"Healthy" Grocer Mother’s Market Suspends 15 Union Supporters in Flagship Store
COSTA MESA, CA – Four months into a public campaign to Unionize Mothers Market, 15 union supporters from the health food chain’s flagship store have been suspended.
Without reason or explanation, Mother’s managers suspended the 15 mostly front-of-house and twenty-something workers on Monday. All of the suspended workers have joined the organizing committee with a public photo, signed a schedule petition addressing poor working conditions and/or signed a union card.
Mother’s Market is owned by Mill Road Capital, a private equity company that raises capital from pension funds and other investors to buy and control businesses like Mother’s Market.
In a high-energy “March on the Boss” to Costa Mesa store managers on Tuesday morning, Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez said he stands with the workers. And he called on CEO Dororthy Carlow to return them to work immediately.
“The workers are asking for nothing but respect and a right to be at the table,” Chavez said. “I stand with the workers – they’re why I shop here. Give them their jobs back!”
UFCW 324 President Jose Perez called on union allies to join grocery workers in sending a strong message to Mill Road Capital and Mother’s Market’s CEO.
“Southern California is one of the most expensive places to live in the world,” said Perez. “Asolutely no one should get fired for asking for a raise.”
…“These young workers are sick of being stepped on by Wall Street,” Perez continued. “And now they’ve been suspended for exercising their rights, all so private equity can suck a little more out of working Californians. We won’t stand for it!”
Jacob Ramos, 21, a Costa Mesa cashier, vocal union supporter and frequent Instagram reel creator, was among the fired workers.
“As young people, management thinks they can step on us. They think they can order us around at work, outside of work, and now they’re trying to squash our union. We’re not gonna take it. We know that when we fight, we win!”
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