Contract By Labor Day: Healthy Living Fair Contract Rally

already. Oh, WOW. I know. Thank you. brakes. for anybody want a sign that doesn't have one WILL GO. YEAH. OH, SORRY. HEAT. HEAT. YEAH. HEAT. Union got bus. >> Hey everyone, >> HOW'S EVERYONE DOING TODAY? IT is awesome to see the turnout here today. Um, the company Healthy Living that we're protesting today thinks that a combination of delays, intimidation, retaliation, and fear will stop this union drive and crush the will of its workers. But will that work? >> That's right. And I think the turnout today shows that the community here has the back of the workers. Vermont is a union state. Burlington is a union town. New York, where the other location is, is a union state. And we're here to show that solidarity is real. >> And this is going to work because when we fight, we win. When we fight, >> WE WIN. >> WHEN WE FIGHT, >> WE WIN. >> ALL RIGHT. We've got a great lineup of speakers here today. Um, we're going to be hearing from community supporters as well as workers um and other organizers. And then we're going to be doing some singing with uh the amazing band we have here today, Brass Ballagan. Everyone give it up for Brass Ballagan. >> Um, so we're going to be doing some some singing and then uh some chanting. We're going to be doing a big picket line to um give everyone inside a sense of what it could look like if they don't meet us at the table and start bargaining this contract. >> Um uh there's also food here from the people's kitchen. Big shout out to the people's kitchen. >> Um all right, so to kick us off uh we have Adam Fr. Let's give it up for Adam. All right. Can people comment a little bit? I want to see your faces. >> All right. Thank you. Um, friends, thanks for joining us today. My name is Adam Frons. I was a barista here at Healthy Living. And on July 31st, I was illegally fired for my part in organizing this union. >> On May 1st, we voted overwhelmingly to organize a union here at Healthy Living. We voted for livable wages, for improved conditions, and for safe staffing as a right for all workers. We voted to bargain for a contract that enshrines these things. And we voted to sit across the negotiating table from our employees employers as equals to agree together how we can make healthy living work for its workers. We started this process with an invitation to ownership. An invitation to sit down with us to recognize our union and to bargain in good faith to improve working conditions. At every step of the way, ownership has refused this invitation. >> The week we filed for our union election, Healthy Living hired professional union busters from Sparta Solutions, a firm infamous for dirty tactics, disinformation, and illegally intimidating workers. They tried to divide workers against each other, telling part- timerrs the union was just for full-timers and full-timers the union only fought for part- timerrs. Yet, when they counted the votes, yes, still won by a super majority. >> After a union victory, the company started retaliating against workers. They have materially changed working conditions by forcing workers to work additional shifts, selectively enforcing rules, and not hiring enough workers to fill the floor. They have increased surveillance of workers to intimidate us into no longer talking to our co-workers about organizing. And when these have provided not enough, they fired myself and others. Healthy Living hopes that they can silence us by playing God with our livelihood and bullying us into giving up. >> Healthy Living published a 700page diet tribe accusing myself, Andy, another worker that was fired, and almost 70 other employees of being paid union plants. This document was released just one day before Andy and I were fired. The company posted in this public document our home addresses, our phone numbers, our employment history, and as well as years old screenshots from our social media connecting us to their outlandish conspiracy theory. >> The message was clear that we were being singled out as targets and treated accordingly. Firing workers for organizing is illegal, but rich and powerful people like this company's ownership feel that they are above the law. Is it any question why they are appealing to the Trump administration? When the powerful do not get what they want through ordinary means, they resort to fear. When persuading workers does not work, they try to make us afraid of each other. And when that doesn't work, they make us afraid of them. The company wants workers to be afraid so that we will stop organizing. When the company threatens workers with rule changes and arbitrary discipline, we are not afraid. When the company doxes workers by publicly posting our names, addresses, and phone numbers, and accusing us of being communist infiltrators, seeking to tear them down, we are not afraid >> when the company refuses to bargain to stall us reaching a contract. We are not afraid >> when the company surveills workers. We are not afraid >> when the company fires workers for organizing. We are not afraid. >> We are not afraid and we will not stop organizing. >> We stand before Nina, Eli, and Katie with the simple