Throughout the month of April, GreenStar Cooperative Market will be holding elections for Council members. The Tompkins County Green Party sent out questionnaires to the candidates and we have posted their answers here for everyone. Please read what they have to say, and take some time this Saturday, April 14 to meet them at GreenStar between 2 and 4 pm.
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!
(This article contains responses from Paul Houle, Lauren Serafin, Thompson Terry and Dan Hoffman.)
UPDATED with Thompson Terry's responses on 4/13/01.
UPDATED with Dan Hoffman's responses on 4/19/01.
Dan Hoffman
1. Do you favor delegating increased authority to paid management, or do you favor retaining or expanding Council guidance?
I believe that the General Manager currently has a substantial amount of authority over how the store is operated. Generally, I do not see the need to increase that authority, and in fact I see some conflict between the increased centralization of authority and GreenStar's historical commitment to "democratic operation."
The co-op's structure was intended to provide for a "balance of power" among the Membership, Council and management. Shifting that balance strongly in favor of management changes the participatory, democratic nature of GreenStar.
I support the package of broad, progressive principles set forth GreenStar's bylaws and mission statement. My perception is that since the opening of our new, larger store, after the 1992 fire, several of these guiding principles have been overshadowed by a greater emphasis on convenience and on boosting sales and margin. It would appear, then, that the statement of general principles is not necessarily sufficient to ensure their balanced, comprehensive implementation in store operation. I think the only way to correct this imbalance is for Council to make it more clear, through sufficiently specific policies and directives for the General Manager, what is expected in areas such as product line, environmental responsibility, consumer education, pricing, member labor and employee treatment.
Inherent in the position of General Manager is a strong focus on the store's financial performance. The Council, as representatives of the membership, is accountable in a different way than the GM and necessarily must take a broader view. (And Council should be providing more information to and seeking more feedback from members, so its representation is informed and accurate.)
2. Do you believe Council should retain final approval of GreenStar's budget, or this authority should transfer to paid management?
I feel strongly that Council should retain the right to approve GreenStar's annual budget. This is consistent with how most other elected governing bodies and boards of not-for-profit organizations operate. Also, it helps keep Council more aware of the direction of the business and provides an important "check" on management's authority.
I do not believe in having a "hands-off" board at GreenStar (or any other community-based organization).
3. Do you welcome the membership's right of direct referendum (requiring 50 signatures on a petition), or do you favor diluting referenda (requiring 100 signatures) or abolishing them?
The right of our members to bring on a referendum is a basic and long-standing one. It was established almost 20 years ago when the co-op replaced its system of participatory governance (where there was no board and anyone who showed up at a meeting could vote) with a representative one, including the elected Council. While the Council was given broad authority, it was considered essential for the membership at large to have certain "checks and balances" to ensure that the exercise of that authority was responsible, democratic and reflective of member sentiment.
Since the right of referenda was established, there have been only 7 referenda, several of which were initiated by Council and/or at the request of management. This right has not been overused, and it is a powerful symbol of the difference between GreenStar and conventional businesses.
Any change in the referendum process must be approved by the membership. As a member and a Councilperson, I strongly oppose elimination of member-initiated referenda. I could support some additional guidelines for referenda (such as a reasonable time limit for collecting signatures) or perhaps even a somewhat higher number of signatures, but I believe the current proposal to raise the number of required signatures from 40 to 225 or more (ie., 5% of all members on record) would make the process far too onerous for members.
Getting a referendum question "on the ballot" is not the same as getting the Membership to vote for it (following a healthy debate). My instinct is to allow relatively easy access to the ballot, and to trust the good judgement of the Membership at large when it comes to voting.
4. How is GreenStar different from other supermarkets in the area? How has GreenStar changed in the last five years? How do you feel about these changes?
GreenStar is owned and ultimately controlled by members (ie., the local community), on a one-person, one-vote basis, and in a not-for-profit manner. GreenStar has committed itself to a set of "ethical guidelines," including fair and respectful treatment of workers (at GreenStar and elsewhere), an emphasis on nutritious food in as natural a state as possible and on locally-produced goods, environmental leadership, member education and inclusivity. At GreenStar, members can earn a substantial discount by contributing their labor toward store or co-op operations. At GreenStar, member/owners can make binding decisions (and even overrule the board or management) on any co-op matter, at a Membership meeting or through a member-initiated referendum.
The biggest changes I perceive are: a continuing shift of authority from Council to the General Manager; increased reliance on "experts" to guide store and co-op activities; an expansion of packaged, processed, higher-cost products; expanded use of conventional marketing techniques to boost sales; the purchase and installation of the Point-of-Sale ("scanning") system and elimination of unit-pricing; an increase in the turnover rate of staff; the creation of a staffed deli; a perceptibly greater diversification of clientele.
