Showing posts with label Country Natural Beef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country Natural Beef. Show all posts

Sunday, October 19, 2008


AMERICAN LABOUR:
COUNTRY NATURAL BEEF/BEEF NORTHWEST ONCE MORE:



The following appeal is from the United Farm Workers, and it once more asks you for online solidarity with the workers at Country Natural Beef .
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This isn't Democracy:
Country Natural Beef (CNB), the company who fattens its cows at Beef Northwest's feedlot, is about to try to turn back its employees' successful campaign to join a union.

Rather than accepting the results of a free and fair process in June, which clearly showed that a majority of workers want the UFW to represent them, it appears that the company is now looking to ratchet up the anti-union pressure on its workers.
Stand up for worker rights – demand CNB call off its anti-union attacks!

Several prominent community leaders and politicians have rightly refused to take part in the scam. Just look at the company's anti-union campaign over the past 15 months:
*Intimidation. Workers have been coerced into signing anti-union petitions, and pictures of pro-union workers have been posted in the company office.
*Harassment. Pro-union workers have been singled out for retaliation from management.
*Anti-Union attacks. Most recently, a consultant was brought in to interrogate workers about their support for the union, encouraging them to vote against unionizing.

This is hardly a democratic process. In fact, sounds much more like a one party election in a Soviet block country.

Workers shouldn’t have to feel intimidated and fearful of their jobs just because they want to be treated fairly.

Please tell CNB that you won't tolerate these blatant efforts to continue to intimidate workers. It's time for Beef Northwest to negotiate with the union.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter.
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I demand you immediately stop your anti-union campaign. Interrogating workers is outrageous. Remaining silent in the face of discrimination against women of color is immoral. Playing along with Beef Northwest's anti-union campaign, and refusing to recognize the workers who fatten your cows before being slaughtered, is just plain wrong.
We know that several community leaders and prominent politicians have refused to legitimize your desperate attempt to force a one party election on Beef Northwest workers. As consumers, we're not going to play along either.
It's time for Country Natural Beef to become part of the solution. Take a public stand and demand that Beef Northwest negotiate with the union that its workers have already chosen and denounce the on-going discrimination against women of color.
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UPDATE:
According to the following email from the UFW Country Natural Beef is blocking protest emails, but you can still send private emails, as suggested below. Simply copy and paste the letter above.
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If CNB won't listen to you, imagine what it's like for the workers who fatten their cows!!‏:
It appears that Country Natural Beef (CNB) is blocking your emails, by blocking the ISP of the UFW lis' server. This blockage is happening despite of what CNB say on their website--inviting you, the consumer to contact them if you have any questions or concerns about their product. Unfortunately it looks like they put up a firewall to make sure your comments don't get through.
If Country Natural Beef is willing to put up a firewall to attempt to block comments from consumers, imagine what it's like for the workers who fatten their cows.
Your e-mails are continuing to go through to Whole Foods, who buys the lion's share of Country Natural Beef products. Given Country Natural Beef's refusal to listen to its consumers, we need to continue to strengthen our call on Whole Foods to use its influence to do right by the workers who fatten CNB cows.
Also, your personal e-mail address should not be blocked so you can still e-mail CNB directly at Answers@countrynaturalbeef.com .You can cut and paste the message above.
And stay tuned for more actions next week!!
Jocelyn Sherman
UFW Internet Communications

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

Monday, February 18, 2008


AMERICAN LABOUR:
SIGN THE PETITION TO STEER WHOLE FOODS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION:
Some time ago Molly reported on the campaign on the part of the US United Farm Workers to exert pressure on the retailer Whole Foods to cease carrying Country Natural Beef in their stores. The UFW and Country Natural Beef have been locked in a long standing dispute for over eight months now about union representation on feedlots in Oregon. So far feedlots such as Threemile Canyon Farms and Willow Creek Dairy have agreed to union representation. Beef North West is the holdout, and the UFW wants their supporters to put further pressure on this company, who produce Country Natural Beef, to settle and allow their workers human rights on the job. Whole Foods retails 60% of all Country Natural Beef sold in the USA, and to date they have refused to exert their influence on their supplier.
Help farm workers to achieve dignity on the job. To see more about this campaign and to join go to the link HERE.