Please only sign if you are a current member of the coop!
Eden Foods is a locally-based company producing a wide range of high-quality natural foods. They have been an industry leader in promoting organic foods, sustainable agriculture, and safe packaging. While the company receives high marks for its ingredients and low-impact environmental production, they have taken a stand in relation to their female employees that has caused many around the country to withdraw support for the company.
Eden Foods’ owner, Michael Potter, personally opposes all forms of birth control. He unsuccessfully sued the Obama administration over the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health insurance cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved forms of birth control. While his case was originally denied, the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision from June 2014 opened the door on this issue again. The ruling in that case suggested that “closely held” private companies could opt out of covering some types of birth control products to which employers objected on religious grounds. Potter is choosing to go further by cutting all health insurance coverage for birth control for Eden’s female employees, effectively imposing his own religious beliefs inequitably on the company’s female workers irrespective of the beliefs of the employees.
Continuing to sell Eden Foods products raises the question of whether Ypsilanti Food Co-op is complicit in the unfair treatment of female employees at Eden Foods. Section 2.3 of the Ypsilanti Food Co-op’s Bylaws states: “The co-op views itself as part of a larger social and political movement directed toward creating a society which holds the welfare of all human beings as an important principle. We feel solidarity with other people, other groups, and especially with other cooperatives that are equally committed to providing people with the knowledge and resources necessary to control their own lives.”
Below is a current list of Food Cooperatives that have already removed Eden Foods from their shelves:
Willy Street Co-op: Madison, WI
Other Avenues: San Francisco, CA
Central Co-op: Seattle, WA
Glut Food: Mt. Rainier, MD
Weaver Street Market: Carrboro, NC
Wheatsville Food Coop: TX
I, as a current and concerned member of the Ypsi Food Co-op, and in accordance with the Co-op bylaws, do hereby request a special meeting to discuss how the Co-op and its individual members should respond to Eden Foods’ actions.
Updates
March 10, 2015
The board remains quiet despite the messages we have sent their way. It is exhausting to keep pushing when there is no response but we owe it to the workers to hold our ground.
16 Comments
Reproductive health care and access to contraception is one of the most important health issues women face over their lifetime. Shame on Eden Foods decision to withhold benefits so needed by women and families.
I would like to have a member meeting to discuss this issue. Thanks for creating the petition.
I am not a member, but I shop here frequently, and I do not buy Eden products because of Potter's actions against female employees.
I refuse to buy eden foods products and that is the only brand of soy milk the YFC stocks. Very disappointing.
I am interested to see & hear Michael Potter's defense of his company's stance on this issue.
I'm concerned as i was told that this was only for discussion, and not that a possible ban on the product would occur at this event. Now I hear that this discussion could result in a vote then and there by a small portion of the membership that would be binding on the co-op and membership. This was not accurately represented in the discussions I would strongly object to any vote being held at this meeting on a binding action. Also I support these additional thoughts -- how does it benefit these "unfairly treated female employees" the petition is supposedly concerned about -- if banning their company products results in them losing their jobs? Edens has been considered in the overall a GOOD employer in many other ways in relation to employees. I would suggest to you that this petition PRETENDS to have the female employees well being as a concern. In the discussions leading up to this petition in fact people scoffed at my suggestion that this could have the consequence of job loss -- the comments were along the lines of '-that's the risk they take working for such a company' too bad for them. Here is another well stated consideration: "Eden Foods has top ratings on many other issues that Co-op members care about, such as sourcing non-GMO and organic ingredients. The company earned A+ and A ratings in ten food categories covering social and environmental responsibility in the Better World Shopping Guide — possible replacement products simply do not score as high. Also, I also think it hurts members to have the Co-op step into those purchasing decisions we should be making for ourselves." And ..."Eden foods was started in Ann Arbor back in the 1960s and was one of the pioneers in the organic and natural foods movement. They have introduced BPA-free plastics to the US market, have pioneered and maintained organic food standards and integrity, and they have been anti gmo for like 25 and have actively lobbied for gmo labeling on food products as well as set
stop oppressing women
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Please only sign if you are a current member of the coop!
