1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: It's it's another union episode of VI could happen here 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: in the podcast where we do a lot of things, 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: but one of which is talking about unions, one of 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: which is not doing great intros. It's me and Mia 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: Wong and today I'm here to talk about a union 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: and a strike and a bunch of other stuff. And 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: with me to talk about this is Tyler Fellini, who 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: is an organizer with Portland Childs with Justice and also 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: a former New Seasons worker. And Alex Gage, who's an 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: organizer in store rep for the New Season's labor union 11 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: shop in our Berlage. 12 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: Both YouTube, Welcome to the show. 14 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks for having us, happy to be here. 15 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm glad, glad to talk with you too. So 16 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: I guess before we get into the sort of current stuff, 17 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk a bit about how how the 18 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: certain New Seasons union was formed and you know what 19 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: that sort of process looked like and how it's been 20 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: going since then. 21 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, I can speak to that. 22 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 2: So, the initial unionizing efforts started at the store that 23 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: I was working at, Seven Corners, and we actually the 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 2: first conversation we had was April first, the same day 25 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 2: that Amazon labor union went public and won their electional 26 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 2: so it was like a really inspiring moment for us. 27 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 2: That spurred a conversation on the shop floor with a 28 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: couple coworkers, which quickly escalated to six of us meeting 29 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,199 Speaker 2: in a nearby coworkers backyard. We talked about the issues, 30 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 2: and we were all hitting the same things, you know, 31 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: Like we were all upset with the tenants policy, the 32 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: way that New Seasons was treating us and had been 33 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: treating us during COVID. 34 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 4: We were also upset with our pay. 35 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: Which is obstein and does not keep up with the 36 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: cost of living in Portland, organ which is a very 37 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: expensive city. So and we were also really upset with 38 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: the healthcare that we have offered and how it's kind 39 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: of deteriorated over the years, especially for New Seasons as 40 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 2: a company that has a lot of people who've been 41 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: there for years and so there were a lot of 42 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 2: people who've seen just the downward decline. So those early 43 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: meetings went really well. We talked to coworkers on the 44 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: floor discreetly, and everybody was resonating with what we were saying. 45 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 2: We made a lot of progress really fast, and then 46 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: we had a meeting at a local bar here in 47 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 2: Portland Workers Tap, which huge shout out of them. They 48 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 2: are an amazing space for a lot of burgeoning independent 49 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: unions to have some of their early meetings. So we 50 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: met there with more members at our store, the Seven 51 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 2: Corners location, and I think we had like thirty people there, 52 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: which is a huge turnout for a first showing of 53 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 2: a meeting. 54 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 55 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 2: And then from there we moved pretty fast to getting 56 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 2: cards signed for showing of interest, and so in less 57 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: than two months we were actually filing our petition with 58 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 2: the NRB, which is unheard of. 59 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's amazing, especially for a grocery store union. That 60 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: is wild. 61 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 62 00:02:58,560 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. 63 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: As soon as we went public, workers at all these 64 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: other stores reached out to us. Our Instagram blew up. 65 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 2: People were excited but wanted to figure out how to 66 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: do it at their store. So we were kind of 67 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: simultaneously trying to balance the plates of like keeping our 68 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: store going and also helping other stores go. And you know, 69 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 2: by the end of the summer we rolled into we 70 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: had our election, I want to say in September, and 71 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 2: by the end of the summer there were multiple stores 72 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: that had gone public and announced and here we are, 73 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 2: you know, it's barely been a year since our first 74 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 2: election win. 75 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 4: It's barely been a year since. 76 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: Then, and we have over nine hundred members, almost one 77 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: thousand members in this very new union. 78 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: That's incredible. That gets into another thing I'm interested about, 79 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: which is Portland's the city that has been in the 80 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: last I mean, I would say probably the last five years, 81 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: but especially in like the last couple of years, it's 82 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: been really really active in terms of in terms of 83 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: union organizing, in terms of sort of especially especially independent unions, 84 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: there's been an enormous number of them. The actual number 85 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: of workers be organized is really high. And yeah, I 86 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: mean you talked about having like having this bar as 87 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: a sort of space you could do meetings. Has there 88 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: been any other stuff, I mean from from other independent unions, 89 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: from other I mean, just from the fact that there's 90 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: so many like things happening that have like changed the 91 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: dynamics of how these union organization thrives have been going. 