While I was away at the NAPC in Minnesota and then at my Mom’s funeral in Seattle an archetypal tempest started to brew here in our fair city of Bloomington, Indiana.

Bloomingfoods, our beloved local food co-op, in continuous operation since 1976, and sporting five different locations around town, is now subject to some employees’ decision to try to unionize.

Bloomingfoods Workers Attempting to Unionize

Unite Bloomingfoods Facebook Page Opened

Here’s a post from that page:

I personally have heard tales about the lack of a working wage to employees, and of unneeded layers of administration, complaints that usually refer to corporations rather than to cooperatives. Given that corporate Whole Foods has decided to come to town,

Whole Foods Coming to Bloomington’s College Mall in 2016

it will be interesting to see whether or not our beloved co-op continues to echo corporate practices or renews its dedication to the principles of community cooperation. The indications, so far, according to one of our member-owners, look somewhat ominous.

Dear Bloomingfoods, Please Don’t Hire Union Busters