Whole Foods Employee group urges employees to unionize to fight changes under Amazon

A Whole Foods Market near Amazon’s Seattle headquarters.

(GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Some employees at Whole Foods Market are now making the situation to unionize, expressing frustration on modifications that Amazon has made as obtaining the grocery chain. Whole Foods workers identifying themselves as members of the provider’s”Cross Regional Committee” sent an email to advertise employees making the situation for unionization. They say that in the wake of the Amazon acquisition,”the consolidation of shop level positions at Whole Foods Market have angry the livelihood of group members” and”stirred anxiety,” from the title, obtained by New Food Economy. The group emailed the letter to employees at most of those 490 Whole Foods stores, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. “At AmazonWe respect the individual rights associates and also have an open-door policy which encourages partners to bring their opinions, questions and queries directly into their management group,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an announcement shared by GeekWire. “We firmly believe this direct connection is the best method to comprehend and react to the needs of our workforce.” Soon after Amazon announced plans to purchase Whole Foods, a union representing over 1 million retail employees sent a letter to the FTC, warning that the deal could hurt customers and cause significant automation of jobs. In the year which followed the acquisition, Amazon rolled out fluctuations reflecting its signature efficiency-first ideology in the upscale markets. Prices droppeddiscounts for Prime members were included, and countless Whole Foods 365 things became available during the AmazonFresh delivery app. Back in July, reports surfaced that Whole Foods was setting off tens of thousands of diehard workers as part of a wider push toward centralization in the company. “There will continue to be growth in 2019 and outside as Amazon aims to aggressively trim our labor force until it expands with new technology and labor models,” the Cross Regional Committee correspondence states. Amazon was experimenting with technology designed to disrupt the conventional supermarket model. Last week the organization opened its third party Amazon Go location in Seattle. Customers of the convenience store purchase items automatically via an app, eliminating the need for checkout team. The company is also piloting AmazonFresh Pickup from Seattle, which allows shoppers to purchase groceries online and collect them in drive-up pickup zones. “We cannot let Amazon remake the whole North American landscape without adopting the entire value of its group members,” the letter states. “The victory of Amazon and [Whole Foods Market] shouldn’t come at the cost of exploiting our dedication and endangering our economic stability.” The unionization campaign comes as requirements for additional Amazon employees are under a magnifying glass. Reports of harsh circumstances within Amazon’s fulfillment centers, which power its own e-commerce operation, captured the interest of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. “Amazon is a reasonable and responsible company and as such we are dedicated to dialogue, that will be an essential part of our civilization,” an Amazon spokesperson said Thursday. “We are dedicated to ensuring a reasonable cooperation with our workers, such as positive working conditions along with a caring and inclusive atmosphere.”

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