message. This must come to an end. >> Refusing to bargain must come to an end. Appealing to the Trump Labor Board must come to an end. Retaliating against workers must come to an end. >> Union busting must come to an end. >> Once you are ready to bargain, we are ready to come to the table and reach an agreement. But until then, we will keep organizing. We are strong here in South Burlington, in Williston, and in Saratoga, and in one month in Half Moon, New York. >> We will not give up. And the workers at Healthy Living will win. >> Solidarity forever. >> Everyone give it up for Adam. >> All right, y'all. Well, we've heard from a worker who unfortunately is not working at Healthy Living right now. Um, but he will be back. Um, and now we're going to hear from some workers who are currently at Healthy Living to tell you a little bit more about what they're fighting for and why they're fighting for it. Um, could you all give it up for Janette and Dory? >> Hello there. My name is Janette Chen and I have been a worker in the produce department at this very store since December of last year. And I can say for a fact that I would not be standing here right now if it were not for the support, love, and care that I have for and from my co-workers here at Healthy Living. I had not been in the grocery scene before this job. I was a master's student preparing for my PhD before this. I was an academic. I was not expecting anything from this position but a paycheck and an interlude. But the people that I have met here over the course of my tenure at healthy living inside my department and out left an impression that honestly floores me to this day. I have made true friends here. All of you standing here, true friends. I have learned what it means to devote myself to servicing my community here. I have learned what true pride in my work means here. And all of this has arisen in spite of the decisions of ownership, not because of them. We are all so so diverse in our experiences and our life stories. We are kind, hardworking, and diligent. We deserve so much more than this company is giving us. >> And yet, there is a world where Katie, Nina, and Eli join us at the bargaining table and truly see us. There is always been such potential for us to come together and make healthy living shine. I know for a fact that if any of them spent one day working with us in our shoes, one shift stocking bananas with us, one shift blending smoothies with us, one shift scanning barcodes with us, not just doing the work, but doing the work together, then they would understand why we want better for each other and why we deserve it. >> Behind the table. Hi everybody. My name is Dory Sharp. I'm a baker. I've been working at the Healthy Living Willist location for almost two and a half years. Um, and like Janette, I have made a lot of really incredible connections in that time. I've met some really wonderful people. Um, connections that I truly cherish. And that's why I get so bummed out when I see people leave healthy living. Um, sometimes it's because they've gotten a better offer of employment from somebody else. Sometimes they think that uh they're better off risking the open job market and sometimes they don't have a choice in the matter like our co-workers who have been fired. Um, every time it uh it feels like they're not considering fully our staffing needs in each department. That's why we're one of our highest priorities for our contract is going to be uh minimum staffing levels for each DEPARTMENT >> so that we can provide the best guest uh guest experience. You know, we want to put the products on the shelves that people people are looking for and we don't want them to have to wait excessive amounts of time to purchase those products. Um, we don't think that these things are unreasonable. And if you do, CA, uh, Katie, Eli, and Nina, we would like for you to sit down with us and tell us why. >> Um, we are also fighting for just cause protections so that nobody is going to be blindsided by these firings anymore. We want um transparent and fair disciplinary processes so that we can all feel safe and secure in our employment. We are asking for a $20 starting minimum wage >> because that's what people's time is WORTH >> um we want to keep up with industry standards at least if not with the cost of living. Uh MIT has assessed that the cost of living is much higher than $20 an hour. So we think it's it's fair to start with this plus cost of living and seniority increases. >> Um this would allow people to build a career at healthy living. Uh we we all really want this to be a collaborative and accommodating work environment and we think that if if the staff is given a voice in decision making um then we then we can really um make this a great place to work for the next 40 years. Let's give it up for Dorian Janette. >> All right, the crowd is growing. This is awesome. Um, so as I mentioned, Vermont is a union state. New York is a union state. Uh, there are dozens of people here today, but we know that tens of thousands of union workers and soon to be union workers across these two states have the backs of the workers here. Um cuz solidarity is what this