Major US corporations threaten to return labor to ‘law of the jungle’
www.theguardian.com
Trader Joe’s and SpaceX are among businesses challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board

Proposing general boycott of Trader Joes. They have joined an unholy trinity of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Starbucks, because they’ve lost so hard in the past few years against workers forming unions (to push back against awful wages and lack of safety and terrible working conditions pronounced by COVID) that since they can’t win fair in union elections under law that has been around for 90 years, want to dismantle the entire apparatus of the NLRB.

If successful, their complaint and other arguments and conclusions that would follow, would lead to loss of labor power that would be strikingly similar to what happened when Trump was allowed to appoint 3 justices and upend the Supreme Court which quickly lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

40 hours a week then overtime? Probably deemed unfair to the profit rights of our poor megacorps. Discrimination protections at work? Struck down federally but states allowed to pass their own, for a while, then those would be overturned by SC when challenged. Those would be week 1.

It’s sad to see Trader Joes, who espouses lots of human values on its website becoming a mouthpiece for unfettered capitalist abuse of hourly workers.

My boycott, as a 20-year shopper, starts today. I think there are lots of TJs shoppers who think of them as “not Kroger/Walmart/Safeway-Albertsons/etc.” but honestly, by throwing in with Musk/Bezos/Starbucks they’re no different.

I feel like starting a picket at a store or two, then growing would build some shopper awareness, maybe earn some folks who want to get involved and build from there. Want to join?

  • @reddig33
    12•2 months ago

    I’m actually amazed no one’s printing out flyers about this and leaving them on cars in the TJs parking lot.

    • @pdxfedOP
      3•2 months ago

      Exactly the kind of thing I’m thinking of, lots of TJs shoppers are trying to not shop at some of the larger, well-known awful grocery megacorps. Or some signs, banner, etc. Not sure about leafletting/papering rules, or honestly even picketing–e.g. I’m sure they’d call the cops if we were in front of their store entrance which is likely private property so you’d have to be at the driveways where people are pulling in—which of course reduces your chance to talk/interact with people–as designed! Probably need some input from someone with union/strike/lockout advice on best practices & approaches.

      Sad part is, of course, 100% of the store employees would be on board with the protest if of course it wouldn’t cost them their jobs to allow it.