92 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so early on, you know, we were weighing our 93 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,679 Speaker 2: options as far as like did we want to join 94 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 2: an existing union or go independent? 95 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 4: Like what did we want to do there? 96 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: And a lot of that information is hard to find 97 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: if you don't know the language that you're looking for. 98 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 4: It's not really accessible to the average worker. 99 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 2: But we found a lot of solidarity in folks who 100 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 2: had been involved in other independent union efforts. Specifically, we 101 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,359 Speaker 2: met with Mark and Luis at a burgerbelt workers union. 102 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 2: They offered a top. Yeah, they're great. They were some 103 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 2: of the early folks to reach out and help us. 104 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: We were also able to talk to some of the 105 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: folks at ILW Local five that represents pals workers and 106 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 2: many others and get some support there. 107 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 4: Portland is definitely. 108 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 2: A labor town, uh, And the solidarity that we felt 109 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: kind of across the board is great, you know, especially 110 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: like early on when we had a lot of questions 111 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: and we didn't have any answers and we didn't have 112 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: many resources to you know, hire a lawyer and ask them. 113 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: So I want I wanted to go back a little 114 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: bit to talk about sort of the influence of the 115 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: sort of influence of the news about the Amazon labor 116 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 1: union going wide and how that sort of worked. Have 117 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: you seen a sort of similar thing with other like 118 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: not just sort of not not just New Seasons shops, 119 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: but have you seen other shops that sort of like 120 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: decided to start organizing after y'all came out. 121 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 2: I think think that there is a general energy among 122 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: the rank and file, right that some of the old 123 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: ways that unions are organizing, we're not the most representative 124 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 2: of the workers, which is in part you know, the eighties, right, 125 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,559 Speaker 2: and so kind of why we've seen sort of union 126 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 2: representation stagnant. But we're seeing a major shift, right. We've 127 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: got a lot of educated workers doing low wage jobs, 128 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 2: which that condition existed in the nineteen thirties and led 129 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: to a major explosion in militant unions. So I think 130 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 2: there's a major parallel there. And it's not just Amazon 131 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 2: labor unions. Also, you know the Starbucks Workers United, that 132 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 2: campaign was huge, right, and those are workers who service workers, 133 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: restaurant workers historically have been left out of labor or underrepresented, 134 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: similar to healthcare workers and just care workers generally. And 135 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 2: that I think is kind of the stereotype of like 136 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 2: the working class as like a trad white guy in 137 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: a factory, and we're seeing that severely upended right now, 138 00:06:58,960 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 2: which is really exciting. 139 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, but that's a that's a that's another dynamic I 140 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: think is really is really interesting, particularly in Portland is 141 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,720 Speaker 1: that it seems to be a lot of independent unions. 142 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: And it seems to be I think partially because even 143 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: even in the midst of the fact that like very 144 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: clearly people want to organize, there's been a lot of 145 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: conservatism on the part of the sort of like larger 146 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: distant unions. You don't really want to like throw an 147 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: enormous amount of money into these organizing drives, which means, 148 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: you know, if if this stuff is going to happen, 149 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: it's it's it's the independent unions. And yeah, I don't know, 150 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: like I I think I think your point about sort 151 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: of I think your point about the sort of both 152 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: both the highly educated workers thing and the way that 153 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: you know, sort of what's constitutionally considered a worker and 154 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: what unions are willing to sort of throw money at 155 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: are tied together, because Yeah, I mean, you know, like 156 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: the shops that you're working in, the shops are getting 157 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: organized just aren't the kind of thing that anyone's been 158 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: organizing for like ever. It's very at least not since 159 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: like the eighties. 160 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I think it makes sense why they don't organize. 161 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 3: It's freaking hard. 162 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 5: It's a lot of work and there's a lot of turnover, 163 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 5: and you don't see those same faces. That's why we 164 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 5: can get from having our first meeting to filing for 165 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 5: election in two months, because if it doesn't happen in 166 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 5: two months, it's never going to happen. 