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To: Dan Bane (CEO) and Jon Basalone (President of Stores)

Save Capitol Hill Trader Joes

The Capitol Hill Trader Joe's location (Store 130) should reopen immediately and all crew members should have their jobs restored.

Why is this important?

On June 11, dozens of Trader Joe's Capitol Hill (Store #130 in Seattle) workers informed store management that they would be participating in the June 12 protest organized by the local chapter of Black Lives Matter. Store managers determined that broad participation in the protest would lead to staffing issues, and decided to close the store early on June 12. Store management assured workers participating in the protest that this would be considered an excused absence and would not result in any disciplinary measures. But on the morning of June 12, a representative from TJs corporate called the store to ask about the early closure. Unsatisfied with the rationale for the early closure, corporate informed store management that the store would be closed indefinitely, effective immediately.

We, a group of Store #130 workers who wish to remain anonymous, believe it's no coincidence that the store was abruptly closed on the day that dozens of us took action in support of the movement for Black lives. We know that the company will try to avoid the appearance of being antagonistic to the movement. They will likely cite "personnel issues," “safety concerns,” or operating costs as rationale for the store closure. What they really mean when they cite "personnel issues" is that they saw our store as a hot spot for worker organizing. TJs corporate has aggressively squashed worker organizing for years and has a long record of retaliation. This is the most dramatic retaliation any TJs store has seen to date, but it is not an isolated incident. Prior to the abrupt store closure, we had been organizing to secure a living wage, health insurance for all workers, and basic protections against COVID-19. The large majority of us were already living paycheck to paycheck, and many of us were working without health insurance while risking steady exposure to the public in the midst of a pandemic.

While Trader Joe’s has publicly voiced support for “Black crew members and customers,” the company has done nothing to tangibly support the movement for Black lives, and they have penalized employees for supporting the movement. While the company insists that they value crew member feedback and support crew-led solutions, they have consistently disregarded our insights and requests. We know what it would take for the store to run smoothly, and we want to be in conversation with store management about solutions.

We are saddened by the store closure. For each of us, it means both a loss of community and a loss of financial security in the midst of an economic downturn. We recognize it's a loss for our neighborhood as well, and we hope you will join us in demanding that Trader Joe's reopen Store #130 and restore our jobs immediately. We've heard that TJs corporate will make a final decision about the closure this coming Monday. We'll be prepared with a response regardless of the decision.

Links

Updates

2021-01-05 17:57:43 -0500

BOYCOTT TRADER JOE’S! Months after releasing our demands and offering our suggestions in a collaborative and cooperative way, the company has met us with hostility and relentless retaliation. None of our demands have been met, and eight Crew members who were involved in organizing our original petition have been fired and even more have been disciplined and pushed out. We are calling on the consumer once again. Please do not open your wallets to this corporation. Call on them to say Black Lives Matter and meet our demands, and let them know you will be shopping elsewhere until they do. 

You can find an e-mail and postcard template for contacting them here: https://www.savetjs130.com/email
More information and updates can be found at our website: www.savetjs130.com

2020-06-25 19:40:16 -0400

At a press release outside the store this morning, workers with Save TJs 130 publicly released demands directed at corporate leadership and store management. We pressed Trader Joe’s to explicitly acknowledge that Black lives matter, and to back that up with a detailed plan for rooting out anti-Black racism at the store level and at the corporate level. We called on the company to provide tangible, specific support to Black crew members and customers, and to make a meaningful financial contribution to Black-led organizing. We also demanded that Trader Joe’s refrain from retaliation, develop a more transparent and equitable disciplinary process, improve internal communication and feedback mechanisms, and reprioritize the safety of people over the safety of property. Please check out our full list of demands at savetjs130.com, where you’ll also find a new e-mail script for contacting corporate!

2020-06-16 01:52:08 -0400

A BIG WIN! AND THE FIGHT ISN'T OVER

TJs Capitol Hill crew members received a message on Monday stating the company will reopen our store. This would not have happened without the outpouring of community support! This is a big win, and it's very clear to us that the fight isn't over. We don’t know if our jobs will be restored, and Trader Joe's has yet to take tangible action in support of the movement for Black lives.

The message we received today claimed that the closure is “to execute a remodel plan.” This is a smokescreen. Crew had not been informed of any remodel plans until today. Trader Joe’s is feeling the public pressure and is scrambling to regain control of the narrative.

We will be in conversation as a collective with TJs corporate. We hope we can count on you both to support our demands moving forward, and to support the movement for Black lives.

2020-06-15 18:55:40 -0400

20,000 signatures reached

2020-06-15 01:07:11 -0400

10,000 signatures reached

2020-06-14 21:06:30 -0400

5,000 signatures reached

2020-06-14 17:56:00 -0400

1,000 signatures reached

2020-06-14 17:13:54 -0400

500 signatures reached

2020-06-14 16:28:11 -0400

100 signatures reached

2020-06-14 16:17:06 -0400

50 signatures reached

2020-06-14 16:10:21 -0400

25 signatures reached

2020-06-14 16:05:08 -0400

10 signatures reached