Seattle: Homegrown workers condemn announced closures and layoffs

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following July 25 statement from Homegrown Workers’ Union, who are members of Unite Here Local 8.

The Homegrown Worker’s Union, members of Unite Here Local 8, was notified on July 18, after it leaked in the news, that Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches plans on closing 10 out of its 12 locations, effective September 15. The company has confirmed that this closure would result in the layoffs of 158 of its employees. We condemn these closures and layoffs in the strongest possible terms. We are enraged and devastated that after over two years of organizing and action to win livable wages and benefits for Homegrown workers, our CEO has chosen this course. Employees, including managers, were notified of this decision via email just 60 days before the proposed date of the closures, the minimum timeline required by Washington State law, and have been given no further information at this time.

In an email sent out to all employees at 3:42 pm on July 18, Homegrown CEO Brad Gillis claimed, “economic impacts, including rising labor costs and food prices, have created an unsustainable model for keeping all of our locations in business.” We fully reject the implication that it is impossible to pay food service workers a livable wage and benefits while staying in business. We will call this what it is – union busting.

From the beginning, our union has been a source of unity and strength for those of us who work at Homegrown. When just one of our coworkers was fired for her organizing, dozens of workers at multiple locations in the company went on strike for several months to win her job back. By staying united and taking strong and militant actions in our contract fight, we won a workplace with livable wages, protections, and heat pay. In the process, we have inspired food service workers across the country to fight for what they deserve. We extend our love and solidarity to these workers and encourage them to keep fighting, wherever they are, for the job and wages they deserve.

Our fight for sustainable jobs, living wages, and benefits is a just fight. A system that allows CEOs to terminate over 150 employees in search of higher profits elsewhere is an unjust system. We are still investigating the terms and specifics of Homegrown’s decision, and we will fight steadfast against union busting with any and all tools available to us.

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #UNITEHERE #Homegrown #UnionBusying