167 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 3: And we get it done, we get it done fast, 168 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 3: and then. 169 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 5: We see all these other like as a grocery store, 170 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 5: we get DELIVERI it's from bigger union, you know, drivers 171 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 5: and such. And we've seen what's happened with their campaigns 172 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 5: where if they're not like totally invested, they can get 173 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 5: decertified within a matter of weeks. 174 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 3: But we haven't had any of that yet. 175 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, which is really impressive. And you know, that's another 176 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: thing I'm interested and I've been asking a lot of 177 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: people because turnover is one of the big things that's 178 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: been sort of you know, it's it's been the wall 179 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: that the existing units hit and we're like, this is 180 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: too hard, We're going to go do something else. And 181 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: I've been I'm wondering how y'all have been dealing with 182 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: the turnover problem because it's i mean, it is definitely 183 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: something that's difficult to deal with, but you know, it's 184 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: it's it's not something that makes it impossible. It's just hard. 185 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: And I'm yeah, I'm interested in what your sort of 186 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: strategies to manage it have been. 187 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 3: I think it's a matter of passion. 188 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 5: I think Tyler is a great example, like is no 189 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 5: longer a member, but sees this as like the way 190 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 5: that we can move our society forward in general, Like 191 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 5: the labor struggle is the struggle, Like there's no war 192 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,319 Speaker 5: black class war. If we don't do this, what are 193 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 5: we doing here? So wait, we stick around and we're 194 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 5: doing this for free. We're not getting paid for it. 195 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 3: We're doing it because it's the right thing to do. 196 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 2: When our lodge in Grant Park had their walkouts on 197 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: Labor Day weekend, there was a customer at Grant Park 198 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,839 Speaker 2: who called out to us that, you know, we should 199 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 2: just go open up our own workers co op. And 200 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 2: my response to him was that, you know, if we leave, 201 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: there's just another batch of workers that are going to 202 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: go through these conditions. Like the goal is not that, 203 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 2: Like I wanted to be great for me, like I 204 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,719 Speaker 2: don't even work in new Seasons anymore. I wanted to 205 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 2: be great for my former co workers who are still there, 206 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 2: and for the people that I don't know who are 207 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 2: going to come behind them. And that's that's how you 208 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 2: get around the high turnover. Pieces like the passion and 209 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 2: dedication and the drive to make conditions better for the 210 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: people coming after you, which is really antagonistic to the 211 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 2: way capitalism wants us to be very individual like oriented, right, 212 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: like we just care about ourselves and our day to day. 213 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: But that's the really great thing with like the worker power, 214 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 2: right is that you know, collectively we are so much stronger. 215 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 2: Collectively we can actually stand up to the boss and win, right, 216 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 2: And and that means just reorienting how we think about 217 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 2: the world, right, Like, like this job sucks. How can 218 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: I make this job better? I can just quit and 219 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 2: go get a better job. But if I change this job, 220 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 2: then the people who are still here also get better 221 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 2: working conditions. 222 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think that there's kind of there's a 223 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: there's a kind of flip side of that too, right, 224 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: which is that you know, even if you like, you know, 225 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: like turnover just is inevitable to some extent, even even 226 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: if you have people who like want to stay and fight, 227 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: right like, people are just going to have to leave. 228 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: But on the other hand, you know, if you're if 229 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: you're if you're in a unionized workplace, and if you're 230 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: pecifically if you're if you're if you're in a union 231 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: that has the sort of militant culture, what you're doing 232 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: is you're you know, you're changing the actual like class itself, 233 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: right because you know, like now now you're a worker 234 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: who like you know, I don't know, is moving to 235 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: Arizona or something. Right, they are, they are. They are 236 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: now also much more militant and have have this sort 237 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: of experience of organizing that they may that they may 238 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: not have had before. And this, you know, it's like 239 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: you're the any any any individual movement you're doing in 240 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: one place is building up the entire class. 241 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, and we can see that we've like been attracting 242 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 5: people who are interested and becoming involved in a movement. 243 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 5: And you know, whether they just graduated from college or 244 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 5: they had some sort of distant relative who was in 245 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 5: a union, they come to new seasons thinking, oh, I 246 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 5: want to get. 247 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 3: In on the beginning of this. 248 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 5: And we've seen like a big push of that recently, 249 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 5: and people who leave they want to go, you know, 250 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 5: organize their next workplace. You know, regardless if they were 251 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 5: fired or whatever. They they want to keep it going. 