Post by Modesto Anarcho on Feb 26, 2008 19:18:00 GMT -5
Workplace Resistance at a 'Small Business'
By anonymous
From Modesto Anarcho #4
Small, locally owned business are being pushed as better alternatives to large corporations. They are portrayed as being “better for the community” by being easier on the environment, treating employees well, creating local jobs, and not creating such a huge class gap between workers. But let’s think about who is pushing this image and how true it really is. Small companies are still part of the big picture of capitalism. Those profiting from capitalism want to keep the consumer market alive, at whatever cost really, to protect their large incomes. Knowing that, we realize that beautifully promising image of small businesses is just a mirage. Large corporations know the number of people shopping at small, locally owned businesses is growing fast and that there’s a market there. So that of course, is where they’re shipping their products to be sold. Consequently, many small businesses end up pushing the products of large corporations. Kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it? Kind of goes against that whole socially and environmentally conscious image doesn’t it? That’s capitalism, trying to deceive us with a pretty picture.
The main concern of capitalists is to maintain slave labor (both human and animal) and to offer frivolous goods to those slaves to keep them falsely satisfied in the hope that they will not revolt so they may continue to reap the financial benefit of those slave’s lives and time. Capitalists do not see the Earth, animal life, or human life as sacred or beautiful. They see the Earth, animal, and human life as material resources which they can use to gain profit. The health of the Earth, the ethical treatment of animals, and our own sanity means nothing in a capitalist world. We are just seen as monetary value.
When I first started working at a small, locally owned health food store, I was so excited that I didn’t have to work for a large corporation. I was thrilled to be a part of something that I thought was so intimate and so different from working for a big business. The owner of the store even expressed excitement to have me working at the store. I really thought this was a place where my well being would always be taken into consideration and my boss would treat me like a humyn being. Well, after two years of working for a small company, I found out that it’s not much different from any other business. I found out that it all boils down to the one main concern: money making. Money making was the only thing the owner was thinking about when expressing excitement at hiring me. The owner knew I had a good amount of knowledge of nutrition and natural healing so a “good business call” was made, that’s all it was.
Since I’ve been working at this health food store I’ve noticed that the owner makes a lot of decisions that are beneficial for the business but not for the employees. Our well being comes after the money. I thought the health of my co-workers and myself would be a great concern to the owner especially since we work at a health food store. However, we’re not offered health insurance and the only concern the boss has if we’re ill is that we’re not at the store raking in dough.
In one instance, the boss was considering firing me because I missed work for five days due to a very serious infection. I was never once asked how I was doing. The owner wanted me to have my doctor fax a note stating my condition and why I couldn’t come to work. I couldn’t get it through the owner’s head that I couldn’t do that because I don’t have health insurance and I can’t afford to go to a doctor. I was treating myself at home. Another example of how well we’re treated is one of my co-workers who’s raising a family on her income of $8 an hour. She has diabetes and high blood pressure and she can’t even afford the medication to keep it under control. She works full time at the health food store and when she goes home she works full time taking care of her family. A couple of months ago she ended up in the hospital for about a week due to complications with her health issues. She works really hard every day when she should be at home resting and just recently she got a meager 25 cent raise.
When I got my first raise I thought the owner was really giving and figured that she treated everyone with as much generosity. The first raise I got was a dollar. The second raise I got was another dollar. The owner informed us that we were not to talk about our pay with any of our co-workers. I didn’t really understand why until my co-workers and I had a discussion about our pay. I make two dollars an hour more than other full time, Spanish speaking employees. One of those employees has been there as long as I have and another one has way more work experience than I do. Spanish speaking employees are on high demand in the store. We get a lot of customers who only speak Spanish and a good amount of people who speak Portuguese who can communicate in Spanish but not English. As long as I’ve worked there, all of the Latino employees have received less pay then non-Latino employees; regardless of how hard they work and how many customers they help with their Spanish speaking abilities. My co-workers and I have talked a lot about this and have concluded that the owner may even be racist.
We’ve also discussed the large gap between our pay and the owner and management’s pay. The income of the management has been kept a secret from us but we figure it’s a lot because of our manger’s lifestyle. The manager can afford things that we definitely cannot. The income of the owner has also been kept a secret from us but we know it’s a lot because of the owner’s lifestyle. The owner has several houses, is always going on vacations and cruises, has brand new cars, and can afford whatever else. In the past year, the sales in the store have lately not been to their liking. The owner has been pressuring us to boost sales. We are now expected to be pushy sales people, to coerce people into buying more than they need, or buying the more expensive product when there is a cheaper option. None of us are willing to do that especially since a good amount of our customers can barely afford to shop at our store at all. Why should we pressure people who are living on low incomes to spend more money on making a rich business owner richer? Why should we work harder at making a rich business owner richer when we’re unfairly paid and neglected?
