Whole Foods Responds To Workers’ Demands By Increasing Wages
Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease!
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/19/3594455/whole-foods-raise-wages/
Whole Foods Responds To Workers’ Demands By Increasing Wages
by Joaquim Moreira Salles
Posted on November 19, 2014 at 2:51 pm
Whole Foods workers in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood scored a partial victory late last week as management agreed to their demands for a wage increase. Whole Foods’s Northern California regional President Rob Twyman announced a $1.25 pay rise for all San Francisco employees at the lower wage tier.
This means they will earn $12.75 an hour beginning January 1, four months before the city’s new $12.25 minimum wage ordinance kicks in. The increase comes after workers initiated a brief work stoppage on November 6 to deliver a petition to management that asked for, among other things, a $5 pay rise for all employees. Employees involved in organizing are celebrating the $1.25 increase despite getting a less than they had hoped for.
Workers also demanded better working conditions and a comprehensive health plan with affordable premiums and deductibles, but these calls have thus far gone unanswered.
“Whole Foods is rolling out the raise months before they even have to adjust to the new minimum wage. We’ve never seen that happen,” said Nick Theodosis, who has worked at the SoMa store for 10 years.
Low wages, inconsistent schedules, understaffing, and unaffordable healthcare plans are rampant at Whole Foods stores companywide, according to the workers at the SoMa store. Nevertheless, the fact that Whole Foods recognized the legitimacy of the workers’ organizing effort is significant. The events of last week mark a precedent that has the potential to encourage workers to organize at other Whole Foods stores across the country.
“This is a significant gain for non-traditional union drives taking on enormous corporations like Whole Foods to win higher wages and improved working conditions,” Michael Hellman, one of the organizers at SoMa, told ThinkProgress. “Whole Foods’s concession could encourage workers across the continent to join the chorus for dignity and a wage they can thrive on.”
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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/19/3594455/whole-foods-raise-wages/
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