On January 2, 2025, Northampton Prepared Foods Shift Leader, Jack, was fired from River Valley Co-op for a dress code policy violation. This is the current policy:
"One (1) personal button up to 1.5" inches of your choice (this may include a Palestinian Flag or watermelon with no words or other images added), but may not contain political, religious, offensive, or hurtful images or slogans, and it may not impact the ability to provide a friendly, welcoming store environment and customer experience."
Jack's button was .75'' inches too large and contained the letters: BDS ("Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions" which is a call to action from Palestinian Unions). This violated a policy that management pushed for, outside of regular contract bargaining, in order to silence Palestinian solidarity. Jack went through disciplinary action and was sent home four separate times for insubordination, all because of the button.
We are a group of workers deeply concerned and disturbed by what has transpired, and this is our response to the general manager, Rochelle Prunty. If you would like to have your name added to the list of signees, please sign on.
Dear Rochelle,
It has come to our attention that an employee has received disciplinary action and was fired on January 2nd, 2025 after refusing to remove a pin that did not comply with the newly updated dress code policy. We, a group of rank-and-file workers, are deeply concerned by this disciplinary action. We are joined in this letter by member-owners, customers, and community members who echo this sentiment.
This employee increased morale in their department through their strong communication skills, adherence to the co-op principles, and their support for their ESL (English as a second language) coworkers. Yet they were fired over a button which expressed their commitment to human rights. Workers are being retaliated against for political expression protected under the first cooperative principle, which dictates nondiscrimination for political affiliation.
We choose to work and shop at the Co-op because of its mission as a just marketplace and its commitment to cooperative principles. The new dress code policy is inconsistent with those principles and the Co-op’s mission statement. We write to you in good faith as a community who care deeply about the Co-op and want to see it live up to its stated values and fullest potential.
Workers have been unfairly accused of causing customers and coworkers harm by wearing buttons in support of Palestinian rights. Let’s consider how hollow this accusation lands in contrast to the suffering experienced daily by the Palestinian people, currently enduring a genocide and living under an apartheid regime. After the special membership meeting on Oct. 30th, workers experienced retaliation by selective enforcement of a previously unenforced dress code policy in order to prohibit them from wearing pins that express liberatory political views. Is this what protecting marginal voices in our community looks like?
Our demands are simple:
Silencing and repressing workers and member-owners for following their moral compass sets a dangerous precedent and only escalates a political climate in which repression for standing up for human rights is becoming normalized. Cooperatives have a long history of international solidarity and social responsibility. History will remember where you stood on this social justice issue.
