Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from a petition from a group of employees at Weaver Street Market who are concerned about the impact of moving production from Carrboro to a new facility in Hillsborough. The petition was presented to the cooperative’s board of directors at a meeting in the Carrboro Elementary School auditorium Tuesday night (June 19).
“Our work is artisan work and it is work that we attempt to do with pride and creativity every day, recognizing that making food for others is an intimate and honorable profession. We care greatly about what we do and we care about this co-op.Â
“It is our hands that make the food produced by Weaver Street Market authentic. Our work has been crucial in making Weaver Street Market the vibrant commercial center that it is. We have met the challenges of growing sales, the addition of another store, and the growing crowds through the years – often doubling our efforts with the same number of workers. Our work has become the heart of Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. We have helped create a grocery store that makes its own world-class bread; bakes it own cakes, pastries, pies, and cookies; processes its own meat and seafood; serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day; and maintains a full salad bar and extensive prepared foods case. And all of this is done on-site where customers can watch it happening and remain connected to the making of their own food.
“But now most of our jobs are moving to Hillsborough. Not only are our jobs moving out of what the majority of us consider our community, but they are moving to a place set up to be a food production factory, which is euphemistically called a “Food House.†We are told this is happening because of our success. We are told it will be in our best interest. But we believe it will be a detriment to us and to our customers. This factory will be industrial rather than human in scale. It will be built to provide not only for our current expansion to Hillsborough, but also for future expansions.
“Our work there will, by necessity, rely more heavily on new machinery rather than value work done by hand. Unlike the current interaction allowed between us and our customers, visitors to the new facility will not be allowed without an escort. Many shifts will begin even earlier and extend later than they do now – essentially becoming a 24-hour operation. Those of us artisan workers who currently seek to work with care and concern for our final outcome will be faced with producing larger and larger batches of goods that will stretch and finally break our capacity to do mindful and meaningful work. The quality of our food will decline.
“For these reasons and more, we are opposed to the Food House plan as it is now being put forth. We call, first and foremost, for the Board of Directors to impose an immediate moratorium on the Food House plan while the co-op reviews the real risks inherent in this plan. This review should involve all worker-owners, all non-worker-owner employees, the Board of Directors, and all interested consumer owners.”