Pittsburgh Grocery Workers Go IWW!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Stacey Clampitt (412) 758-9045

Evan W. Wolfson (412) 951-5204

East End Food Co-op Workers Committee

PO Box 90315 / Pittsburgh, PA 15224

WeRunItIU460@yahoo.com

East End Food Co-op Workers Organize to Improve Conditions and Restore

Healthy

Workforce at Local Organic Food Store

PITTSBURGH, PA – Workers at the East End Food Co-op, Pittsburgh’s only

member-owned natural and organic food market, have organized with the

Industrial Workers of the World to improve working conditions, pay and

benefits, and to address long-standing issues of low staff morale and

high

turnover. The Co-op employs approximately 50 workers who could bargain

collectively with their employer.

Since launching their organizing drive on May 15th, Co-op workers have

requested

that the Board of Directors agree to recognize the workers’ demand for

collective bargaining rights based upon a showing of majority support

for the

union. The workers want the Co-op to accept the union through the

authorization card-check process, whereby workers who support

unionization sign

cards authorizing the union to represent them during collective

bargaining. To

date, the Co-op Board has not accepted the workers’ demand for

recognition, but

has stated it is willing to re-examine a 2003 Board decision, which

states that

workers must vote for the union during a representation election held

by the

National Labor Relations Board.

Workers want the Board to decide at or before the June 26th Board

meeting if it

will accept the card-check process and count the cards. The union

asserts that

because a majority of workers have signed cards and are ready to have

them

counted immediately, any other process toward recognition is

unnecessary and

pointless, if not obstructionist. “We’re eagerly awaiting a response

from the

Board so we can begin bargaining,” said Co-op customer service

representative,

Stacey Clampitt. “We want the Board to accept the authorization cards

instead

of putting us through a long and tedious election process.” Once an

employer

agrees to accept the card-check process, a neutral third party will

verify the

cards and report if they represent a majority of eligible workers. If

they do,

the employer then officially agrees to recognize the union for the

purposes of

collective bargaining.

Even without recognition, Co-op workers point out that since their

efforts to

unionize began on May 15th, management has been encouraged to formally

respond

to some of the workers’ issues and concerns. Employees received

confirmation

of a higher starting wage with some increases for current staff,

promises of a

renewed retirement plan, and plans for an early profit sharing check.

“We

welcome management’s inspired improvements to our pay and benefits,”

said Scott

Reigel, produce clerk. “But we need to sit down at the bargaining

table as

equal partners to negotiate and guarantee improvements in our wages and

working

conditions.”

[The Industrial Workers of the World was founded in 1905 and advocates

for the

organization of workers within their industries, rather than by trade

or

occupation. The I.W.W. is a democratic, member-run union, open to all

workers

with or without collective bargaining rights. The East End Food Co-op

Workers

Committee is affiliated with the Pittsburgh General Membership Branch

of the

I.W.W.]