NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words
Comrades, a new bar has just been set for Park Slope Food Co-op navel gazing: “For such a scrutinized institution, little public attention is paid to people like me—co-op failures and near-failures who have struggled to stay in good standing and have stumbled in the cramped aisles. Like every other aspect of the much-loved and…
Comrades, a new bar has just been set for Park Slope Food Co-op navel gazing: “For such a scrutinized institution, little public attention is paid to people like me—co-op failures and near-failures who have struggled to stay in good standing and have stumbled in the cramped aisles. Like every other aspect of the much-loved and much-hated co-op, the topic of members in trouble draws a bushel of opinions. An organic bushel, of course…The co-op, a place that raises aspirations for society, makes us raise aspirations for ourselves. I am still suspended, but imagine myself someday returning and remaining in good standing. Nostalgically, I envision old friends and former roommates in the aisles, examining the white nectarines. But I wonder: couldn’t it be a little mellower?” —Flunking Out at the Food Co-op
Photo by Betty Blade.
Slick – They don’t take credit cards because it costs a percentage to process which would get passed on to members. They do take debit cards.
Enough already. It seems most of the people complaining are not members. It’s working well enough for 15,000 members which is more than enough. No need to be so offended by it if you’re not a member.
@southbrooklyn – I think this is how the process works. People complain about stuff. It raises the conversation amongst more people. Some respond with how everything’s fine (or fine enough). Eventually, hopefully, some ideas or actions are set in motion that may or may not improve the situation.
It’s not that serious people want anyone to stop going. They see some problems, want things to get better, and they’re not getting better on their own.
You don’t need to have a profit motive to want to make things better, or to grasp the idea that labor actually has a dollar value. Once you do, it becomes possible to plan better. It doesn’t mean you have to judge all things (e.g., community service, maintaining a large-scale vegan-friendly shopping environment) as having a dollar value, but things do have a cost because they’re still part of the real world.
However people motivate themselves to give up their labor on a consistent basis, it’s the labor that allows the co-op to function. And that labor, in general, seems to be going to waste. It’s not being respected, in aggregate, as much as it could be while still continuing to fuel the ethos behind the co-op’s mission. When you start to not really care about the value of people’s labor and time, that’s how you get to places like this. It stops mattering how many hours are spent training/retraining. It ceases to matter you’re making people chase/compete with each other for viable work slots. (Many people out of a pool of 15,000 – not all – have a hard time fulfilling even a measly 2.75 hour/month requirement if the only slots open out of 440 are Tues-Thurs 1pm-4pm.)
I’m sure most people are fine with the way things are now, but a sizable group are not. It doesn’t make them evil, morally weak, or stupid. They’re part of the community, and their concerns deserve a fair hearing. But reading the comments both here, gothamist and in NYT, what seems to be happening is that the population squeeze just encourages the motivated to push complainers to shut up or leave. They’re encouraging people to ratchet up the motivation to overcome obstacles rather than see if the obstacles can, in good faith, be removed or smoothed over.
This is a bad sign. It means the improvement feedback process is in trouble, either due to a failure of leadership or due to institutional bottlenecks. Saying this out loud doesn’t make you a traitor to The Cause, or ideologically impure.
I don’t claim to have the answers to all this, but I’ve learned to be a little skeptical when people start saying, “Love it or Leave it”. It’s fine enough to dismiss un-serious people, or those with anti- co-op agendas. It’s not fine to lump all ‘complainers’ in the same category.
I haven’t worked in a grocery store since I was in high school and don’t plan to do so again if I can help it. I am unwilling to make the commitment to work three hours a month for me and my spouse, therefore, I don’t join the coop. The math is not that hard. If membership of the coop has value to you, you follow the rules. Skipping out on your shift is like deciding you’re not going to pay the rent/mortgage/maintenance this month – it’s an option, but it has serious consequences. I walked past the coop at 11.30 a.m. yesterday, it was packed to the gills and there was a line of people waiting to get in. I’ll stick to Costco and Key Foods thanks.
I love how the very mention of the co-op on this site puts people in a foul mood. Relax! 98% of members are NORMAL PEOPLE who want to eat well and feel that the supermarkets in our fair city really suck-which lets face it is true.When I go into a regular supermarket I’m shocked by the lame produce and high prices. I do shop at trader joe’s but their fresh produce is not great. For me it’s a no-brainer- great stuff at low prices but it’s not for everybody. So there-diffrent strokes…..
A few years ago, I went to the coop intent on joining. However, I thought the place was batshit crazy and ran away fast.
There is a certain logic in the “if you dont like it, dont go” argument. However, I think the coop is unrealistic that its backwards ways wont invite some scorn. They dont take credit cards b/c they dont want their members to go into debt (or something)?
It’s clear that they have a lot of goals, but serving the community isnt one of them.
dreamking, spot on.
“If you need me, me and Neil’ll be
hanging out with the Dream King
Neil said hi, by the way.”
“it’s obviously not run/managed by anyone who gives an ounce about making any money”
someone missed the point.
Posted by: amt230 at October 26, 2009 1:19 PM
This is exactly the problem with most not-for-profit organizations. If they were managed on a P&L basis, they would be much more efficient, whether there was a goal of making a profit or not.
amt230 — No, I think you missed the point. While the exact wording is not precise (“making money”), DIBS is right on. The PRIMARY goal of the coop should be to reduce expenses while increasing products/variety/pleasantness of experience.
While they are not necessarily looking at “profits” per se, they sure as hell better be looking at making money!!
Hahahaha! “The difficulty I’m told, in implementing a new solution is apparently the need to reprogram the computer/calendaring system.”
Because we all know there are no members whose time could be spend doing this rather than walking empty carts back to the store or “greeting” the customers. Jaysus. It’s like they’re trying to be backassward.
If I lived in the neighborhood, I think that’s why I wouldn’t be a member. It’s one thing to *shop* at a badly managed store, but to be required to work there!? ugggh.