"Hello Supporter,
We wish to update you on the latest developments in our union drive. We were denied the opportunity to demonstrate the support that the union has among the Co-op workers. Our General Manager declined to allow us to verify this fact through a third-party card check. We then appealed for an election to be monitored by a neutral third party from the community.
That option, too, was rejected by the General Manager. This is regrettable because it would have provided a prompt resolution to the issue through a democratic process. The Board of Directors and the General Manager have declared that they wish for the staff to decide the question through such a process. The General Manager, however, decided that the vote should be conducted through the National Labor Relations Board. This will require that we wait at least six more weeks before an election is held. We consider this a needless and expensive delay.
It is expensive because the Co-op has hired the law firm of Downs Rachlin and Martin (DRM) to represent them. DRM represents employers in such matters and is a very high-powered firm with expertise in union busting strategies. We do not know how much of our shareholder?s money is being spent for the services of this firm, but we believe the shareholders would like to know the answer to that question.
DRM recommended that the election be held on Thanksgiving week. Being one of the busiest weeks for travel it is likely that many staff members would be unavailable to participate in the vote. We are requesting the vote to be scheduled at a time when the greatest number of people can participate. The General Manager and the Board of Directors have, after all, declared their commitment to the principle of ?one person, one vote?.
DRM, with the Co-op?s complicity, has also requested a hearing to determine who on the staff will be eligible to vote. The representatives at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459 have informed us that such hearings are extremely rare. Ninety percent of elections are conducted without preliminary hearings. This hearing will require that members of the Co-op staff travel to the National Labor Relations Board in Boston in order to testify. It is difficult to understand what might be gained from such a tactic, other than to intimidate and discourage the staff, delay the vote, and generate more billable hours for DRM. By the way, DRM has also filed a request to delay the hearing, thus dragging the process out even longer.
We invite all of our supporters to attend the Annual Shareholder?s meeting on Sunday, November 4 at the West Village Meeting House in West Brattleboro. The meeting will begin at 4 PM. At the meeting, please ask your Board of Directors and the General Manager to account for the money that is being spent on Downs Rachlin and Martin, and ask them to explain why they would hire such a firm that has a reputation for defending employers at the expense of working people. If you don?t want to wait that long, feel free to contact the General Manager of Board of Directors sooner to ask these important questions.
Lastly, this Tuesday, October 16, we invite you to come down to the Co-op for a Shareholder Support Button Up! We will have a table in the entryway from 11 to 2 and will be giving out buttons to support the union cause. We also encourage you to show your support by continuing to shop at the Co-op.
Jo?lle Montagnino"
Source: http://www.ibrattleboro.com/article.php/2012101511001996
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