**** IWW | Voodoo Doughnut Workers Union
This posting will be for the "American Jobs" and "Public Patriots" series of this journal/ blog ... and it's some good news in our trying times. It will focus on "solidarity unionism" and a group of workers that are making it happen ... a more aggressive and different approach to unionizing workers, led by workers themselves, instead of the complex channels and system we currently do as far as how, when, and where to organize and negotiate. I myself have never belonged to a union ... but due to the circumstances workers are now facing, I think it's importante for workers to stand stronger, than any other time in my life that I seen. This posting will focus on the recently formed union for Voodoo Doughnut Workers in Portland (OR), who I also view as public type patriots, for their strength in these trying times, because of the coronavirus, and this neoliberal corporatized culture in the workplace that has been growing. Voodoo Doughnut (wikipedia) is a unique and very popular business that started as one location in Portland/ PDX years back, and has now been expanding with new locations in Oregon, California, Colorado, Texas, and Florida. Even though their requests/ demands had not been met at this time, some of that has to do with the pandemic, and the decrease in business ... but these workers are on the right track, and are providing inspiration, channels, and tools, for so many other across the country. Sticking to their needs and making their voices heard through action, can only make progress, which otherwise, doing nothing, is no progress.
Some newsread for a briefing on what has been going on and why below in the Al Jazeera News piece. Then a video where Jimmy Dore sits down with Voodoo Doughnut Union organizer and activist, Samantha Bryce (also a local LGBT activist/ organizer), affiliated with Portland IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), to explain some of the recent actions, reason for action, plans, and strategies. And credit to Samantha on organizing these folks, and the IWW for their backing, since too many folks in these type jobs, can't get support from your big unions. The reason why there has been so many more benefits for workers in places like western European countries, is because after WWII, the people started to make demands, and they managed to diversify their politics more than here ... and they stayed hammering it ... again, it was the workers/ consumers/ people, that made it happen. The same applies thoughout history ... take a look at what actually brings change, instead of what you are told by the ruling establishment, of their guidelines to bring change, eh? At the bottom I'll add a few of my thoughts, and to close out with a video and letter to the upper management of Voodoo Doughnut from Apollo Fernweh, who was laid off from Voodoo Doughnut ... Apollo sums it up well, and straight to the point. I doubt that Apollo will get brought back onboard after a letter like such ... but it inspires others to think and act. I also agree with these workers and their affiliates 110% ... which is why they are in these series and journal/ blog.
***** ALJAZEERA | Shane Burley: Coronavirus fight: Some US worker unions become more aggressive | Some US workers are breaking from generally accepted union procedures to respond to coronavirus- related risks ... (newsread)
Workers Organize Themselves! -- Voodoo Doughnut Organizer Interview! ... Thanx to The Jimmy Dore Show
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***** PD | RCJ: "AMERICAN JOBS" ... PART'S 14 THRU 1
***** PD | RCJ: "PUBLIC PATRIOTS" ... PART'S 64 THRU 1
***** PD | RCJ: "THE AWAKENING" ... PART'S 57 THRU 1 **** (a related series)
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Ranch Chimp (Thomas Hudson Pickering)
If this was a small mom/ pop type doughnut business, I could understand the strain on the business, even without the pandemic, as far as being able to give employees some benefits. I have never been to Voodoo Doughnut, but have heard and read about them ... they are very popular, even considered a tourist attraction, and I can see why. This is not the late night/ after hours corner shop it once was, that caters to the underground/ alternative music crowd and related ... and credit to the owners on the concept and work they done developing this. What I see is a winner, with much potential from a marketing perspective ... and it shows, looking how booming this business is, wherever they set up ... I mean, this is the kind of place that can become a giant like Starbucks. They are now moving into pop- corporatized hipster places like Hollywood's Universal CityWalk, and trying to cater to these Santa Monica type fashionistas, and places like Universal Orlando Resort/ CityWalk, it's now focused on tourists, wannabe hipsters with money, and family hot spots with folks that spend out the ass. When you hire employees for a business like this, it takes a certain personality and spirit to try to keep some of its authenticity ... you're not looking for someone with a cap and bowtie who served coffee and donuts at some mega corporate donut chain. Many of Voodoo's employees put their heart and creativity into things like decorating these doughnuts, it's like an art to some, and the comfortable and friendly unique atmosphere that they give off to customers ... they too, are a part of what Voodoo calls their "magic". This business is a specialty type artsy service, from the personalized packages they sell, to the weddings, to the unique decorations of the doughnuts, and atmosphere ... which is also making good sales just off mechandising itself, with all the novelties/ memorablilia they sell. These employees are part of what makes that happen ... and if you want to keep that raw authenticity, you must listen to the employees too, or else you just become another corporate behemoth. The owners, of all people should realize this, considering their backgrounds, and dealing with music/ arts and that alternative scene.