is all about. Um and so now we want to hear from another speaker um from the Vermont labor movement. Um they're going through their own union fight right now. We have their back. They have ours. Let's give it up for Jacob from the support staff union at the hospital. >> Thank you. Um, so I am Jacob Burkowitz. I'm the president of UVM Medical Center, UH, SUPPORT STAFF UNITED. UH, >> thank you. Uh, we are currently, like, uh, Finn noted, we're currently engaged in our own contract fight against, uh, union busting bosses, um, alongside our, uh, our colleagues in the, uh, Vermont Federation of, uh, nurses and health, uh, professionals. So, I just wanted to indicate to the to everybody that um healthy living workers voted for a union uh for a reason. And this gross anti-UN campaign needs to come to an end. calling your workforce paid uh communist infiltrators and uh mentally disabled is not a way to have a a productive and healthy work environment. >> In this day, in in this country and in this state, gone are the days of abusive narcissistic bosses and a siloed labor movement that won't stand arm-in-arm with our colleagues across sectoral lines. We must have and will continue to demand better. >> If the workers at Healthy Living uh demand uh demand more, we have to have their backs in demanding more. If Healthy Living workers uh have any sort of action or work stoppage or what have you, we will be standing arm-in- arm with them. And >> if they demand a boycott of healthy living until management comes to the table in good faith, I can certainly say that 2,200 workers at UVM Medical Center support staff united will abide by it. >> Not to mention the over 10,000 workers at AFT Vermont who uh who are also strongly in support. I call upon the owners of Healthy Living to stop the nonsense, their fear tactics, their disgusting behavior, unbecoming of Vermonters, to meet these workers at the table in good faith immediately. >> And to the workers who have been stamped on uh and consistently bullied by this ownership, the work is this work is very hard. You know that. You've been experiencing it for for the last many months and perhaps years before that. But standing together in solidarity is our only path to fair wages and working conditions for all of us. >> And I encourage everyone here to continue to stand with the healthy living workers and every other uh every other every other union that is engaged in in this fight that is bigger than any one union. Thank you so much. And yeah, great to see all of you here from all these different unions. This is awesome. >> Let's give it up for Jacob. >> Amazing. Uh yeah, it's so great to know that the the labor movement in Vermont has our back here. Um just as we have theirs. Um so now we're we're gonna transition into some singing. Who wants to sing? >> Awesome. Okay. Um, so we, um, have some song sheets that have been passed around. Um, if you don't have a song sheet, find a neighbor. Um, hopefully they have a song sheet. Um, we're going to start with a tune called Ain't Gonna let Nobody Turn Me Around. It was inspiring to hear everyone's word. Adam was talking about how these dirty tactics aren't going to work. Um, and we want to make that really clear by raising our collective voice here. Um, so the band's going to kick it off. Um, we're going to replace different words in each verse with uh the piece on the bottom. Y'all will get the hang of it. Um, so we're gonna >> they're going to kick us off and then we'll start singing. >> Ready? >> One, two, three. Ain't going to let nobody turn me around. Turn me around. Turn me around. Ain't going to let nobody turn me around. Going to keep on walking on the freedom land. Ain't going to let union busting turn me around. Turn me around. Turn me around. Ain't going to let me. Turn me around. Going to keep on walking on the freedom. Turn me around. Turn around. Turn me around. Ain't going to let intimidation turn me around. Turn me around. Turn me around. I ain't going to let intimidation turn me around. Keep on walking, keep on talking. Maring on to freedom land. Ain't going to let no turn me around. Turn me around. Turn me around. Ain't going to let no turn me around. Keep on walking. Keep on talking. Marching on the freedom. Ain't going to let no hatred turn me around. Turn me around. Turn me around. Ain't going to let me. >> Last one. What music? Turn me around. Ball again. Everyone, >> give a hand for them. All right, flip over your sheets. We got a special one. >> All right, we're just gonna go right into it. One, two, three, four, and forever. Solidarity forever. Forever the earth makes us strong. To win the union's inspiration through the work. There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun. And our force on earth is weaker than the one that makes us strong. Solidarity forever forever. Forever so strong. They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn. Both without our brain and muscle, not a single wheel can turn. We can break their body power. Gain our freedom when we learn that the union makes us strong. Forever forever. Forever makes us. >> Let's let them hear us at Willist Kansas, greater than the might of