[BCN] Harvest Coop(s)

[Joshua Laskin]

--- Charlene <frcfield at excite.com> wrote:
> ... 
> It doesn't make sense to attack folks who are
> in some way trying to do the right thing.  ...


  Ok--you make a valid point.  It doesn't make
any sense at all, to attack people for not
knowing any better.
  However, I think I was mostly speaking about
myself, and others, who maybe DO know better.  I
was really trying to say that WE are the jerks,
for not thinking more about our food co-op's role
in our neighborhoods.  But I need to watch my
phrasing, to avoid being misunderstood--point
taken.  


> And, in response to your question, there is a
> bulletin board in the Cambridge store that
> lists a number of organizations, at least some
> of which are local, to which it (we) make
> donations. Or am I misreading that?


  My problem with that bulletin board, is that it
doesn't specify the size of the donations or the
dates when they were made.  Was it only five
dollars? ten years ago?  We don't know--the
display doesn't tell us.  It's an illusion of
information--and an insult to my intelligence, as
if whoever displayed it thinks I'd be satisfied
with such pseudo-info.  And, because it's not
telling us anything specific, it makes me suspect
that it's fake, a big lie--that we actually
aren't giving much of anything to anybody.  
  My other issue, with the very idea of Harvest
giving money to charitable organizations, is that
I and you and anybody, can each individually give
to charities, if we each want to, and to
whichever ones we want to.  Charitable-giving
isn't necessarily something that we need our
Co-op to do for us.
  And, giving to other organizations, can also
mean that the Co-op is copping out of actually
doing something for local people directly,
Co-self.  

  I was referring to projects or events that the
Co-op itself, ourselves, would do for/with local
people, involving and engaging them.  The only
reason for not doing such, would be if we're
totally self-focused, and not interested in
hanging out with people from dissimilar
backgrounds than ourselves.  This perhaps would
qualify us as jerks. 

  It's also possible, if we are jerks, that being
jerks IS bad for business--relating to R.W's
point, when comparing Harvest to WholeFoods,
giving WF credit for its staff's "willingness to
answer a customer question, to find something, to
accomodate..."--i.e., for better customer
service--which TraderJoe's ain't bad at, either,
I've found.  Whereas generally,
Contempt-for-the-Consumer seems
counterintuitively to permeate the total
Marketplace.

  Employee morale has always seemed quite low at
Harvest.  Never having been on staff, I don't
know if it's from poor pay, poor conditions, or
poor treatment.  Or, two or all of the above. 
Maybe someone who's worked there can speak to
that.

  I believe that if Members organized and played
a greater role at the Co-op, and if we rewrote
our Personel-policy to select for workers who'll
be in tune with the meaning and purpose of the
Co-op, and if these workers were given more
opportunity for collective self-management--then,
I believe, we could create the coolest place to
shop, on Earth.
  And, we could also do some other cool stuff,
outside the stores.  
  Which we must confess, would be good business.

Joshua








 
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