When I’ve asked my co-workers what they think about working without a manager or a boss they all responded with an enthusiastic “hell yeah,” (or something similar). We talked about what it would be like if we had no manager and if we all owned the business; we could all share the responsibility in the store (like we already do) and we would get paid more and equally. That would enable us to better take care of our health. This seemed to be a mutual dream among us underpaid maltreated workers. Since this dream isn’t a reality, my co-workers and I have decided to look after our own and each other’s well beings, despite our boss.
We have realized that the owner of the store is not concerned with our lives or health so we’ve been taking our lives and health into our own hands. Since we aren’t paid very well and we can’t afford most of the products we sell in our store (even with our employee discount) we have decided to take what we need, on the house! The cost of living is high, especially if you are raising a family and have health complications. One of my co-workers once expressed to me that she almost feels guilty taking food from the store (which she usually takes for her family). But, she said, the owner has several houses and cars and my family and I can only afford to live in a small apartment. She confessed that after she remembers those facts, she doesn’t feel any guilt. We know the owner can afford it and we aren’t given enough, so we take what we need. We all watch each others backs in this endeavor to make sure everyone stays safe and no one loses their job.
I think this makes us feel a little bit more empowered and in control of our own lives, besides just trying to get by. Work is stressful, mind-numbing, and on some days even dreadful. We go through the day like robots, programmed by capitalism to benefit those on the top. The fact that we’re humyn, the fact that we feel, that our emotions fluctuate, and that our health fluctuates is hardly acknowledged. We are expected to be highly productive elements in a money making machine. This doesn’t leave much room to live our lives like they were meant to be lived. This doesn’t give much room for health or for sanity. I feel insane sometimes at work. I feel out of control. But it feels really empowering when me and a group of people with similar situations can come to an understanding of how “business” is run and say, “You know what, f**k that. I’m going to take care of my life and watch out for my friends and not be afraid of capitalism.”
I’ve written this with the hope that it will inspire those who feel trapped, those who feel like they have no power, and those who feel insane at work (you’re not alone). You do have power. You have the power to say what is best for you and not have to worry what is best for the company, or “the team,” or the boss. You have the power over your own life; don’t let anyone tell you different. Capitalism has programmed us to think that those on top are better than those below them and those on top have power over those below them. No one has power over you. Take your life into your own hands. Smash capitalism. I mean, all forms of it, big business, small business, it’s all part of the same machine. Don’t fall for the pretty picture painted by capitalism. Live your life.
For feedback: anarcho209@yahoo.com
more info: www.geocities.com/anarcho209 or www.myspace.com/modanarcho
Modesto Anarcho is only $2, send well hidden cash to:
Modesto Anarcho
PO Box 3027
Modesto, CA 95353
To download the zine for free, go to: rs64.rapidshare.com/files/39987277/moda4.pdf
By anonymous
From Modesto Anarcho #4
Small, locally owned business are being pushed as better alternatives to large corporations. They are portrayed as being “better for the community” by being easier on the environment, treating employees well, creating local jobs, and not creating such a huge class gap between workers. But let’s think about who is pushing this image and how true it really is. Small companies are still part of the big picture of capitalism. Those profiting from capitalism want to keep the consumer market alive, at whatever cost really, to protect their large incomes. Knowing that, we realize that beautifully promising image of small businesses is just a mirage. Large corporations know the number of people shopping at small, locally owned businesses is growing fast and that there’s a market there. So that of course, is where they’re shipping their products to be sold. Consequently, many small businesses end up pushing the products of large corporations. Kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it? Kind of goes against that whole socially and environmentally conscious image doesn’t it? That’s capitalism, trying to deceive us with a pretty picture.
The main concern of capitalists is to maintain slave labor (both human and animal) and to offer frivolous goods to those slaves to keep them falsely satisfied in the hope that they will not revolt so they may continue to reap the financial benefit of those slave’s lives and time. Capitalists do not see the Earth, animal life, or human life as sacred or beautiful. They see the Earth, animal, and human life as material resources which they can use to gain profit. The health of the Earth, the ethical treatment of animals, and our own sanity means nothing in a capitalist world. We are just seen as monetary value.
When I first started working at a small, locally owned health food store, I was so excited that I didn’t have to work for a large corporation. I was thrilled to be a part of something that I thought was so intimate and so different from working for a big business. The owner of the store even expressed excitement to have me working at the store. I really thought this was a place where my well being would always be taken into consideration and my boss would treat me like a humyn being. Well, after two years of working for a small company, I found out that it’s not much different from any other business. I found out that it all boils down to the one main concern: money making. Money making was the only thing the owner was thinking about when expressing excitement at hiring me. The owner knew I had a good amount of knowledge of nutrition and natural healing so a “good business call” was made, that’s all it was.
Since I’ve been working at this health food store I’ve noticed that the owner makes a lot of decisions that are beneficial for the business but not for the employees. Our well being comes after the money. I thought the health of my co-workers and myself would be a great concern to the owner especially since we work at a health food store. However, we’re not offered health insurance and the only concern the boss has if we’re ill is that we’re not at the store raking in dough.