252 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 4: So and I think to build on that too. 253 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 2: You know, salting is a practice that traditional unions typically 254 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 2: do to kind of change a workforce. And when you salt, 255 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: usually you're paid by the union to go in there. 256 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 2: And so you're getting paid by the employer to be 257 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 2: there and the union is paying you to organize. But 258 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 2: we've seen a shift now where people are voluntarily salting. Right, 259 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 2: people come like out that they get a job. They 260 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,839 Speaker 2: don't need the money motivator. They just want to function 261 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 2: up right, They want to change things and like be 262 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: antagonistic towards the boss. And I think to me to 263 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 2: go back to an earlier thing you asked about, like 264 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 2: kind of like why Portland, right, Like, I think one 265 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 2: thing about Portland is people in Portland love a protest, right, Like, 266 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: we don't need much of a motivation to go through. 267 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 4: Some rocks at popped, right. That's kind of in the 268 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 4: culture of Portland. 269 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 2: And so there is this this orientation towards struggle that 270 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,199 Speaker 2: does exist. And right now, that energy, you know, we 271 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 2: went through the George Floyd uprising and a lot of 272 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: energy has been funneled into labor and it's been new 273 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 2: voices in labor. It's not the same like you know, 274 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 2: ten people now kind of talking. It's all of this 275 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 2: new energy. And for the most part, most of Portland 276 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: labor is being very accommodating and making room for those 277 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 2: people to get in there and be heard because folks 278 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 2: recognize that they're on their way out right, you know, 279 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 2: Folks in their fifties or sixties, like they're towards retirement, right, 280 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 2: And so it's as younger folks coming in that are 281 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 2: going to change it, you know. 282 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think there's an interesting dynamic with this too, 283 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: which is that, you know, okay, one of the one 284 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: of the sort of conditions of the last sort of 285 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: like forty fifty years of capitalism, Like is is this 286 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: sort of high total turnover rates? And also is this 287 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: you know, is this thing where you are, like you 288 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: as an individual worker are shifting jobs really really quickly, 289 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: and that you know, that's in some sense an issue. 290 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: But that also means that like I don't know, like 291 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: if if you have a bunch of people who you know, 292 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: spent like spent one hundred days fighting the Feds and 293 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: you know still still may like have have developed just 294 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: like the sort of miilited hatred of the cops. And 295 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: you know, I've developed sort of and into capitalist politics. Yeah, 296 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: you get more of the sort of salt stuff you're 297 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: talking about, because like you know, SCRIWT, Like, you know, 298 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: if you're gonna be working like a ship job anyways, 299 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: you might as well like go work one where you're 300 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: saulting and starting a union, because there's not actually like 301 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's not it's not it's not like 302 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: you're like getting career advancement in the service job, right, 303 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: And yeah, I mean that seems to be driving like 304 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: at least some of the sort of of how this 305 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: kind of like how the independent United Union organizing in 306 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: Portland's been moving. 307 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. 308 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 5: I think I'd also like to point out though that 309 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 5: like a lot of people for our union, specifically, New 310 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 5: Seasons has always been like the progressive business and it's 311 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 5: always had a reputation of like being a great place 312 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 5: to work. 313 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 3: They're really inclusive or whatever. 314 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 5: So that's what attracts like a certain crowd of people. 315 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 5: And when they get there and they realize that, like 316 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 5: they're getting screwed over, just like any other place that 317 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 5: they've ever been at that like fosters this new feeling 318 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 5: of like, well, I'm vulnerable no matter what I do, 319 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 5: Like there's no where I can turn to trust my employer, 320 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 5: and how do I preserve what little. 321 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 3: Dignity that I do have at this workplace? 