10-28-2015, 08:59 PM
An interesting labor dispute without a union.
Market basket case.
Labor unions are looking for lessons in the recent worker victory at New England supermarket chain Market Basket. By using Internet technology to rapidly coalesce around a single demand, nonunion workers forced a sale of the company to their beloved CEO.
"I've never seen anything like it, that's for sure. And they prevailed, which is even stranger. They took on this and forced these people to sell their shares to this one guy," says Dennis Irvin with United Steelworkers Local 12012. "It's amazing, totally amazing!"
At the annual Labor Day breakfast in Boston, Market Basket was the one thing all Irvin and other union members were talking about. Irvin says Market Basket would rank as one of the great victories in union history here — a long history lined with progressive milestones for child labor, the eight-hour workday and safer workplace standards. But Market Basket is not making union history. Its workers are nonunion. Many are anti-union.
"This company never needed or never will need a union. We're far stronger than that," says Joe Schmidt, a Market Basket operations supervisor. He and other managers led the truckers and warehouse workers who walked off the job and brought the company to a standstill.
"Just think of it: There's no union dues or union fees. And look what has been accomplished," Schmidt says.
Market basket case.
Labor unions are looking for lessons in the recent worker victory at New England supermarket chain Market Basket. By using Internet technology to rapidly coalesce around a single demand, nonunion workers forced a sale of the company to their beloved CEO.
"I've never seen anything like it, that's for sure. And they prevailed, which is even stranger. They took on this and forced these people to sell their shares to this one guy," says Dennis Irvin with United Steelworkers Local 12012. "It's amazing, totally amazing!"
At the annual Labor Day breakfast in Boston, Market Basket was the one thing all Irvin and other union members were talking about. Irvin says Market Basket would rank as one of the great victories in union history here — a long history lined with progressive milestones for child labor, the eight-hour workday and safer workplace standards. But Market Basket is not making union history. Its workers are nonunion. Many are anti-union.
"This company never needed or never will need a union. We're far stronger than that," says Joe Schmidt, a Market Basket operations supervisor. He and other managers led the truckers and warehouse workers who walked off the job and brought the company to a standstill.
"Just think of it: There's no union dues or union fees. And look what has been accomplished," Schmidt says.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.