The campaign to unionize New Seasons Market — backed by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 — got support from Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek at a Dec. 19 solidarity rally outside the chain’s Arbor Lodge store in Portland. New Seasons has been scheduling employees to attend anti-union meetings led by union-busting consultants.
“Workers coming together and organizing to better their working conditions creates a more fair economy for all of us,” Kotek said. “I believe the right to organize is a basic human right. And New Seasons needs to be serious about respecting that right to organize. Let’s not play games.… Let’s respect the rights of the workers to organize.”
MORE: Watch Portland Jobs with Justice’ video of the rally, featuring two New Seasons workers who say they were fired for backing the union:
