Walk-Out at Portland Whole Foods: The Pandemic Demands Class Consciousness

On July 3rd, workers at the Pearl District Whole Foods Market (owned by Amazon) in Portland, Oregon walked off work in protest of Covid-19 conditions and the death of one of their co-workers. The walk-out was organized by the workers themselves without an official union and show a good sense of class consciousness. Workers coming to start work joined with those already out on pickets.

They stated:
     Whole Foods and its parent company Amazon have repeatedly demonstrated that it cares more about profits over the Team Members who put their lives on the line every day they clock in for a shift and we will not stand for it.
     The grievances of the service workers of Whole Foods are a deeper reflection of the working class as a whole, and in the time of a global pandemic we see that the flow of customers is far more important than Team Members safety. You treat us as disposable, even following the death of one of our own…Team Members make your profits so put us first.

Unlike many of the “Advocacy Campaigns” at such stores as Walmart and Target, heavily promoted by capitalism’s left, these workers themselves drew up demands on management that are straight forward and actionable. “Following the passing of our friend and coworker”, they wrote, “we have experienced a tepid response to health and safety concerns and are now demanding justice.”

The workers’ demands read:
– We seek the re-instatement and increase of hazard pay as cases of Covid continue to grow and we continue to put our health and well-being at risk.
– We demand that every customer be required to wear a mask or opt for a personal shop to be carried out by a Team Member to prevent exposure to customers who do not wear masks.
– We demand strict enforcement of capacity limits no matter how well staffed we are and enforcement of directional signage.
– We expect that all punitive actions expire on their original timeline and not be extended to make-up for the leniency allowed during the uncertain times of a global pandemic.
– We expect the right to express our support for marginalized communities, via buttons, pins, flare, and other apparel without punitive action being taken.
– We stand in solidarity with Team Members all across the country who have been forced to leave their shifts or have been suspended for voicing their support for Black lives.

Well done and much needed, fellow workers!