322 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 5: Because generally speaking, like our jobs are pretty okay minus 323 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 5: like the corporate business side of things, Like most people 324 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 5: enjoy going to work, maybe, but. 325 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 3: They they want to enjoy going to work. 326 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 5: So having that like kind of double edged sword has 327 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 5: been a catalyst for us. 328 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 4: Just built on what Alex said too. 329 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 2: I think it's really interesting that a lot of the 330 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 2: surge in new like independent union stuff has been you know, 331 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 2: new seasoned Starbucks to a degree, ARII creator Joe's all 332 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 2: these places, these progressive workplaces, right, And what's happened is 333 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 2: that so often we've had interactions with customers where they go, wow, 334 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 2: I assumed that the prices were so high because your 335 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 2: wages were high, And really, dude, most of us can't 336 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 2: afford to live in the city, right, most of us 337 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 2: are using yeah, and it's just not it's not true, right, 338 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 2: And so you know it's workers who get jobs at 339 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 2: these progressive places that drank the similar social kool aid 340 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 2: that the customer's drink of assuming that these businesses have 341 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 2: good business practices and what's happening is that they're just 342 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 2: getting greedy. Right, This is the case everywhere. It just 343 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 2: hits a little bit different when your employer pretends your 344 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 2: friends and then stabs you in the back. 345 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. Not all workplaces have this kind of like oh, 346 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: we're like progressive sort of vibes thing. But I feel 347 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: like businesses that have that reputation are also more just 348 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,479 Speaker 1: more vulnerable. It's not just that like their workers like 349 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: realize how ypocritical it is. It means that they're It 350 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: means that they're more vulnerable to sort of like damage 351 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: to their reputation when people find out that, like oh 352 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 1: my god, hold time, you're making how much money? Like yeah, 353 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: and I think, yeah, I don't know, I'm interested, like 354 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: how how effective has that been for you? Sort of 355 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: like leveraging that. 356 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 2: I think it's been really effective, I mean, you know, 357 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 2: and not just does. I think a really good example 358 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 2: of exactly what we're talking about, right, is the shareholders 359 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,639 Speaker 2: of Starbucks are holding Howard Schultz accountable because he is 360 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 2: wrecking that company. Right, and so with new seasons what 361 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 2: it means is that they play a very sneaky game. 362 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 2: They fight us in the back room. They make sure 363 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 2: it's not public facing. Anything we can do to attack 364 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 2: their public image, like it hurts. I will say too 365 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 2: that you know, we're kind of standing on the shoulders 366 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 2: of Burgerville Workers Union here where Burgerville was built on 367 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 2: this reputation of like local friendly, like we're the alternative 368 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:40,439 Speaker 2: to like corporate fast food, and they had security guards 369 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 2: and strike busters literally fighting with picketers in the past 370 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 2: and it tanked the reputation. And so New Seasons management 371 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 2: has clearly looked at what Burgerville management did and been like, 372 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 2: we're not going to do that. It doesn't stop them 373 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 2: from being phitty. They're just they're more polite when they're 374 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,239 Speaker 2: streitty to us. They're still just as shitty. They're just 375 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 2: they smile while they stab us in the back. 376 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, So on the subject just of stabbing us in 377 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: the back. So there's been a bunch of stuff going 378 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: on recently. I was wondering if you could talk about 379 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,920 Speaker 1: like the I don't know, the recent unrest. Question Mark 380 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 1: need to figure out a better way to phrase this, but. 381 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, so, yeah, we've been building up we have, 382 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 5: I mean since day one of bargaining, which started back 383 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 5: in like December or January. 384 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 4: It started in January. 385 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 5: Yeah, so we we've known that eventually it's going to 386 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 5: get to a point where we're going to need to. 387 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 3: Show some force. 388 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 5: So, you know, we go in there with good faith, 389 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 5: and little by little we find out that the smallest 390 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,160 Speaker 5: ask is going to be impossible, and we find out 391 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 5: that they're going to do whatever they can get away 392 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:07,159 Speaker 5: with every time they can. So they started with I mean, 393 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 5: they did all kinds of things, but the one catalyst 394 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 5: is they changed the attendance policy for non union workers 395 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 5: and non union stores to make it more lenient, which 396 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 5: was one of the issues that we campaigned on was 397 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 5: the attendance policy because it's ridiculous and people get fired 398 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 5: all the time. So we demanded the bargain. They didn't 399 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 5: have a response. 400 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 3: We brought it up in bargaining at the bargaining table. 401 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 5: They said that they would work on something that we 402 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 5: could implement before we ratify the contract. 403 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 3: But they had to put it through their DEI lens 404 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 3: and they had to Yeah. 405 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 5: Yeah, and you know all the things that say to 406 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 5: delay it and kick the can down the road. So 407 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 5: we're Dylan good faith saying like, okay, you know, go ahead. 