Except for the last two items in this list (deli & diversification), I consider these steps troubling and I have raised various concerns about them (although more often than not my view did not prevail on Council).
5. What do you think ought to be the purpose of the member labor program at GreenStar? What mechanism(s) would you propose for ensuring that the program achieves that purpose?
Member labor should provide members with the opportunity to receive substantial savings on their purchases, while reducing the co-op's overhead costs.
Member labor should be an empowering experience that enables members to feel they are helping the co-op and learning about how it runs. It should also contribute to the sense of community within the organization (eg., between paid staff and other members).
While I am pleased that GreenStar has maintained a significant member labor program, I have been sorry to see member workers virtually eliminated from some jobs (eg., cashiering). I have the sense that with some determined and creative effort, GreenStar could use more member labor to reduce more of our overhead costs. As part of the co-op's Policy Monitoring Committee, I helped produce a detailed report on member labor in 1999, which contained various recommendations for strengthening and monitoring member labor. I'd like to see those recommendations reviewed and implemented by Council and management.
6. Are you concerned that GreenStar may lose member loyalty by following an increasingly corporate model, becoming a junior Wegman's?
If "corporate" here means concerned primarily with profits, rather than with "ethical" or non-financial matters, then I would certainly be concerned. Our history as well as our most recent member surveys show that what is most important to our members is GreenStar's commitment to its core values. If the co-op becomes less distinguishable from other stores, I believe that the strong loyalty we have enjoyed in the past will weaken.
7. By what process and at what pace would you recommend implementation of the livable wage (as defined by AFCU) at GreenStar?
Along with other Council members, I have indicated my support for instituting a "livable" base wage at GreenStar in 2001, as suggested by management. Because the proposed change will have other implications, especially for staff not at the bottom range of the pay scale (such as wage compression and loss of annual seniority raises, as occurred at AFCU), I believe there should be thorough discussion of the proposal with existing employees, before it is implemented.
By the way, I favor institutionalizing GreenStar's contribution to employees' retirement benefits, at a fixed rate and at frequent intervals, rather than making annual, lump-sum, "profit-sharing" contributions linked to the store's financial performance during the previous year, as Council has chosen to do for the past two years.
8. Do you favor a superworker shift to research and educate members about the ecological and labor impacts of our products and packaging?
Yes, this is a great idea, consistent with GreenStar's stated commitment to member education. It is especially important as GreenStar's product line expands beyond its original "wholesome food in as natural a state as possible" definition.
9. Within two years, NYSEG's current PSC contract will expire and electric rates are expected to rise dramatically as in California. How will you prepare GreenStar to absorb the increased overhead and the decreased employment and spending power of member-owners?
This is not an issue I am particularly informed about, but I'd like to learn more. (Please send me any information you have.)
We should be actively looking for ways to conserve energy in our current store. If we decide to move to a new structure, we should do whatever we can to see that it is constructed to maximize solar gain and insulation value. For this and other reasons, I'd like to see GreenStar help get a no-frills, buying club-type operation going, so members would have a way to buy basic goods with minimum mark-up.
DAN HOFFMAN can be reached at 273-6933 or by email: dan@lsss-law.com.
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Paul Houle
1. Do you favor delegating increased authority to paid management, or do you favor retaining or expanding Council guidance?
I oppose any efforts to transfer power from Council or the membership to management.
2. Do you believe Council should retain final approval of GreenStar's budget, or this authority should transfer to paid management?
Council should retain final approval.
3. Do you welcome the membership's right of direct referendum (requiring 50 signatures on a petition), or do you favor diluting referenda (requiring 100 signatures) or abolishing them?
I think Greenstar's member referendum policy is fine the way it is. I think the burden of proof (that the current policy is faulty) is on those who wish to change it. If spurious referenda were being held every week, that would be a problem, but I fear there are people in management who, frankly, don't want to take input from the membership.
4. How is GreenStar different from other supermarkets in the area? How has GreenStar changed in the last five years? How do you feel about these changes?
Because GreenStar doesn't pay dividends to stockholders who can sell their shares for capital gains, GreenStar has less of a structural imperative to make profits and grow than other supermarkets Even so, the economy as a whole grew during the last five years, and GreenStar participated in that growth. Certainly, more natural and organic foods are available today, and that's a good thing. However, GreenStar has recently emphasized product lines aimed at affluent shoppers, deviating from it's mission to provide healthy foods in as close to a natural state as possible. Many members feel that the store has become more impersonal since the Point of Sale system has been installed, and it seems that there is a breakdown in communication between workers, management, the membership and the Council.
