Management continued to pass out anti-union propaganda leaflets. Do not believe that the union will hamper the Food Bank from being nimble. All a union does is create process and procedures when job duties need to be changed.
We all understand that as second-responders, Food Bankers must feed the hungry when a crisis strikes, like an earthquake. A union does not bar us from continuing to do that. Instead, it protects the egregious and indiscriminate firing of staff. In July of this year, the management team decided one day that the Nutrition Education team should be completely abolished, without warning. That was a tough morning for food bank staff, but it’s even more alarming when we consider that the Nutrition Education team serves some of the most vulnerable populations. One day the food bank decided that the empowerment and knowledge that comes from healthy eating is no longer worthwhile to the black, brown, and asian communities we serve?
With a union, we will have a conversation and come to an agreement that will work for everybody.
Finally, what is nimble about losing over 30% of our staff last year? How much programmatic knowledge has been lost? How many community relationships have been wiped out? The status quo can’t continue.
