Labor Strife Ends at Mt. Kisco Mrs. Green’s as Union, Company Reach Accord
The long simmering labor dispute at Mrs. Green’s Natural Market in Mount Kisco has come to an end.
A settlement between the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1500 and the company was reached on Tuesday and agreed to by the National Labor Relations Board. The dispute stemmed from the firing of eight workers in January who played key roles in trying to organize workers last year at the Lexington Avenue store.
Under the agreement, which was announced on Wednesday, each of the fired workers has been rehired and will recoup back pay, according to a statement issued by the UFCW. They are expected to be back on the job next week.
Mrs. Green’s spokesman John Collins said the settlement was in line with the company’s “core principals” of employing more full-time associates than its competitors, giving bonuses and discounts to hourly employees, an opportunity for profit sharing as well as opportunities for advancement.
“Store leadership embrace these values and core principles and has stepped forward to do the right thing for its associates,” Collins said. “Now we are moving forward with a shared commitment to provide Mount Kisco families with organic, local and all-natural products and access to a healthier lifestyle.”
The settlement averted a hearing before a federal administrative judge that had been scheduled to begin this week. Since January, picket lines could be seen on most days on the sidewalk in front of the store.
Meanwhile, union leadership made sure to raise the issue of how Mrs. Green’s sought to exercise its control over the workers.
“Mrs. Green’s did everything possible to avoid unionization, including firing eight longtime workers who gave a combined over 50 years of service to the company,” said UFCW President Bruce W. Both. “We joined the brave workers, along with the Mount Kisco community, on a picket line in January fighting for what we all deserve, respect at work, and today justice prevailed.”
“Our fight has been long, but it is not over,” said David Ramirez, who worked for nearly a decade before being fired by Mrs. Green’s. “We ultimately want and need protection at work, so we and all our co-workers don’t have to work in fear that if we ever stand up for our basic rights we will be fired and on a picket line for six months, fighting for what we all should be guaranteed at work.”
Collins praised Mount Kisco Mayor Michael Cindrich for being instrumental in getting the union and the store to come to an agreement.
Cindrich said he brought representatives from Mrs. Green’s and the union together in an effort to hammer out the settlement. The store and its employees are assets to the community and Cindreich said he wanted to see the labor dispute resolved.