Unregulated growth has resulted in spasms that are making hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed each month. GreenStar's mission statement doesn't say a single word about growth -- to ride out the coming storm, GreenStar needs to return to it's values, rather than be swept out in the currents of the collapsing global economy.
5. What do you think ought to be the purpose of the member labor program at GreenStar? What mechanism(s) would you propose for ensuring that the program achieves that purpose?
The member labor program means that members can have a deeper relationship with their cooperative, rather than just being consumers. It builds loyalty, educates members about the co-op, and can (ideally) reduce costs by eliminating paid labor. Opportunities for member labor should be expanded, and in particular, superworker slots -- while still encouraging members who haven't worked to try working.
6. Are you concerned that GreenStar may lose member loyalty by following an increasingly corporate model, becoming a junior Wegman's?
Yes. This is already happening. I've talked spoken to many members who are already expressing the opinion that GreenStar is little different from Tops and Wegmans.
7. By what process and at what pace would you recommend implementation of the livable wage (as defined by AFCU) at GreenStar?
GreenStar's council has recently heard a report on the feasability of implementing a livable wage
8. Do you favor a superworker shift to research and educate members about the ecological and labor impacts of our products and packaging?
Yes.
9. Within two years, NYSEG's current PSC contract wil expire and electric rates are expected to rise dramatically as in California. How will you prepare GreenStar to abosorb the increased overhead and the decreased employment and spending power of member-owners?
It's unclear how electric deregulation will affect electric rates in New York State. California's crisis was brought on by explosive economic growth, while upstate New York's economy has stagnated, even declined, in the past 30 years. Even so, global pressures are pushing the price of oil and gas higher, and this will certainly make energy consume a larger fraction of our budgets. GreenStar can best address increasing energy prices by promoting energy conservation, both in the store and through products and services such as compact flourescent lamps, energy audits, and efforts to form a local energy cooperative.
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Lauren Serafin
1. Do you favor delegating increased authority to paid management, or do you favor retaining or expanding Council guidance?
I am in favor of retaining or expanding the current Council guidance. The fewer people making decisions for the co-op, the further away from the definition of a co- op we become.
2. Do you believe Council should retain final approval of GreenStar's budget, or this authority should transfer to paid management?
I believe that Council should retain final approval of GreenStar's budget. My reasoning for this is along the same lines as my answer to the previous question.
3. Do you welcome the membership's right of direct referendum (requiring 50 signatures on a petition), or do you favor diluting referenda (requiring 100 signatures) or abolishing them?
I totally welcome the membership's right of a direct referendum. I think it is very important for members to be able to change things fairly easily. Without this right, members no longer feel like they are a part of the co-op and then we lose them.
4. How is GreenStar different from other supermarkets in the area? How has GreenStar changed in the last five years? How do you feel about these changes?
GreenStar is different from other supermarkets in the area in that we are a member owned, cooperative organization that puts principles before profit. The only point of the other supermarkets in town is to make money. I hate to say it, but I am beginning to see a trend towards a profit driven mentality at GreenStar and I would like to change that before it gets out of hand.
5. What do you think ought to be the purpose of the member labor program at GreenStar? What mechanism(s) would you propose for ensuring that the program achieves that purpose?
Member labor is an integral part of GreenStar's operations. I believe that it is important to continue using the current member labor numbers if not increased member labor numbers. As a superworker for the past three years, I have felt like I have been an important part of the co-op. People need to feel involved and this is one excellent way to achieve this. If the use of member labor was to decrease significantly, I think that guidelines would have to be set to ensure that each department was using a certain number of member worker hours per month.
6. Are you concerned that GreenStar may lose member loyalty by following an increasingly corporate model, becoming a junior Wegman's?
Unfortunately, I already see some loss of member (as well as paid worker) loyalty due to the early stages of following an increasingly corporate model. While I don't think that GreenStar will ever become a junior Wegman's, I do think that GreenStar needs to take some of its focus away from competing with the other huge commercial supermarkets. People shop at GreenStar because they want to support an organization where they feel comfortable (ie one that is concerned about the environment, community issues, labor issues, etc).
7. By what process and at what pace would you recommend implementation of the livable wage (as defined by AFCU) at GreenStar?
I'm very sensitive to the treatment of employees at GreeStar and am 100% behind implementing the livable wage as soon as possible.
8. Do you favor a superworker shift to research and educate members about the ecological and labor impacts of our products and packaging?
I think this is a great idea. It's understandable that paid employees sometimes get sidetracked and don't have enough time to devote themselves to this task. Having one or two people working on this and only this, would ensure that the products and packaging used in the store live up to our high standards while being both sensitive to the environment as well as labor impacts.
9. Within two years, NYSEG's current PSC contract will expire and electric rates are expected to rise dramatically as in California. How will you prepare GreenStar to absorb the increased overhead and the decreased employment and spending power of member-owners?