In one instance, the boss was considering firing me because I missed work for five days due to a very serious infection. I was never once asked how I was doing. The owner wanted me to have my doctor fax a note stating my condition and why I couldn’t come to work. I couldn’t get it through the owner’s head that I couldn’t do that because I don’t have health insurance and I can’t afford to go to a doctor. I was treating myself at home. Another example of how well we’re treated is one of my co-workers who’s raising a family on her income of $8 an hour. She has diabetes and high blood pressure and she can’t even afford the medication to keep it under control. She works full time at the health food store and when she goes home she works full time taking care of her family. A couple of months ago she ended up in the hospital for about a week due to complications with her health issues. She works really hard every day when she should be at home resting and just recently she got a meager 25 cent raise.
When I got my first raise I thought the owner was really giving and figured that she treated everyone with as much generosity. The first raise I got was a dollar. The second raise I got was another dollar. The owner informed us that we were not to talk about our pay with any of our co-workers. I didn’t really understand why until my co-workers and I had a discussion about our pay. I make two dollars an hour more than other full time, Spanish speaking employees. One of those employees has been there as long as I have and another one has way more work experience than I do. Spanish speaking employees are on high demand in the store. We get a lot of customers who only speak Spanish and a good amount of people who speak Portuguese who can communicate in Spanish but not English. As long as I’ve worked there, all of the Latino employees have received less pay then non-Latino employees; regardless of how hard they work and how many customers they help with their Spanish speaking abilities. My co-workers and I have talked a lot about this and have concluded that the owner may even be racist.
We’ve also discussed the large gap between our pay and the owner and management’s pay. The income of the management has been kept a secret from us but we figure it’s a lot because of our manger’s lifestyle. The manager can afford things that we definitely cannot. The income of the owner has also been kept a secret from us but we know it’s a lot because of the owner’s lifestyle. The owner has several houses, is always going on vacations and cruises, has brand new cars, and can afford whatever else. In the past year, the sales in the store have lately not been to their liking. The owner has been pressuring us to boost sales. We are now expected to be pushy sales people, to coerce people into buying more than they need, or buying the more expensive product when there is a cheaper option. None of us are willing to do that especially since a good amount of our customers can barely afford to shop at our store at all. Why should we pressure people who are living on low incomes to spend more money on making a rich business owner richer? Why should we work harder at making a rich business owner richer when we’re unfairly paid and neglected?
When I’ve asked my co-workers what they think about working without a manager or a boss they all responded with an enthusiastic “hell yeah,” (or something similar). We talked about what it would be like if we had no manager and if we all owned the business; we could all share the responsibility in the store (like we already do) and we would get paid more and equally. That would enable us to better take care of our health. This seemed to be a mutual dream among us underpaid maltreated workers. Since this dream isn’t a reality, my co-workers and I have decided to look after our own and each other’s well beings, despite our boss.
We have realized that the owner of the store is not concerned with our lives or health so we’ve been taking our lives and health into our own hands. Since we aren’t paid very well and we can’t afford most of the products we sell in our store (even with our employee discount) we have decided to take what we need, on the house! The cost of living is high, especially if you are raising a family and have health complications. One of my co-workers once expressed to me that she almost feels guilty taking food from the store (which she usually takes for her family). But, she said, the owner has several houses and cars and my family and I can only afford to live in a small apartment. She confessed that after she remembers those facts, she doesn’t feel any guilt. We know the owner can afford it and we aren’t given enough, so we take what we need. We all watch each others backs in this endeavor to make sure everyone stays safe and no one loses their job.
I think this makes us feel a little bit more empowered and in control of our own lives, besides just trying to get by. Work is stressful, mind-numbing, and on some days even dreadful. We go through the day like robots, programmed by capitalism to benefit those on the top. The fact that we’re humyn, the fact that we feel, that our emotions fluctuate, and that our health fluctuates is hardly acknowledged. We are expected to be highly productive elements in a money making machine. This doesn’t leave much room to live our lives like they were meant to be lived. This doesn’t give much room for health or for sanity. I feel insane sometimes at work. I feel out of control. But it feels really empowering when me and a group of people with similar situations can come to an understanding of how “business” is run and say, “You know what, f**k that. I’m going to take care of my life and watch out for my friends and not be afraid of capitalism.”
I’ve written this with the hope that it will inspire those who feel trapped, those who feel like they have no power, and those who feel insane at work (you’re not alone). You do have power. You have the power to say what is best for you and not have to worry what is best for the company, or “the team,” or the boss. You have the power over your own life; don’t let anyone tell you different. Capitalism has programmed us to think that those on top are better than those below them and those on top have power over those below them. No one has power over you. Take your life into your own hands. Smash capitalism. I mean, all forms of it, big business, small business, it’s all part of the same machine. Don’t fall for the pretty picture painted by capitalism. Live your life.
For feedback: anarcho209@yahoo.com
more info: www.geocities.com/anarcho209 or www.myspace.com/modanarcho
Modesto Anarcho is only $2, send well hidden cash to:
Modesto Anarcho
PO Box 3027
Modesto, CA 95353
To download the zine for free, go to: rs64.rapidshare.com/files/39987277/moda4.pdf