New Update with our Demands below!
TRADER JOE'S CAPITOL HILL CLOSED INDEFINITELY:
WORKERS FACE POTENTIAL JOB LOSS AFTER PARTICIPATING IN BLM PROTEST
On June 11, dozens of Trader Joe's Capitol Hill (Store #130 in Seattle) workers informed store management that they would be participating in the June 12 protest organized by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter. Store managers determined that broad participation in the protest would lead to staffing issues, and decided to close the store early on June 12. Store management assured workers participating in the protest that this would be considered an excused absence and would not result in any disciplinary measures. But on the morning of June 12, a representative from TJs corporate called the store to ask about the early closure. Unsatisfied with the rationale for the early closure, corporate informed store management that the store would be closed indefinitely, effective immediately.
We, a group of Store #130 workers who wish to remain anonymous, believe it's no coincidence that the store was abruptly closed on the day that dozens of us took action in support of the movement for Black lives. We know that the company will try to avoid the appearance of being antagonistic to the movement. They will likely cite "personnel issues," “safety concerns,” or operating costs as rationale for the store closure. What they really mean when they cite "personnel issues" is that they saw our store as a hot spot for worker organizing. TJs corporate has aggressively squashed worker organizing for years and has a long record of retaliation. This is the most dramatic retaliation any TJs store has seen to date, but it is not an isolated incident. Prior to the abrupt store closure, we had been organizing to secure a living wage, health insurance for all workers, and basic protections against COVID-19. The large majority of us were already living paycheck to paycheck, and many of us were working without health insurance while risking steady exposure to the public in the midst of a pandemic.
While Trader Joe’s has publicly voiced support for “Black crew members and customers,” the company has done nothing to tangibly support the movement for Black lives, and they have penalized employees for supporting the movement. While the company insists that they value crew member feedback and support crew-led solutions, they have consistently disregarded our insights and requests. We know what it would take for the store to run smoothly, and we want to be in conversation with store management about solutions.
We are saddened by the store closure. For each of us, it means both a loss of community and a loss of financial security in the midst of an economic downturn. We recognize it’s a loss for our neighborhood as well, and we hope you will join us in demanding that Trader Joe’s reopen Store #130 and restore our jobs immediately. We’ve heard that TJs corporate will make a final decision about the closure this coming Monday. We’ll be prepared with a response regardless of the decision.
UPDATE: 6/15
Trader Joe's Capitol Hill crew members received a message on Monday stating that the company plans to reopen our store. We know that this would not have happened without the incredible outpouring of community support we've received over the last 24 hours! Over 22,000 of you have signed our petition! The announcement that the store will reopen is a big win, and it's very clear to us that the fight isn't over. None of us have received a guarantee that our jobs are protected, and Trader Joe's has yet to take tangible action in support of the movement for Black lives.The message we received via our scheduling app claimed that the temporary closure is “to execute a remodel plan to address safety and security concerns that have developed over the last year.” This is a smokescreen. Crew had not been informed of any remodel plans until today, and had not been informed of an extended closure until this past Friday. We know that store management was also surprised by the abrupt closure. Trader Joe’s corporate is feeling the public pressure and is scrambling to regain control of the narrative. They're backpedaling, and trying to defend an indefensible decision they made on Friday.
We intend to be in conversation as a collective with store management and TJs corporate. We are not going to overlook the major breach of trust from this past Friday. We want to keep our jobs, but we don't feel like we can go back to the store without addressing long-standing issues, including anti-Blackness in our workplace. We hope we can count on you both to support our demands moving forward, and to support the movement for Black lives.
UPDATE: 6/25 - OUR DEMANDS
To Store #130 Management and Trader Joe’s Corporate:On Friday, June 12th, you closed our store “indefinitely” after dozens of us were given excused absences to participate in a Black Lives Matter March. After processing the shock and grief of what we thought might be the end of our beautiful store community, we decided to share our story to the public. Through the attention we received on social media, local and national news we gathered nearly 25,000 signatures on a petition to reopen the store, and encouraged thousands of customers to e-mail Dan Bane and Jon Basalone in support. Since then, you have reconsidered your decision and told us that the store will reopen on July 1st. However, you have not responded to our statement, assured us of our job security, or stated your support of racial justice by saying BLACK LIVES MATTER.
As Crew members we are disappointed and saddened by this situation. We need you to commit to do the work to rebuild the trust that was broken. We have worked the aisles of this store and served the neighborhood for years, including through the current pandemic as essential workers. We know this decision and incident was not singular. There has been a profound disconnect with the company’s core values and the day-to-day reality of how our store is run, long before that Friday. We think that it’s time for the company to do better. We’ve tried methods of suggestions and feedback through the prescribed channels. But there comes a time when a pattern of silence, dismissal, and appeasement does not suffice. Here are our demands:
1. Black Lives Matter
We call on Trader Joe’s to make a public statement explicitly acknowledging that Black Lives Matter. And we call on the company to back that up with a detailed plan for rooting out anti-Black racism at the store level and at the corporate level. That plan needs to include tangible, specific support for Black crew members and customers. We need more Black, indigenous, people of color, trans, queer and disabled captains and mates. All captains and mates need to undergo mandatory training on implicit bias and undoing institutionalized racism. Store #130 needs to make a meaningful financial contribution to Black-led organizing of the crew’s choosing. We know that the tipping point in the decision to close store #130 was broad crew participation in Black Lives Matter actions. Trader Joe’s needs to apologize to Black crew members and customers for failing to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter.
2. No retaliation
ALL Store #130 crew must be given the opportunity to return to work. Crew members who gathered in the wake of the abrupt store closure should face no retaliation for working together to reopen the store and get our jobs back. And we should face no retaliation moving forward as we continue to push for real safety for ourselves and our coworkers. Retaliation could include - but is not limited to - termination, write-ups, denied raises, denied transfers, or assignment to difficult tasks at work.
3. Redefine safety
We see fundamental misalignment between our crew’s felt sense of safety and the company’s definition of safety. Trader Joe’s must reprioritize the safety of people over the safety of property. We propose ending all contracts with private security companies, which focus on theft prevention at the expense of real safety and negatively impact our Black and disabled customers and other customers of color. Instead, Trader Joe’s should contract with a local social service agency to provide mental health intervention and de-escalation as needed. All crew and management need to be trained in de-escalation. Protocols intended to protect crew and customers from COVID-19 need to be put in place proactively and must not be rolled back for the sake of increasing profits. The public has come to understand us as essential, and we expect our employer to treat us with the same respect.
4. Invest in our store and our crew
Instead of looking for a way forward, corporate pulled the plug on Store #130. We want the company to support our store with more experienced and well-trained management. We would like the company to back up their promise to seek crew feedback through regular, accessible and confidential mechanisms. Our crew deserves to be set up for success. Clear and consistent store-wide communication about policy changes, safety protocols, and expectations are necessary for our store to run smoothly and for our crew to feel supported. This includes regular store meetings. We need a direct line of communication to Trader Joe’s HR. The store needs to invest in better support and services, including certified ASL interpreters, to make the workplace accessible for all crew.
5. Expectations and disciplinary process need to be transparent and equitable
Trader Joe’s needs to clearly and consistently communicate expectations of crew members both verbally and in writing. These expectations must be developed and applied with a racial equity lens. We know that Black crew members, other crew members of color, and trans crew members are disproportionately surveilled, hassled, and disciplined by store management. We need consistent documentation of any disciplinary measures, including perspectives from all affected crew members as well as management. We need a transparent and equitable grievance process for workers.