408 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 3: So then we did. 409 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 5: A petition where all the stores individually had people sign 410 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 5: a petition. We got hundreds of signatures, and then we 411 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 5: did a march on the boss asking them to sign 412 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 5: this MoU that a memorandum of understanding saying you will 413 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 5: give us that same policy. We filed a ULP saying 414 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 5: like this is illegal, it's obvious discrimination, and then they 415 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 5: just kept saying, Okay, we're working on it, We're working 416 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 5: on it, We're working on it. 417 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 3: So they never did. 418 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,400 Speaker 5: Then we did a rally and we showed up at 419 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 5: the headquarters with I don't know, probably two hundred of 420 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 5: us Hell yeah, and marched up to the office and 421 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 5: chanted and made a scene. 422 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 3: And told them they have one more. 423 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 5: Chance to sign the m OU. They didn't sign it. 424 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 5: So then we organized the strikes at the two stores and. 425 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 3: Gave them one more chance to sign the MoU. They 426 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 3: didn't sign it. We already knew they weren't going to. 427 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 5: So yeah, we shut down those stores for the rest 428 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 5: of the day at Grant Park and for one hour 429 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 5: at ourbor Lodge, and it was powerful. 430 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 3: We had a lot of support a lot of people 431 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 3: showed up. 432 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, and to build on that too. 433 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 2: You know, there's things coming up that we can't talk 434 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 2: about yet, but I would say that, Alex, do you 435 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 2: want to talk about the practice picketing? 436 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 4: I feel like we could talk about that. 437 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 5: Okay, so we actually can talk about We just filed 438 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 5: the ULP, yeah, last night for bad faith bargaining. 439 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: Yeahs an unfair labor practice. 440 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 3: Yes, thank you. I get caught up in the jargon. 441 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 3: So we just. 442 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 5: Filed that last night for bad faith bargaining yep, because 443 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 5: they gave us the most ridiculous policy for attendance. It's 444 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 5: basically regressive bargaining, which is totally unfair. 445 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, do you want to explain what that is? 446 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 2: Basically, the NLRB the National Labor Relations Board. They oversee 447 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 2: unions and the relationship between unions and employers. They demand 448 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 2: that both sides come in good faith, basically like, don't 449 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 2: screw around, don't waste each other's time. The goal is 450 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 2: to move towards some sort of compromise and an agreement. 451 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 2: And regressive bargaining is when you backpedal and you offer 452 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 2: something that is worse than what was offered. The attendance 453 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 2: policy is in my opinion, definitely worse. It is no better. 454 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 2: I think Frank takes the shittiest things of the past 455 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 2: two policies and put them together. So it seems pretty 456 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 2: clear to us that it's regressive. And then we can 457 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 2: argue that New Seasons is not acting in good faith. 458 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 2: They are acting in bad faith, which is illegal according 459 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 2: to the NRB. And so what we are allowed to 460 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 2: do is file an unfair labor practice, which basically, you know, 461 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 2: it doesn't hold a lot of weight materially, however, symbolically 462 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 2: it looks really bad. And so again going back to 463 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 2: like Mia what you were saying about kind of like 464 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 2: their image, right, Like these kind of progressive corporations, they 465 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 2: don't want to look like the bastards they are, And 466 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,239 Speaker 2: a UOP makes it pretty clear, Hey, this person's being 467 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 2: a jerk, this company is being a jerk. So the 468 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 2: more ulps that we get file that, like we win 469 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 2: on the bigger case, we can paint that New Seasons 470 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 2: is actually being really unfair to us. 471 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:55,159 Speaker 5: Yeah, so then based on that, we're getting strike ready. 472 00:24:55,440 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 5: We're making sure everybody can show up and be ready 473 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 5: to assert our stance. We're not going to just lay 474 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 5: back and let them take over. So we're going to 475 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 5: do some practice pickets. Oh and I'm sure even hearing 476 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,719 Speaker 5: that a lot, which is great for I mean, and 477 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 5: if you want to bring it back to like the 478 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 5: higher turnover rate and like, you know, the general apathy 479 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 5: that you see in any union. People are just kind 480 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 5: of afraid to be active. So we're looking at practice 481 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 5: pickets as a way to get people. 482 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 3: Involved in a really low risk activity. 483 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: Can you explain how that works? 484 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 5: Yeah, So what we're going to do is each store 485 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 5: will do a picket, but that picket will not be 486 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 5: a strike. 487 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 3: That picket will not. 488 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 5: Encourage shoppers to leave or discourage shopping in any way. 489 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 3: We're not calling for a boycott. 490 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 5: We're just simply doing logistically, what does it look like 491 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 5: if we do a picket at each store in the 492 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 5: most peaceful way possible, and then we do that at 493 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,679 Speaker 5: every store and we kind of gauge, like, you know, 494 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 5: how ready are we. 495 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 4: And by doing that too, it's a show of force 496 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 4: to the company. 497 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,720 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, we're not doing anything illegal. 