- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Proposing general boycott of Trader Joes. They have joined an unholy trinity of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Starbucks, because they’ve lost so hard in the past few years against workers forming unions (to push back against awful wages and lack of safety and terrible working conditions pronounced by COVID) that since they can’t win fair in union elections under law that has been around for 90 years, want to dismantle the entire apparatus of the NLRB.
If successful, their complaint and other arguments and conclusions that would follow, would lead to loss of labor power that would be strikingly similar to what happened when Trump was allowed to appoint 3 justices and upend the Supreme Court which quickly lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.
40 hours a week then overtime? Probably deemed unfair to the profit rights of our poor megacorps. Discrimination protections at work? Struck down federally but states allowed to pass their own, for a while, then those would be overturned by SC when challenged. Those would be week 1.
It’s sad to see Trader Joes, who espouses lots of human values on its website becoming a mouthpiece for unfettered capitalist abuse of hourly workers.
My boycott, as a 20-year shopper, starts today. I think there are lots of TJs shoppers who think of them as “not Kroger/Walmart/Safeway-Albertsons/etc.” but honestly, by throwing in with Musk/Bezos/Starbucks they’re no different.
I feel like starting a picket at a store or two, then growing would build some shopper awareness, maybe earn some folks who want to get involved and build from there. Want to join?
You must log in or register to comment.
I’m actually amazed no one’s printing out flyers about this and leaving them on cars in the TJs parking lot.
Exactly the kind of thing I’m thinking of, lots of TJs shoppers are trying to not shop at some of the larger, well-known awful grocery megacorps. Or some signs, banner, etc. Not sure about leafletting/papering rules, or honestly even picketing–e.g. I’m sure they’d call the cops if we were in front of their store entrance which is likely private property so you’d have to be at the driveways where people are pulling in—which of course reduces your chance to talk/interact with people–as designed! Probably need some input from someone with union/strike/lockout advice on best practices & approaches.
Sad part is, of course, 100% of the store employees would be on board with the protest if of course it wouldn’t cost them their jobs to allow it.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
In recent weeks, Elon Musk’s SpaceX as well as Amazon, Starbucks and Trader Joe’s have filed legal papers that advance novel arguments aimed at hobbling and perhaps shutting down the NLRB – the federal agency that enforces labor rights and oversees unionization efforts.
Kate Andrias, a Columbia University law professor, said workers would be hurt if the courts issue a sweeping decision that declares both the NLRB and the National Labor Relations Act unconstitutional.
Some worker advocates have voiced surprise that these companies are seeking to hobble the NLRB when, in their view, the labor board is already too weak, its penalties toothless.
SpaceX, Starbucks, Amazon and Trader Joe’s have put forward three main arguments for holding the NLRB unconstitutional: it penalizes companies without a jury trial, exercises executive powers without the president being free to remove board officials, and violates the separation of powers by exercising executive, legislative and judicial functions.
William B Gould IV, who was chair of the NLRB under President Clinton, said anti-union “tech billionaires” like Musk and Jeff Bezos “have fueled these efforts”.
If the labor board is ruled unconstitutional, workers who feel they were illegally fired or otherwise disciplined for backing a union might file a flood of lawsuits in federal courts.
The original article contains 1,194 words, the summary contains 208 words. Saved 83%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!