Just got a fax saying that a group of Weaver Street Market employees will call for a moratorium against the coop’s proposal to move its food prep operations to Hillsborough.
According to the fax, more than 100 employees have signed a petition calling for the moratorium. It will be presented to the coop’s board of directors at a meeting tonight at Carrboro Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting is open to the public.
I’ll post the full text ASAP.
UPDATE — Full text follows:
Co-op Workers Oppose Jobs Moving to Hillsborough
At least 100 Weaver Street Market (WSM) employees have signed a statement calling for a moratorium on WSM’s plans to move 80 jobs from downtown Carrboro to an off-site food production facility and office space located in Hillsborough. This statement is to be presented during a meeting between the WSM Board of Directors and employees on Tuesday, June 19th at 6:30 pm. at Carrboro Elementary School, 400 Shelton Street. This meeting is open to the public.
The facility, slated to open October 1, 2007, will supply prepared foods to the two existing locations in Carrboro and Southern Village, as well as to a new store due to open in early 2008 in Hillsborough. In addition to having their jobs moved to another town, employees’ concerns include increased production demands, mechanization of the workplace, decline in food quality, extended work hours, lack of transportation, and compensation. Most employees also question whether the decision to centralize production upholds the mission statement of WSM.
For more information, and a copy of the statement, please attend tonight’s meeting.