Whole Foods unionized. (On the Line).Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The 2006 population estimate of Madison was 223,389, making it the second largest city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee, and On July 12 in Madison, Wisconsin, the first Whole Foods store was successfully unionized. By a vote of 65 to 54, employees opted for a union, affiliating with the United Food and Commercial Workers The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.4 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile and . Two days before the vote, John Mackey, the CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. and founder of Whole Foods, flew to Madison in a last-ditch effort to fend off the union drive. Mackey has likened unions to herpes. The successful union drive "has national significance," says David Newby, head of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO AFL-CIO: see American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. AFL-CIO in full American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations U.S. , adding that "it's very likely that serious organizing campaigns will be in a lot more stores all over the country." When the store opened, Whole Foods promised to support "the rights of its workers to unionize." It is now contesting the election. For more information, go to www.wholeworkersunite.org. |
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