498 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 2: It's effectively an informational picket. So legally, there's nothing that 499 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 2: New Seasons can do to any of the workers who 500 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 2: participate in it. However, they will absolutely see that we 501 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 2: are prepared to do it. The team Staris recently did 502 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 2: this for ups. A lot of teachers unions have done 503 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 2: similar things. It's a really good show of force to 504 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,120 Speaker 2: kind of leverage your people power and show the management 505 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 2: that you're ready. 506 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it has another It has another effect too, 507 00:26:55,240 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: which is something that you know, the kind of basic 508 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:04,879 Speaker 1: cultural understanding of you know, what unions are, how they function, 509 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 1: what you need to be doing any given scenario, like 510 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: me just physically, how to like do pickets, what you 511 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: logistically need to do. That stuff has all sort of 512 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,479 Speaker 1: faded from like the height of union sort of culture 513 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: in like the sixties and seventies, And that's something that 514 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: you have to rebuild because you know, and and and 515 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: then and this is this is something that's both both 516 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 1: in terms of the people in the union. That sort 517 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 1: of knowledge is tuitional knowledge has to be rebuilt, and 518 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: it also has to be rebuilt in the public because 519 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 1: people sort of just don't you know, like you support 520 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: for unions is really high, uh, but people don't understand 521 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: exactly what like you know, people people don't understand exactly 522 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: what a union is doing any given time or like 523 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: how it functions and things like that, and you know, 524 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: then this is this seems like a really good way 525 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 1: to like, you know, like, hey, this is a picket. 526 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: This is what happens when there's a picket. This is 527 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: an informational picket. We're gonna give you information. And yes, 528 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: it seems like a good thing for building up that 529 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: kind of true on both ends. 530 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,959 Speaker 2: And it's a really good opportunity to talk to customers, 531 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 2: get them involved. That's the thing that's that you know 532 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 2: New Season's kind of tagline as the friendliest store in town, 533 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 2: and the way that they built that, Yeah, the way that 534 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,360 Speaker 2: they built that reputation though, was by really encouraging workers 535 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 2: to develop deep relationships with customers. And so we're using 536 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 2: that to leverage against the company now and saying like hey, 537 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 2: like you. 538 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 4: Know you like me, like you know me by name 539 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 4: and I know you by name. You don't know the 540 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 4: CEO by name, Like let's talk. 541 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,120 Speaker 2: Let's talk about like what we're asking for and what 542 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 2: you as a customer can do to support us in 543 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 2: a way that doesn't feel antagonistic, right like like when 544 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: we had the when we had the walkouts on Labor Day, weekend. 545 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 4: You know, we did a debrief and. 546 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 2: We're kind of like, how do we, like, how do 547 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 2: we engage with people where we can hold onto our 548 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 2: values and still feel like we're being effective. And Randy, 549 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 2: a worker at our lodge, his solution, instead of calling 550 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 2: people who cross the picket line scabs and like you know, 551 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 2: harassing them that way, you know, he was like, I 552 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 2: just said, like, hey, I'm disappointed in you, and I 553 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 2: think that like, like, yeah, like let's just like we're 554 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 2: gonna just like if you're going to cross the picket line, 555 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 2: I don't need to hurl insults at you. I'm just 556 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 2: gonna guilt trip you and let you know that like 557 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 2: I'm disappointed in you, and like you will feel bad 558 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 2: as you're shopping. And I think that like that's sort 559 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: of how we can align the progressive values that attracted 560 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: people to New Seasons to work there in the first 561 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 2: place with how we do actions while still being militant, right, 562 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 2: we don't. 563 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 4: Want to be soft. We just got to make sure 564 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 4: that like it vibes with what we're about, you know. 565 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, And and that's that's another you know, I think 566 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: this this also gets back to the sort of culture 567 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 1: part of it, which is like, yeah, like rebuilding the 568 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: standard of do not cross a picket line is a 569 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: thing that has to be done because that's again that's 570 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: another thing that has sort of faded. And yeah, like 571 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 1: guilt tripping people is a good way to do it, 572 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: because yeah, you know, like sort of especially especially sort 573 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: of like middle and upper middle class progressive people like 574 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: really really there are a lot of their politics about 575 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: wanting to feel good about themselves and you. 576 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 6: Know, make they can see Yeah, I think if they 577 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,719 Speaker 6: can see themselves in us too, they will relate and 578 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 6: they they won't want to. 579 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 3: Go against their own values, which is our. 580 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 5: Values, because that's the culture of Portland generally speaking. 