Demand Fair Vote Counting
Votes in the 2011 Co-op Election will be counted on September 10. Contact the Board and tell them you want the vote counting to be fair. Demand that all candidates have election observers.
Members file Grievance about Unfair Campaigning
During several weeks of reaching out to fellow Members from the Co-op store front and sidewalk, supporters of Co-op Democracy were subjected to nasty and unfair campaigning from Board incumbents and their representatives, including other Board members who engaged in aggressive behavior including yelling and name calling. The Co-op Board and management continually changed the campaigning rules and applied more favorable treatment to Board incumbents.
In an effort to improve future Co-op elections, several members filed a grievance with the Co-op Board. Read the grievance.
Keep One-Member-One-Vote: NO on Measure 1
Measure 1 would allow the Co-op Board to issue voting rights to Preferred Stock holders based on the amount of stock they purchase. Read more.
Keep Members’ Right to Have Co-op products reflect Co-op Values:
No on Measure 2
Measure 2 is NOT about preventing discrimination against individuals. It is prohibiting the Co-op from making any purchasing or other decisions based on “political opinion” or “national origin”.
Measure 2 would make it impossible for the Co-op to ever engage in a boycott in support of labor rights or other concerns and may prevent it from deciding to support local produce or from local businesses by buying from them rather than from non-local vendors or importing products. Click here for more information.
Co-op Board uses Phony Argument against Measure 2
The Co-op Board has put a facetious and fraudulent ballot argument “against” Measure. A legitimate ballot argument against the proposed Bylaws amendment was submitted by David Mandel on July 12, in advance of the July 16 deadline. The false argument is 63 words; Mr. Mandel’s is 275 (the limit). See Sacramento Press article.
Questions: coopmembersmatter@gmail.com
TAKE ACTION: Please contact the Board and store management. Tell them that the Board needs to remove this false ballot argument and replace it with the legitimate one submitted by David Mandel.
Board President Steve Maviglio has emailed Co-op Members claiming that Mr. Arevalo’s argument was submitted first, and therefore under the Election Code, goes on the ballot. The Election Code requires that “Only one argument in support of and one argument in opposition to any measure will be put forward to the ownership. If more than one pro or con argument is received, the first argument received is presented to the voters.”
The problem is that clearly Mr. Arevalo’s argument is NOT an argument in opposition to the Bylaws Amendment – it is a sarcastic piece, far below the word limit. Its intention is to support the Bylaw’s amendment, not oppose it. To meet the Election Code, the Board MUST put Mr. Mandel’s argument on the website, post it in the store and put it on the ballot.
This is unfair campaigning on the part of the Board and violates the Bylaws which require that the Board be even handed. Putting up a bogus ballot argument is NOT being even handed. This is shameful on the part of the Co-op Board. This tactic by the Board will backfire as it delegitimizes the election. If another election has to be held, the money spent on the first election will have been wasted.
See article in Sacramento Press, also posted on Indy Bay.
