Whole Foods Supermarket

I am a fan of the buyblue.org website, because they provide helpful information about companies worth supporting and those to avoid.

When I lived in Manhattan, there was a Whole Foods supermarket near my home and I fell in love with the products and choices (but not the prices).

While visiting buyblue.org yesterday, I found their listing for Whole Foods. The company biography reads:

With food and other items that are free of pesticides, preservatives, sweeteners, and cruelty, Whole Foods Market knows more about guiltless eating and shopping than most retailers. The world's #1 natural foods chain, the firm operates 160-plus stores in 28 states; Washington, DC; and in Canada and the UK. (It pioneered the supermarket concept in health foods retailing.) The stores emphasize perishable products, which account for about two-thirds of sales. Whole Foods offers more than 1,200 items in six lines of private-label products (such as the premium Whole Foods and a line of organic products for children, Whole Kids). In addition, the company has moved into related businesses (nutritional supplements).

Nothing I didn't already know.

I read further and was extremely disappointed when I read about Whole Foods' Labor & Human Rights ratings. Did you know that Whole Foods is called the Wal-Mart of Natural Foods because of their bad employment practices?

CEO John Mackey once likened unions to herpes and in a February 28, 2003 letter to his employees, he explained that "elimination of bereavement assistance, anniversary and baby gifts, 401(k) matching funds, and other benefits . . . were "necessary," to adequately fund its new health care plan."

I think a company should use its remarkable profits to fund employee benefits! The employees should not be forced to pay for them.

The erosion of workers' rights and benefits is frightening. Some of the wealthiest companies in America are slashing health care benefits in the workplace and working to prevent guaranteed health care being provided by the government.

So, I say we boycott Whole Foods. If you need fresh meat, find a local butcher; if you need fresh fish, find a local mongerer; if you need fresh vegetables, find a local green grocer.

Read more about Whole Foods' labor practices, and please Boycott Whole Foods!

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