What employees like Samantha, Apollo, and others are asking for, is very basic ... and giving your crew a sense of security, is giving your business security, and paving the future for its longevity. These simple requests are a small price to pay for a bigger reward that you will get from it ... and to make sure it stays as unique as it started ... unless you plan to just make it huge, and then have the usual giants like Disney/ Fox buy it out, then it goes in the shitter and loses much of what it once had, and the giants will destroy a large part of what it was ... turning it into something that gets bought out again, by someone like the Communist Government of China, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh {:-) Whether it's Voodoo doughnuts or other places, like mentioned in the Al Jazeera article ... employees taking action is needed and past due ... and I even am excited to see things like wildcat strikes ... I mean, this is for the employees and consumers, all of which allows business and free markets to flow and grow. Acting on this, and consumers and workers taking action out of line with the chain of command in Washington, is what will bring change ... waiting for bureaucrats/ politicians to change anything, with their incremental shit ... you'll spend a lifetime waiting, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh {:-) This includes a mass response as far as protests, picketing, boycotts, etc ... and continuous. For example ... take the recent George Floyd protests, this brought out millions of people nationwide (and even worldwide) to vent their frustrations with this system on various levels of issues we have faced for decades. Look at how much progress has been made in just this short time ... they not only been getting symbols and statues of racism removed ... they actually got corporations concerned to the point, to where giants such as multibillion dollar PepsiCo/ Quaker Oats had to take ol' Aunt Jemima off the pancake box ... to the multibillion dollar NFL to recognize racism, and asking talented folks to play again like Colin Kaepernick ... police departments wanting to compromise, etc. This is because the people of this country made the change, which is what democracy is supposed to be about ... I'm 64 yrs old, and can say that there has never been a political party or politician that has brought this kind of change in this short of time frame in my entire life.
Word Out ....
STAND WITH THE VOODOO DOUGHNUT WORKERS UNION ... Thanx to Apollo Fernweh
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
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4 comments:
It makes sense that covid-19 would lead to more union organizing -- people are being more or less forced back into workplaces that have become really dangerous, and people who were willing to put up with lesser problems will naturally try to fight that. Even though this should be a bad labor market for employees with so many people out of work, if employers just keep firing and replacing people until they submit to whatever shit is being dished out, they'll end up with an awfully disrupted and angry workplace.
I hope you eventually get Voodoo Doughnuts in Texas. They're good doughnuts, and it will be one more thing for the fundies to foam at the mouth about -- "doughnuts of Satan!"
It's just a really shitty situation as far as the market for labourers, is why I think that they need to make more demands. Again, this is not a mom and pop donut joint struggling (Voodoo), this place is booming as far as business, and the merchandising is doing well, plus you need employees that fit with the business, and this COVID will eventually be contained at some point, just hope sooner than later.
Yeah ... they already have Voodoo in 6th St district in Austin, and one opened in one of those trendy districts in Houston, I believe in Houston Heights, which used to be an old working class neighbourhood years back that they gentrified. I read a 2nd Houston location is opening in the Montrose District. I assume Dallas and San Antonio will get it too ... Dallas is full of trendy money spenders and districts where it would sell good. I haven't been to a donut shop in years, or bought any donuts in years ... but certainly would go and try one when I get around a location here, perhaps go to pick up a tee shirt or other memorabilia. It was obviously around when I was in Portland, but just didn't run into it. I think I want to try the "Diablo Rex", of course for the Baphomet ... I never ate a Baphomet, that I recall (that they mistakenly call a pentagram {:-) ... it looks tasty, it is chocolate. The fundi's here won't say much about it, any more than the other things that they that Bitch, Moan, and Bellyache (BMB) about in the big cities of Texas, as it is {:-)
But ... yeah ... that's all they do, is create a disgruntled workforce with these penny pinching games that have became more of a workplace pop- culture these dayz, a culture created by the corporatists, that others below that level of business have adopted ... it's like the "cool trendy thing" of neoliberalism these dayz. Well, have fun while they can, because it's a 2- way street, and eventually they will get workers as well as consumers attacking back, in more wayz than one ... when people are angry enough, consumers may even boycott things, and then we/ they will have a "different trend" to deal with {:-)
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