Eden Foods is a locally-based company producing a wide range of high-quality natural foods. They have been an industry leader in promoting organic foods, sustainable agriculture, and safe packaging. While the company receives high marks for its ingredients and low-impact environmental production, they have taken a stand in relation to their female employees that has caused many around the country to withdraw support for the company.
Eden Foods’ owner, Michael Potter, personally opposes all forms of birth control. He unsuccessfully sued the Obama administration over the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health insurance cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved forms of birth control. While his case was originally denied, the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision from June 2014 opened the door on this issue again. The ruling in that case suggested that “closely held” private companies could opt out of covering some types of birth control products to which employers objected on religious grounds. Potter is choosing to go further by cutting all health insurance coverage for birth control for Eden’s female employees, effectively imposing his own religious beliefs inequitably on the company’s female workers irrespective of the beliefs of the employees.
Continuing to sell Eden Foods products raises the question of whether Ypsilanti Food Co-op is complicit in the unfair treatment of female employees at Eden Foods. Section 2.3 of the Ypsilanti Food Co-op’s Bylaws states: “The co-op views itself as part of a larger social and political movement directed toward creating a society which holds the welfare of all human beings as an important principle. We feel solidarity with other people, other groups, and especially with other cooperatives that are equally committed to providing people with the knowledge and resources necessary to control their own lives.”
Below is a current list of Food Cooperatives that have already removed Eden Foods from their shelves:
Willy Street Co-op: Madison, WI
Other Avenues: San Francisco, CA
Central Co-op: Seattle, WA
Glut Food: Mt. Rainier, MD
Weaver Street Market: Carrboro, NC
Wheatsville Food Coop: TX
I, as a current and concerned member of the Ypsi Food Co-op, and in accordance with the Co-op bylaws, do hereby request a special meeting to discuss how the Co-op and its individual members should respond to Eden Foods’ actions.
Updates
March 10, 2015
The board remains quiet despite the messages we have sent their way. It is exhausting to keep pushing when there is no response but we owe it to the workers to hold our ground.
16 Comments
While I agree with Mary's "shame on eden foods" -- that is quite different from -- let's remove co-op member food choices AND let's put this company out of business for their actions -- and this is what the aim is of this action.
Reproductive health care and access to contraception is one of the most important health issues women face over their lifetime. Shame on Eden Foods decision to withhold benefits so needed by women and families.
I would like to have a member meeting to discuss this issue. Thanks for creating the petition.
I am not a member, but I shop here frequently, and I do not buy Eden products because of Potter's actions against female employees.
I refuse to buy eden foods products and that is the only brand of soy milk the YFC stocks. Very disappointing.
I am interested to see & hear Michael Potter's defense of his company's stance on this issue.
I'm concerned as i was told that this was only for discussion, and not that a possible ban on the product would occur at this event. Now I hear that this discussion could result in a vote then and there by a small portion of the membership that would be binding on the co-op and membership. This was not accurately represented in the discussions I would strongly object to any vote being held at this meeting on a binding action. Also I support these additional thoughts -- how does it benefit these "unfairly treated female employees" the petition is supposedly concerned about -- if banning their company products results in them losing their jobs? Edens has been considered in the overall a GOOD employer in many other ways in relation to employees. I would suggest to you that this petition PRETENDS to have the female employees well being as a concern. In the discussions leading up to this petition in fact people scoffed at my suggestion that this could have the consequence of job loss -- the comments were along the lines of '-that's the risk they take working for such a company' too bad for them. Here is another well stated consideration: "Eden Foods has top ratings on many other issues that Co-op members care about, such as sourcing non-GMO and organic ingredients. The company earned A+ and A ratings in ten food categories covering social and environmental responsibility in the Better World Shopping Guide — possible replacement products simply do not score as high. Also, I also think it hurts members to have the Co-op step into those purchasing decisions we should be making for ourselves." And ..."Eden foods was started in Ann Arbor back in the 1960s and was one of the pioneers in the organic and natural foods movement. They have introduced BPA-free plastics to the US market, have pioneered and maintained organic food standards and integrity, and they have been anti gmo for like 25 and have actively lobbied for gmo labeling on food products as well as set
stop oppressing women
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While I agree with Mary's "shame on eden foods" -- that is quite different from -- let's remove co-op member food choices AND let's put this company out of business for their actions -- and this is what the aim is of this action.