Love the piece about the Viroqua Co-op employees becoming part of UFCW (Viroqua Food Co-op Workers Unionize). Years back, when the La Crosse co-op employees did the same, I coached one of the organizers. Can’t tell you how many people questioned why someone working in an environment like a co-op would “need a Union”. The interesting thing for me about that organizing effort was that the president of the co-op board at the time was a manager at the County that had a history of violating contract all the time. Don’t remember how many grievances I won on behalf of her employees, but the truth was that if she had just followed the contract I never would have filed, much less won. When the employees at the co-op (I’ve been a member since they were on Adams Street and have shopped there since they were on the Northside) won the vote for the Union, I was invited to their celebration. The board president was shocked to say the least to know that I had a part in the process….. Good times!!
Sue Conard
La Crosse, WI
(Commoner Call photo, 2017. Open source and free to use with link to www.thecommonercall.org )