armies magnified a thousandfold. We can bring to earth a new wealth from the ashes of the old. For the union makes us strong every way. Solidarity forever. Solidarity forever. Solidarity forever. One more time. I can't HEAR YOU. FOREVER. Forever makes us strong. ALL RIGHT, LET'S HEAR IT FOR BRASELL AGAIN. LET'S HEAR IT FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL SINGERS, everyone here today. All right. So, now what we're going to do is um a little demonstration of what it could look like if uh management continues to refuse to come to the table. Um which is we're going to do a little practice picket line. Um so, Adam, our first speaker, Adam, could you step up here? Okay. Adam's got the contract by Labor Day signed. Dead's coming up, y'all. Um, so we're all going to follow Adam and he's gonna single file line. He's going to lead the way and everyone's going to follow him single file. You've got your your signs. Um, and then he's going to snake back. So, it's going to be like a big circle, a big snake going back and forth. And Brass Ballagan's going to continue to to play some music. And I'm going to lead some chants. And y'all are going to catch on cuz I know that unlike ownership, y'all are great listeners and y'all are going to make it work. >> So everyone, y'all can start filing and we'll start getting ready with the band here. Um, so Adam's over over that way. >> This way. Bring the banner over. No, it's not. Look behind these behind me. DO YOU think your friends? Uh, no. >> Yeah, got to go. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. Union got to go. Hey. Hey, Union got to go. Hey, hey, ho ho. Union buses got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho, ho. Got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho. Got to go. What this IS hoing got to go hey DISGUSTING DISGUSTING DISGUSTING DISGUSTING UNION BUS. >> DISGUSTING. >> UNION BUSING. >> DISGUSTING. >> UNION BUS. >> WHAT'S OUTRAGEOUS? WORKERS WAGES. WHAT'S >> WORKERS WAGES WAGES? >> WORKERS WAGES. WAGES. >> Workers wages. >> UNION GOT TO GO. HEY. HEY. HO HO. GOT TO GO. HEY. HEY. HO HO. GOT TO GO. FIGHTING FOR YOU. legal team like >> money for your employees. >> Hey Union's got TO GO. HEY, HEY, ho ho. Must got to go. Hey, hey, ho ho. Got to go. HEY, HEY, HO, HO. GOT TO GO. Hey hey is coming to town. Get up down is coming to town. Get up. GET DOWN. >> UNITED IS COMING TO TOWN. >> HEY HO HO. GOT TO GO. HEY, HEY, HO HO. Got to go. Hey, hey, ho ho. Got to go. Hey. Hey. Hey. Got to go. Hey. Hey. Hey. One disgusting disgusting excitement I don't like to talk sometime this guy there I STUDY UNION GOT TO GO. But the trains are ready. >> Oh, got to go. Hey. Hey. Oh, you got to go. It's a little hard here. Go again. doing right now because >> UNION BUSING union busing >> union busing We don't have any money. Get up. Get down. United is COMING TO TOWN. GET UP. GET DOWN. Is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers coming down. Get up. Get down. Get down. Get up. Get down. Get down. >> I don't know what it say. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while WE SAY POOR. 1 2 3 4. YOU GET RICH WHILE WE SAY FOUR. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Sit down and negotiate. 6. SIT DOWN and 1 2 3 4. You get WE SAY 1 2 3 4. YOU GET FOUR. 1 2 7 8. SIT DOWN AND 5 6 7 8. Sit down and negotiate. 1 2 3 4. YOU GET RICH while we say 5. Sit down. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while we say 5. Sit down and negotiate. United get up DOWN is coming to Get down. >> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Sit down and 1 2 3 4. YOU GET RICH WHILE WE STAY. 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 You get rich. Stay four. Five, six, seven, eight. >> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sit down to negotiate. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while we stay. 5 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. Get up. Get down. Works United is coming down. Get up. Get down. Works United is coming to town. Get up, get down. 1 2 3 4 You still 4 5 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 5 6 7 8 up It's coming down. Get up. Get down. Get up. We're coming down. Get up. Get down. United is coming down. Get up. Get down. >> 1 2 3 4. You get rich while we stay. Four, five, six, seven, eight. Sit down to negotiate. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while we stay for 5 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers. 1 2 3 4. When you get rich, we say 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 8 7 8 >> This is so exciting. Um I'm glad that so many people were able to come to this rally today. We want to tell owners of Healthy Living that it's time to come to the negotiating table instead of union busting and stalling. Healthy Living has um refused to recognize our union since we won our union election on May 1st of this year. We want to bargain for a first contract that is going to have protections for livable wages. We're asking for $20 an hour uh minimum rate uh plus annual seniority raises. We're asking for staffing minimums so that workers don't have to go through understaffing. Uh, and we are