I am not very familiar with this issue, but understand that it is very complex. Off the top of my head, I would say that we need to explore more energy efficient lighting, appliances, etc. I would say that we would need to pull a lot of ideas together and am interested in hearing what other members have to say.
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Thompson Terry
1. Do you favor delegating increased authority to paid management, or do you favor retaining or expanding Council guidance?
I favor refining the relationship between the Council and the Staff. GreenStar Council has in recent years been leaning toward crafting policies defining end results which leave management of the co-op free to effect reasonable means to achieve those end results. Council functions to provide the vision of where GreenStar is going while Staff determine how we get there. Council entrusts Staff to use appropriate operational mechanisms to get GreenStar to that vision.
2. Do you believe Council should retain final approval of GreenStar's budget, or this authority should transfer to paid management?
Council currently retains final approval and oversight of GreenStar's budget and I think it should remain that way.
3. Do you welcome the membership's right of direct referendum (requiring 50 signatures on a petition), or do you favor diluting referenda (requiring 100 signatures) or abolishing them?
At 50 people, the current requirement for the number of signing Member-petitioners represents approximately 1% (one percent) of our Membership at large. I feel that if a self-selecting group wants to float a referendum issue, that group needs to represent a larger segment of the GreenStar Membership. If the referendum issue is a valid point of concern to the Membership at large, there should be no problem achieving the necessary number of supporters. Therefore, I favor raising the threshold for referenda. I'm open to discuss what the minimum number should be.
4. How is GreenStar different from other supermarkets in the area? How has GreenStar changed in the last five years? How do you feel about these changes?
GreenStar is a cooperative. We, as Members, own GreenStar locally and by doing so we help to keep the money it generates in our community in support of our shared values, through working with local suppliers, employing a significant number of people and reaching out to like minded groups and organizations. GreenStar has grown and continues to grow in response to member wants and needs. I'm pleased with the direction GreenStar has gone with its retail operations.
5. What do you think ought to be the purpose of the member labor program at GreenStar? What mechanism(s) would you propose for ensuring that the program achieves that purpose?
The Member Labor program serves to link with Members who want a more active role in GreenStar's operations, whether working in the store or serving on committees. Staff have experimented with increasing Superworker positions with success. As Staff make more use of the capabilities of our current systems, primarily Glinda, the point-of-sale and member database, and other tools, we can determine how best to benefit GreenStar as a whole for Member workers and the store.
6. Are you concerned that GreenStar may lose member loyalty by following an increasingly corporate model, becoming a junior Wegman's?
GreenStar attempts provides a wide variety of foods and goods for most Members. I suspect with any change at the co-op, some people will be happy while others are disappointed. If someone is not happy with GreenStar's direction it is their right and responsibility as a Member to say so. If a Member were unhappy, I would want to know why. The Membership as a whole, and individual Members need to consider the goal of any change brought about in GreenStar. Should GreenStar be an exclusive clique or should GreenStar include more of the broader community? I believe we, as GreenStar, should share what we have.
The use of the terms "corporate" and "junior Wegman's" appear to be pejorative. Is that the intent? GreenStar is incorporated, and has been for many years. Is this bad? Wegmans is ranked as one of the top 100 employers in the country. Is this bad? While we may not want to embody all aspects of the terms used in this question when applied to GreenStar, they are neither wholly undesirable nor completely without merit. I can't answer this aspect of the question with these terms as it is too vague, and ill defined.
7. By what process and at what pace would you recommend implementation of the livable wage (as defined by AFCU) at GreenStar?
GreenStar is currently investigating the implementation of a livable wage in the store operations. There is much to consider in bringing about this change. Rapid implementation without forethought is chaotic at best. This concept requires due diligence on a number of fronts. Council and Staff already agree on moving toward a livable wage. GreenStar will implement a livable wage as rapidly as is feasible.
8. Do you favor a superworker shift to research and educate members about the ecological and labor impacts of our products and packaging?
This is an interesting idea which deserves exploration. Education is part of our purpose as an organization. I support the idea as a concept. I would want to know more about its implementation and goals.
9. Within two years, NYSEG's current PSC contract will expire and electric rates are expected to rise dramatically as in California. How will you prepare GreenStar to absorb the increased overhead and the decreased employment and spending power of member-owners?
I would want GreenStar as an operation to seek out other methods to supply the power needed to run the store. GreenStar as an organization could join with other like minded organizations to investigate other power sources as an aggregate customer and/or as a self-supplier, such as installing solar panels or other means to supply the store with power and implement power usage efficiencies where possible. Regarding decreased employment and spending power, I'd want us to discuss strategies with those more knowledgeable in this area.
