Friday, October 03, 2008



AMERICAN LABOUR:

WEEKEND OF ACTION TO PRESSURE 'WHOLE FOODS':


This weekend will be one of protests at 'Whole Foods' outlets throughout the USA. For two years now the United Farm Workers have been organizing at Beef Northwest, but management of that company refuses to respect their workers' rights and has been intransigent. Whole Foods is the largest retailer of 'Country Natural Beef' who finish their cows at Beef Northwest. The pickets are to put pressure on Whole Foods to demand that their supplier act responsibly.


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Please join in the weekend of action to call on Whole Foods to live up to its claim of social responsibility:


Members and supporters of the United Farm Workers, International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, National Farm Workers Ministry, Organic Consumers Association will leaflet at Whole Foods stores across the country on the weekend of Oct. 4.



The four organizations are standing in support of workers employed at the Beef Northwest feedlots where Country Natural Beef finishes its cows. Whole Foods is the largest retailer of Country Natural Beef.

Whole Foods prides itself in saying that social responsibility is a cornerstone of its belief system and it expects the same from its vendors. However, despite numerous appeals by Beef Northwest workers, Whole Foods dismisses the fact that Beef Northwest doesn’t treat its workers with dignity and respect which are central components in the ideology behind social responsibility.

“Whole Foods has the opportunity to act on the side of social responsibility, but it chooses not to,” said Arturo Rodriguez, UFW President. “It would appear that Whole Foods only cares about certain classes of society.”

Workers at Beef Northwest approached the UFW in the fall of 2006 seeking union representation. During that time, the UFW has supported the workers while the company has refused to come to the table to negotiate, and has threatened and intimidated workers. There are currently two lawsuits pending against Beef Northwest including one for failure to pay overtime.

Supporters will be leafleting in front of dozens of stores across the country (see below).
If you do not live by one of these locations, you can still help by printing out the leaflet and bringing it to your local Whole Foods manager and urge them to tell corporate headquarters it's time to get involved.


***Please click here to let us know you are participating in our weekend of action. It's important for us to get an idea of how many people are participating this weekend.


Also if you have not sent Whole Foods Corporate headquarters an e-mail in September, please click here and let them know enough is enough, you expect them to take a stand to help the Beef Northwest workers resolve this situation.
Locations and times:
California - Northern
Whole Foods Market-Oakland
230 Bay Place
Oakland, CA 94612
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-South of Market
399-4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-San Francisco
1765 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-Palo Alto
Corner of Emerson and Homer
Palo Alto, CA
Friday, 1:00 p.m.
Whole Foods Makket- San Mateo
1010 Park Place,
San Mateo, CA 94403
Saturday 10:00am – 12 noon
California - Southern
Whole Foods Market - Fairfax
Fairfax: 6350 West 3rd St.,
Los Angeles, CA, 90036
Friday Oct 3rd, 11-1pm
Whole Foods Market - Westwood
1050 Gayley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90024
Friday Oct 3rd, 12-2pm
Whole Foods Market-Laguna Beach
283 Broadway St.
Laguna Beach, 92651
Saturday, Oct 4, 1-3 pm
Whole Foods Market-Tustin
Jamboree
2847 Park Avenue
Tustin, CA 92782
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-Santa Clarita
Valencia
24130 Valencia Blvd
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Colorado
Whole Foods Market -Boulder
2584 Baseline Rd.
Boulder, CO 80305
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-Tamarac
3515 S. TamaracDenver, CO 80237
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-Cherry Creek
2375 East 1st Street
Denver, CO 80206
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods Market-Denver
7400 E. Hampden Ave, Unit D
Denver, CO 80231
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Kansas
Whole Foods Market-Metcalf
7401 West 91st Street
Overland Park, KS 66212
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
New Mexico
Whole Foods Market-Albuquerque
5815 Wyoming Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Texas
Whole Foods Market-Preston
11700 Preston Road
Dallas, TX 75230
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods-Greenville
2218 Lower Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM
Whole Foods San Antonio,
TX Quarry Mall, 255 E Basse Rd
San Antonio, TX 78209
Saturday, 10am to 1pm
Washington
Whole Foods Market-Redmond
17999 NE Redmond Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Saturday, October 4, noon to 3 PM
Sunday October 5, noon to 3 PM

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