asking for better healthcare coverage so that workers can actually make a life here at Healthy Living. Um, and we want to be able to sit down and bargain for a contract, but Healthy Living is refusing. Um, they've retaliated against workers by firing me and some other workers that were here. Um, and just making working conditions worse materially for workers so that people quit instead of sticking around and and helping organize. So, we're just here to say to Healthy Living that we're not going to give up. We are here to get a a fair contract now. Um, and they can bust our union as much as they want, but they're not going to win. Oh, the turnout here was amazing. We had people from all sorts of unions from around Vermont. Um, it felt like we were supported. Uh, the theme of solidarity really uh hit home. We had amazing music. We had free food. It was kind of a party. Uh, it's way more fun than being at work. And I don't know, I'm excited to see when the when the owners actually come to meet us at the table. It's been super frustrating, but I think we're going to get there. And I think the thing we're going to build together is going to make a lot of sense with the values of the store. And it's it's going to be good. >> Yeah. Come on up. Come on up. >> All right. All right, we got one more for everyone. >> He's the zoom instructor. You have to like follow two. 2. >> Hey, hey, ho. Ho. No more retaliations. We're ready for negotiations. NO MORE RETALIATIONS. We're ready for negotiations. No more retaliations. We're ready for negotiations. No more retaliation. We're ready for negotiations. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. Union busting's got to go. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. Union busting got to go. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. Union busting got to go. Hey. Hey. >> All right. New one. Here we go. >> Donald Trump won't stop the steel. Drop the labor board appeal. Donald Trump won't stop the steel. Drop the labor board appeal. Donald Trump won't stop the steel. Drop the labor board appeal. Donald Trump won't stop the steel. Drop the labor board appeal. Hey, hey, ho, ho. Union busting's got to go. Hey, hey, ho, ho. UNION BUSTINGS GOT TO GO. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up, get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. >> Get up. Get down. Workers. >> All right. We want We want them to hear you in Saratoga. >> Get up. Get up. United. >> Get up. GET DOWN. WORKERS is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Let's see everyone dance. Come on. Is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers is coming to town. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while WE STAY POOR. 5 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. 1 2 3 4. You get rich while we stood four. Five 6 7 8. Sit down to negotiate. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. Union bus got to go. Hey. Hey. Ho ho. >> Get up. Get down. Workers is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Get real low everyone. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. Get up. Get down. Workers United is coming to town. >> All right. >> Thanks to our dance instructor. Big round of applause. >> Awesome. >> Great marching everyone. >> I'm certainly feeling fired up. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> I just applied here. >> Oh, amazing. >> Our newest union worker right here. >> Well, thanks everyone. Um, we're going to be having a few, if you haven't signed the petition, the customer petition saying you support the union. Um, people are going around with clipboards. Cass and Key here have have clipboards you can sign. Um and then we're also going to be collecting signatures at the entrance um this afternoon. So if um you're feeling fired up and you want to continue to put pressure on ownership to do the right thing, um come up here to the front or find Cass um and a little contingent. Um we'll be uh doing some petitioning which is really important. Um thanks everyone again. Uh, we're wrapping up this portion, but those one-on-one conversations are really the most important part. So, tell your friends, um, solidarity everyone. Thanks for coming out. >> Can I make a brief announcement? So, first of all, thank you very much. I just put an application in. However, I'm quite passionate. Uh, so came from Sweden and um, the housing shortage is a really big thing. So, I'm gonna give a free Zumba class on Monday, which is Labor Day. Where should I go? A park. >> I have to walk from over here. >> Okay, I have a better idea. Right here, Monday at 10:00. >> Be there. Be square. >> All right. Thanks everyone. Have a great rest of your Labor Day weekend. solidarity and grab some food if you haven't yet. And if you if you feel like donating a bit to the people's kitchen, that would be appreciated as well. Oh, yeah. And if you have a if you have a sign, come drop it off at this table. Um, and if you want a lawn sign, take one home with you. Put it in your yard. Let your neighbors know. Talk to your neighbors. Talk to your friends. Uh, email eli@healthylivingmarket.com and vote for Amanda Janu. >> Solidarity.