest has donated produce to the Food Not Bombs chapter in Jamaica Plain. The Harvest advertises itself as a different kind of grocery store, that upholds cooperative principles such as "Democratic Control," "Equitable Distribution of Profits." and "Concern for Community." We believe that giving free spoiled produce to employees and homeless charities is a way for us to live those values and continue to differentiate ourselves from other stores, at almost no additional cost.
We hope you will reconsider the new policy on dumping non-salable produce and renew the Harvest's relationship with Food Not Bombs. We would like to see management solicit us for feedback before making policy changes that effect our benefits and working conditions in the future.

[Twenty-one employees from the Jamaica Plain store signed at the bottom]


June 20, 2007
Memo to: See Attached Distribution List
Subject: Free Produce Petition

Dear Associates,
Thank you for submitting the petition this week in response to Marc Cutler's memo regarding the distribution of produce deemed unworthy of resale to associates. First, I would like to say that I appreciate the collaborative tone of the petition and the clear and concise points made in it. Marc shared with me the chronology of events leading up to this petitition and I welcome the opportunity to respond to the matter.
One of the largest expenses the retail business, after payroll, rent and utilities, is product "shrink" or the loss, for whatever reason, of product originally purchased for resale. While it may sound agreeable, harmless or even sensible to give product that appears less than desirable away to employees or other causes, it is, upon close scrutiny, extremely risky for any business. It is commonly compared to a "slippery slope" policy, one that can easily lead to confusion, unfairness and abuse.
For example, if the same individuals continually benefit from the policy, but others do not, it is not a fair benefit. If some get more product over time than others, or better product, the same thing is true. If it is used for "bad" produce, why not meat, deli, grocery, eggs, etc.? If my idead of "bad" product is different than yours, then whose opinion is right? What if I accidentally bruise an apple, or crinkle a package, or break a egg, is it OK to include this as not salable and take it home? Once you start down this path, it is a slippery slope as to where it can lead. There are also issues of sanitation and liability for product that is old, damaged or of poor quality.
As for the charitable nature of donating food unfit for resale, many of these concerns are still relevant. However, we will be revisiting this policy in the future to weigh the risks against the rewards for all. Please feel free to contact me or other managers at any time to discuss this policy. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,
Michael St. Clair
General Manager


July 27, 2007
Michael St. Clair and Marc Cutler,
We were shocked to receive your memo on June 4th stating "We are not able to provide product to you at this time. We are in the process of creating a better system and will inform you when things change." First of all, because former Food Not Bombs volunteer Aaron St. Jean spoke to Marc Cutler the day before to inform him that new volunteers would be taking over the weekly food pick-up. On that day, Marc told him that all was in order and that the food would be there for us. When we came to pick up the food that we've been receiving regularly for years, Marc just handed us the memo and walked away without any explanation. This was most surprising because the Harvest Co-op has always prided itself on its "Concern for Community." Food Not Bombs considers the homeless and needy to be a vulnerable part of our community who should have support from businesses and individuals who have the resources available.
It has also been brought to our attention that you are no longer allowing your workers to take home un-salable product that would otherwise be discarded. Since your workers do not make considerably high wages, we believe that many of them rely on this food, as they cannot otherwise afford fresh produce on a regular basis. If your logic is that it is a liability for workers to eat non-profitable foods for what ever reasons, we would hope that you would give your workers the benefit of the doubt and trust their judgment to know what food could make them sick. As an organization and as community members, it concerns us that you take away this benefit without consulting your workers, but do not compensate by paying them higher wages so they can afford produce.
We, as an organization, stand for workers' rights and believe that they, as well as the greater community, should benefit from a small, local co-op that is expected to put people above profit.
As an organization we also advocate nonviolence, which is one of our founding principles. Deliberately wasting produce that others can benefit from can be construed as violent act as it directly hurts the well being of your workers and surrounding community and contributes to environmental degradation.
We believe that it would be in your best interest to re-consider your decision because many of the community organizations and individuals who support FNB are also Harvest members. Many have already expressed concern about your new policy and its impact on our organization, your workers, and the community as a whole.
We ask that you send us a response in the next week. This letter should include an explanation of your new policy, when you will be able to re-establish your prior commitment to Food Not Bombs, and how you intend to alleviate the difficulties many of your employees face as a result of this policy.

As Concerned Community Members,
The Food Not Bombs Volunteers


UPDATE: On Friday, August 31st, I was told that spoiled produce should be left in the walk-in refrigerator for the morning shift to run through the register and dump. Although I have done this in the evening for nearly a year, I was told by my supervisor that I could now receive a warning if I do this work during my evening shift. I believe this new hard-line policy is intended to prevent anyone from searching the dumpster at night for edible products. It seems that instead of listening to us, management is digging in their heels.
-Matthew Andrews
Harvest Produce Department, Jamaica Plain
Sept. 5, 2007



Two comments dated 8/28/07 that are currently in the Harvest Suggestion Book in Jamaica Plain:

“Why did you stop giving produce to Food Not Bombs and your workers? Because you’re a Faux-op?”

“put my comment in the book! give unsaleable produce to Food Not Bombs AND your workers. Pay your workers higher wages. I want an email response.”

Management pasted the same typed response to both comments:

“We have never had a company policy that involved giving unsaleable produce to store associates. The donation program which we started with Food Not Bombs, however, had without our knowledge developed into a program with people taking food home. No business, co-op or otherwise, can stay in business with product - in our case, food - being given away.

We stopped the program until we could revisit it with adequate accountability. We then created a program like we have in our Cambridge store with Food For Free, which has been successful for many years. On September 18th, Marc Cutler and Chris Durkin met with Food Not Bombs to outline how this program could work, with three food pickup days during the week. FNB’s responsibility would be to pick up donated food for distribution to those in need, as they had been doing for years. Regrettably, they told us they were not interested in a program that didn’t involve our associates getting free food.

To replace the FNB donation program, then, we started a new donation program with The Women’s Lunch Place in Boston, which provides a safe, comfortable day time shelter, nutritious food, and services for women who are homeless or poor. Those who wish to help out, with donations of food, money or time can call WLP at 617-267-1722.”