Workers at Hunger Mountain Co-op, a consumer-owned grocery store in Montpelier, Vermont, won a five-month fight to enforce seniority, beat back bias, and win a promotion for a beloved co-worker. We did it not just by filing a grievance, but also by mobilizing union members and the public.
The fight began last December when Genesis Van Dyke applied for a production cook position in the prepared foods department. Van Dyke had been working at the co-op full-time for seven years, was fully qualified and valued by her co-workers—and was the only applicant for the job.
But members of our union, United Electrical Workers Local 255, sensed that management was likely to deny her the position, because she had been passed over before and because management seemed biased against her.
So we began organizing even before the denial happened. Union officers, stewards, and activists in the department asked the manager about the position. Co-workers filled an “appreciations” white board in the break room with messages supporting Genesis.
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