[mrg-announce] Matt Andrews for Harvest Co-op Board of Directors

[Bill Bumpus]

Hi, all - thought this might be of interest to Harvest Co-op members out there.  A fellow member of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) who works at the coop is running for the board to try and provide a voice for the workers there - or at least create a better atmosphere for folks to voice their complaints.  Folks should be receiving their ballots over the next couple of days.

Here's Matt's statement of candidacy; for more info check out http://www.harvestmembers.info/ .

Bill Bumpus

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Matthew Andrews
STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY 

I am running for the Board of Directors as part of a broader effort to reform the Harvest Coop. I have worked in the produce department of the Jamaica Plain store for the past year. Before coming to the Harvest, I earned my Masters Degree in Labor Studies and have been an activist for the Socialist Party and the Industrial Workers of the World. 

Little remains of the Harvest Coop to distinguish us from our corporate competitors. A traditional corporate mentality of cutting corners has put both employees and our community on the chopping block. I would like to take this opportunity to begin a dialog with workers and members about how to make the Harvest more democratic, foster a sense of ownership among workers and the community, find creative solutions to workplace problems, and promote related progressive movements. 

The conduct of labor relations at the Harvest should alarm everyone. Most employees are paid poorly. Raises are routinely late or non-existent. We are ignored when we voice workplace problems. A hierarchical power structure is used to extract hard labor and discipline. Workers are treated like tools and are discouraged from getting involved as members. Furthermore, our lack of clear policies leaves the door open to favoritism and neglect. Workers are unaware of their basic rights. The expansion of workers' rights and equality in the workplace are essential first steps. Democracy cannot exist when a few managers hold all the power and can even fire workers at will. 

The Harvest should be at the center of local movements to change the way we relate to food, the Earth, and consumerism. We should also exemplify a model for economic democracy. To this end, some of us have already begun meeting. I encourage everyone to visit our website, www.harvestmembers.info/. 


PLATFORM FOR THE HARVEST BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

1. FAIR PAY. The highest net income should not be more than twice the lowest for any Harvest employee. The starting wage for any employee should be at least $10 per hour. Workers who perform their duties satisfactorily should expect annual raises that keep pace with the rising cost of living at a minimum. Lunch breaks must be included as paid time. 

2. WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY. Department heads should be elected by the workers in their department for terms of six months. For departments with more than three employees, the position of department head must rotate after each term. Every full time employee must spend one shift per week on the shop floor receiving, prepping, stocking, cashiering or providing customer assistance. 

3. JOB SECURITY. Managers and supervisors must show that they have tried to resolve specific problems before taking disciplinary action. An employee may only be dismissed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The employee in question shall have the right to see relevant information in advance of a hearing and shall have the right to representation. 

4. MINIMIZE WASTE. When food products are deemed edible, but not salable, by the senior employee of a department, and no refund from the wholesaler is possible, that item may be given away either to an employee or a charity designated by the Harvest Board of Directors. Employees must be educated about food safety and sign a waiver before taking any food product that cannot be sold. 

5. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. All employees shall be free to communicate through the employee mailboxes. A community message board shall be maintained where customers can easily see it at each store. Minutes from Board of Directors meetings shall be posted on the Harvest website within forty five days of meeting. Employees shall be informed of their rights when they are hired, including the right to discuss wages, hours, working conditions, benefits and their right to organize with co-workers.