581 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: Did you have anything else that you want to make 582 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 1: sure to get in before we wrap up. 583 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, we would love to push our gofund me that 584 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 5: can be found at our website, which is really hard 585 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 5: to find is but yeah, you have to type it in, 586 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 5: you can't just google it. 587 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: Okay, Well we'll put it. We'll just we'll just put 588 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: a link to it in the okay, Yeah. 589 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, if anybody you know, we're out here being 590 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 5: independent union. 591 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 3: We have no money. 592 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 5: We're just looking for maybe some sort of strike fund 593 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 5: for those in need when we are strike ready, and 594 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 5: also you know, materials whatever people can donate, it would 595 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 5: be amazing. 596 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 2: Final notes I would say too, is that you know 597 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 2: when we started this, I mean, we're an independent union 598 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 2: of grocery workers, right. 599 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 4: We did all of this in our volunteer time. 600 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 2: None of us are lawyers, none of a lot of 601 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: us had never been in a union before or had 602 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 2: very limited experience. We build this all from the ground 603 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 2: up with tons of volunteer hours of our own time 604 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 2: after work. And we have gone toe to toe with 605 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 2: Ogle Tree Deacons, who is one of the largest anti 606 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 2: union law firms in the country. That's who New Seasons 607 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 2: has retained. We've gone toe to toe with them. We 608 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 2: have a lawyer now who is really graciously kind of 609 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 2: letting us write her. 610 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 4: In IOU for the time being. 611 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 2: But even before her we were still able to hold 612 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,959 Speaker 2: her own against a major anti union law firm. 613 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 5: Right. 614 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 2: There is power in workers coming together collectively. It's not 615 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 2: as easy as it should be to find that information, 616 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:10,959 Speaker 2: but it is out there and there are people who 617 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 2: want to share it. And I would say that, like 618 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 2: for me, the labor movement has been a really empowering 619 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 2: place to come into. You know, I have a lot 620 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 2: of experience with sort of like leftists, like street activism, 621 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 2: but I think that for anybody who wants to be 622 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: involved in the struggle and is also like looking for 623 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:29,160 Speaker 2: ways to make. 624 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: In rids and develop community like. 625 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 2: Labors where it's at right, I mean, we all work 626 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 2: and to a degree, we all hit our jobs and 627 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 2: have something to complain about, and like that's a commonality 628 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 2: that stretches across the aisle and allows for a lot 629 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 2: of solidarity in a way that the culture war really 630 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 2: doesn't want and really, like you know, it's by design, right, 631 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 2: the capitalists want us fighting against each other, and the 632 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 2: labor movement is a way for the working class to 633 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 2: unite because it's about class war. 634 00:32:57,920 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 4: You know. 635 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, here here, yeah, and you know this this should 636 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: go without saying. I'm going to say it anyways, you also, 637 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,479 Speaker 1: listener at home can do this too. There is you know, 638 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 1: there there is nothing sort of magical or special about 639 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: the people who do union organizing other than the fact 640 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: that they decide to organize a union. So you can 641 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: do this too. You can form an independent union and yeah, 642 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: you can go hand your bosses a fucking ass and 643 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: get better, you know, get better working conditions and get 644 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: better things for you and your entire class in the process. 645 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say Labor Notes is a great resource 646 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 2: for early information. The Coalition of Independent Unions is on 647 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 2: Instagram and workers from around the country have reached out 648 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 2: to them for advice. You know, we're on Instagram. You 649 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 2: can ask us questions. Reach out to independent unions and 650 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 2: ask them questions. This is a labor movement made up 651 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 2: of the workers for the workers. We want more workers 652 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 2: to organize. 653 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think on that note, Yeah, this is 654 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: this is been naked happen here, Go into the world 655 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: and fight. 656 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you, thank you so much. 657 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 2: Maya. 658 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 3: It could Happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 659 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 5: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 660 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 5: cool zonemedia dot com or check us out on the 661 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 5: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 662 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 3: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 663 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,320 Speaker 3: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. 664 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 5: Thanks for listening.