City Feed Wins Union Vote

The votes are in. City Feed workers have won the right to form a union by a tally of 20-10: “When we fight, we win.” It’s one of a spate of recent local union drives among workers from Starbucks, to Trader Joe’s, REI, and more.

At the end of March the workers at City Feed, a grocery store with two locations in Jamaica Plain, MA, announced their intent to form a union to exercise their right to collective bargaining.

“The workers of City Feed and Supply are organizing for the right to collectively bargain for equitable and living wages, healthcare and benefits, and a voice at work over issues of safety, harassment, COVID sick leave, and other working conditions that affect our physical, emotional, and financial well-being.”

Once workers announce the intention to unionize there are two immediate possibilities:

Either, management can voluntarily recognize the union. (This did not happen, though City Feed workers engaged in a good faith effort to rally and demonstrate community support for the union drive.)

Or, management can refuse to voluntarily recognize the union. (This did happen: City Feed owners David Warner and Kristine Cortese decided not to voluntarily recognize the City Feed Workers’ Union.)

Rally in support of City Feed workers. Credit: Malcolm Clark and Liberation News.

Because the right to form unions and collectively bargain is legally enshrined in the National Labor Relations Act (and safeguarded by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)), the unionization process marches on whether management gives the thumbs up or not. What matters here is worker consent: do the workers want a union to collectively bargain their interest? And if so, what kind of union?

To determine whether or not the NLRB will hold a vote to recognize a City Feed union, 30% of City Feed workers must sign a card or petition expressing their desire to form a union. (Hat tip to Tori Bedford on the WGBH labor beat.) As of the end of March at least 60% of City Feed workers affirmed their desire to form a union.

Rally in support of City Feed workers. Credit: Malcolm Clark and Liberation News.

Another question to resolve: what kind of union? There are workers who opt to join with a preexisting union and there are workers who opt to form their own, such as Trader Joe’s employees did with Trader Joe’s United. Ultimately, City Feed workers opted to organize as an affiliate with the International Workers of the World (Boston).

“The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) is a labor union representing nearly 9000 workers across North America. Established in 1905, the IWW is known for its high standards of democracy, transparency, multinationalism, and active use of the right to strike.

The IWW is a general union that is open to workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organization or particular sector.

The IWW promotes the creation of "One Big Union" and contends that all workers should be united as a social class to supplant capitalism and wage labor with industrial democracy.”

The IWW combines a global perspective on labor rights with a local footprint – its Boston office is located just a stone’s throw from City Feed in Jamaica Plain.

Bread & ROSES!

City Feed Unite and the IWW of Boston delivered roses to workers at both City Feed shops upon their victory today. They deserve all the good things of life. pic.twitter.com/C0piY6pXxC

— Boston IWW (@BostonIWW) June 14, 2022

With community support, hard work, and guidance from the IWW, City Feed employees participated in the official vote to form a union, with a win (20-10) reported on June 14th. The procedure and results were certified throughout by the NLRB. It’s a feel good moment for supporters of labor rights in Boston and beyond. As a result of the win “the employer is obligated to start negotiating in good faith with the union.”

In many ways, though, the work has just begun. Provided that there are no substantive challenges to the ballot results, the newly-formed union must figure out what precisely it wants to collectively bargain for and prepare itself for a sometimes contentious negotiating process. Regardless, the major step forward has been taken.

"We'd like to thank every one of our coworkers, our community for showing up for us, and our worker-organizers and external organizers from the IWW," said a City Feed statement. "We're looking forward to beginning a collective bargaining process with City Feed management and continuing to build a democratic worker-led union, to better our conditions and reach a contract agreement that works for all of us. This is a clear path for better working conditions, a true voice at work, and dignity for all. We stand in solidarity with workers everywhere, especially our union siblings organizing in coffee spaces across Boston. When we fight, we win!"

April 24th Rally photos via Malcolm Clark and Liberation News.

Other questions:

How do you decide whether to join a preexisting union or form one of your own, as Trader Joe’s workers look to form Trader Joe’s United? How does that conversation go? How is this question determined among the workers? Does the NLRB oversee or otherwise officiate the decision making process with respect to this question?