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?
Thanks for the support! I feel like even demonstrating at one store and growing from there would be a win.
To your comment, I’ve de-googled a lot in the past year as they clearly demonstrated some pretty messed up intentions and future direction starting last year with the inability to block ads and many other things. I have watched nascent white-collar tech pushback over the last 10 years as tech companies inevitably were taken over by slowing growth-need for constant growth-hiring bureaucrats rather than those looking to build something. Insane to think 25 years ago google’s motto was don’t be evil and we thought it possible they might fight against the structure of things in the US but it was all too inevitable with current law and lobbying. Whether journalists, video game employees, tech, tech consultants…everyone who has thought of themselves as “white collar” needs to quickly get onboard that they have 0 difference from a Starbucks or Amazon Warehouse or Tesla plant worker now and in the future.