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?
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.
I’ll join you. If you haven’t already, random fediverse user, boycott YouTube Music as well. They laid off 43 workers last month. Here’s how it went down:
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Google hired them through a subcontracting company called Cognizant as a way to pass the buck with regards to employee needs like pay and benefits (“But you aren’t employed by us! Take it up with your agency.”), a common and shitty tactic.
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They had shitty benefits and didn’t get paid enough to live on in Austin, an expensive city, so many had to take second jobs.
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They went on strike last February to protest Google’s “Return-to-Work” mandate, as it would cause them all to incur the extra costs of commuting and child care, as well as the fact that some employees didn’t live anywhere near the office and even across state lines (those employees ended up getting laid off).
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The National Labor Relations Board ruled that…as a joint employer to those workers since the entirety of their work experience was in Google offices…Google must negotiate with the workers and bargain with them regarding their pay, benefits, and working conditions.
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Google went against the ruling refused to bargain with the workers.
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The workers successfully unionized with Alphabet Workers Union-CWA in a 41-0 vote in April 2023.
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Immediately afterward, the management of their office instituted union-busting practices, including disallowing personal devices, laptops, and even pen and paper in the office.
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At every turn, Google stalled and hemmed and hawed and postponed any attempts by the NLRB to force them to negotiate with thee workers.
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The workers were successful in getting the Austin City Council to add a resolution calling on Google to listen to their requests.
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A Google Austin exec successfully got the Council to agree on 02/28/24 to postpone the vote on the resolution for three weeks in order “to give Google, and the City Council, time to fully understand the direction of this item and potential local outcomes.”
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Two union members spoke at the meeting on 02/29/24 to voice their concerns about Google’s stalling tactic and one was in the middle of speaking when his colleague informed him they’d just been fired, just one single day after requesting and bejng granted a postponement to the vote by the Council. Their reason? “Contracts were up…decided to not renew them.”
It’s absolute horseshit, and I’m so fucking tired of this becoming the norm. BILLIONAIRES GET FUCKED.
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.
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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.
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