Jean Alexander rallies outside the Whole Foods shareholders' meeting

Members of Teamsters Local 117 joined forces with an alliance of environmental groups, food activist organizations and other labor unions at a morning rally at the Whole Foods shareholder meeting in Vancouver, BC, on Monday in support of four shareholder resolutions that call for a change in Whole Foods Market's and its supplier United Natural Foods' unsustainable business practices.

The coalition is upset over Whole Foods’ recent actions which have highlighted the company’s hypocrisy on the subject of sustainability and organic food—a major selling point for Whole Food consumers. Whole Foods top management has denied the existence of climate change and violated an array of workers’ rights.

Whole Foods, which claims healthy food is its priority, is also guilty of selling food products that are not certifiably organic and instead labeled as natural—a technique used by corporations called “greenwashing” that gives consumers the misleading impression a product is organic.

“The recent actions taken by Whole Foods’ management such as denying global warming and intimidating its workers has set the sustainability movement in an uproar that is making it a risk to shareholders and investors,” said Jamie Biggar, Chairman of the Board of the Sierra Club British Columbia, “The share price has fallen 30 percent over the last five years.”

“Whole Foods is alienating its consumer base,” said Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director of Organic Consumers Association. “Whole Foods customers will not stand for business policies that hurt workers, the environment, and dilute organic standards.” “I am concerned about Whole Foods’ expansion into Canada,” said Don McGill, Teamster Vice President, Canada.

“Whole Foods workers do a great job but how can the Canadian workforce expect Whole Foods management to operate with respect for workers’ rights when we have seen their violations in the United States?”

Together, the coalition is asking Whole Foods Market and its supplier United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) to sign the “Sustainable Food Pledge” that would bring together key stakeholders to discuss making Whole Foods Market and its supplier UNFI a company based on sustainable principles that would protect the environment, food and workers within its supply chain.

The bulk of this report was prepared by Galen Munroe of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.