Why I Support Community Market
Community Market is a business entirely run and owned by the workers. Workers get all the profits and make up the board of directors. Worker-directed businesses are the best answer for how to fairly organize work within our capitalist economic system. Worker-directors make decisions on what is best for them, not what's best for outside shareholders whose eyes are only on the bottom line.
I dearly love the Whole Foods staff and I continue to shop there. But Whole Foods is a large corporation built on traditional lines. I want to support worker-run businesses and Community Market is a great example. It just feels different.
For more on worker-run businesses go here: https://www.rdwolff.com/content/demo...ure-capitalism
Richard Wolff has a show on KPFA, Economic Update, Fridays at 10 AM. Pretty much every week he does a segment on worker-run and owned businesses.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Community Market is NOT owned by the workers. Yes, there is a board of directors made up of employees. If the company were to close today, any profit would go to charities, not to workers.
I worked there for 3 years and was on the board of directors for 1 year. I am going to forward this post to the market in case they want to clarify this issue.
Dusty
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Thank you for the correction and for forwarding it to the market for clarification. I'll be interested to hear what they say.
Regarding distribution of the profits, I was told by the store manager that all profits were divided among the workers. I do think a board of directors made up of employees is a great model and worth supporting.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Thanks to Dusty for the clarification. Community Market is a NOT FOR PROFIT, and it is "worker run" NOT worker owned-- which means that nope, there are no "profits" that are divided among the workers, ever! Any profit that the market may show in the future goes directly back into the market, not into anyone's pocket who works there! I am not certain what manager may have given you that information and I am sorry that you may have misunderstood. Believe me, these are critical times for all new businesses and we at Community Market are grateful for the support and kindness that our Sebastopol community has shown to us. There is a lot of heart, dedication and loyalty under that roof to the market's mission by the awesome staff and management that I am privileged and honored to work with. Thank you for your continued support, Sebastopol!
Respectfully, linda
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by peggykarp:
Thank you for the correction and for forwarding it to the market for clarification. I'll be interested to hear what they say.
Regarding distribution of the profits, I was told by the store manager that all profits were divided among the workers. I do think a board of directors made up of employees is a great model and worth supporting.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Community Market feels a lot different from most retail enterprises, they are very responsive to customers and research their products carefully. I really trust what they sell.
I did part of my MFT internship hours at Chrysalis Counseling which was founded by interns back in the early 80's and continues to be run largely by the whole community, interns, clinical supervisors, business manager, and board. Chrysalis gave me the best training I received as an intern and continues to offer QUALITY counseling to people who can't afford it elsewhere. I think that a democratic model keeps businesses healthy. Barrie Mason
Re: Why I Support Community Market
The government requires that non-profit corporations must have a clause describing where the assets of the corporation would go if the corporation dissolves. The assets must go to a non-profit corporation. I'm not sure if it is a federal or state requirement. Probably people are confusing profits with assets.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Last night I went back to Community Market and talked to the manager with whom I'd originally spoken, who apologized for any confusion and referred me to Blake, who was very helpful in clarifying the structure and how the profits are disbursed.
Community Market is currently a nonprofit organization. They are run by a board made up entirely of the workers and the profits go to other nonprofits and charitable organizations. But Blake added that Community Market would very much like to become a worker-owned cooperative, modeled after Rainbow Grocery Coop in San Francisco, where workers do own shares and profits are shared among the workers as well as given to worthy organizations. For financial reasons they can't do that right away but that's their goal.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Correction: They are run by a board made up entirely of the workers and a general manager hired by the board.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by peggykarp:
Last night I went back to Community Market and talked to the manager with whom I'd originally spoken, who apologized for any confusion and referred me to Blake, who was very helpful in clarifying the structure and how the profits are disbursed.
Community Market is currently a nonprofit organization. They are run by a board made up entirely of the workers and the profits go to other nonprofits and charitable organizations. But Blake added that Community Market would very much like to become a worker-owned cooperative, modeled after Rainbow Grocery Coop in San Francisco, where workers do own shares and profits are shared among the workers as well as given to worthy organizations. For financial reasons they can't do that right away but that's their goal.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
sigh...
community market DOES NOT hold a 501(c) 3 status with the federal government, nor does it receive a tax exemption for that standing as NON-PROFITS do.
community market is a "NOT FOR PROFIT" which is significantly DIFFERENT than a NON-PROFIT.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
Thank you for the correction. Certainly it's important to note that Community Market isn't tax-exempt. But I confess I am mystified by "sigh." As a worker at Community Market, I should have thought you'd be delighted to see someone from the community posting on waccobb in support of your business. There is a way to make corrections while at the same time remaining positive and supportive, keeping the bigger picture in mind, which in this case is that, despite the factual errors, my post raised the visibility of the market in a positive way and was an attempt to build good will for it in the community.
My main point was that worker-run businesses are worth supporting. Perhaps you would like to expand on that a little and tell waccobbians your experience working in such a business?
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by lindasw:
sigh...
community market DOES NOT hold a 501(c) 3 status with the federal government, nor does it receive a tax exemption for that standing as NON-PROFITS do.
community market is a "NOT FOR PROFIT" which is significantly DIFFERENT than a NON-PROFIT.
2 Attachment(s)
Why Support Community Market?
Community Market used to carry more small, local food vendors & manufacturers. I wish they would really focus on these true organic manufacturers. I've switched to buying from my local farmers and producers.
Otherwise CM it is pretty much the same as Whole Foods whose suppliers are- large, corporate gmo food, disguised as natural to the unwitting.
This graphic shows who owns "organic" foods.
Re: Why I Support Community Market
I am expressing thanks for having freedom and options. I am grateful that I can walk into any store I choose, pluck any object off the shelf, and buy it with my paper or plastic money. I don't even have to plant, tender, grow, and harvest my own food! Stores, farmer's markets, and the like make it so easy and convenient for me. Especially here in Sonoma County!
Dusty
Re: Why Support Community Market?
Yes, I didn't choose my words carefully enough. I do shop at the market and have for years, however less so lately .
I know that there is much activity against gmo's at SRCM.
Mainly, I have asked to carry more local vendors... and yes it is great that there are some in the store. There are many organic food producers I have met throughout the county and it would be great to have access to them.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by The"A"Team:
Community Market used to carry more small, local food vendors & manufacturers. I wish they would really focus on these true organic manufacturers. I've switched to buying from my local farmers and producers.
Otherwise CM it is pretty much the same as Whole Foods whose suppliers are- large, corporate gmo food, disguised as natural to the unwitting.
This graphic shows who owns "organic" foods.
Re: Why Support Community Market?
Apologies if my comments offended anyone.
My point was more about how to better serve customers.
Peace
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by The"A"Team:
Yes, I didn't choose my words carefully enough. I do shop at the market and have for years, however less so lately .
I know that there is much activity against gmo's at SRCM.
Mainly, I have asked to carry more local vendors... and yes it is great that there are some in the store. There are many organic food producers I have met throughout the county and it would be great to have access to them.
