Tory Scordato ’13
Staff Writer
Reporting contributed by Victor Hollenberg ’10, Editor-in-Chief, and Brittany Healy ’13, Staff Writer.
The grand opening of The Fresh Market, Westport’s newest supermarket, on Oct. 14 was met with hundreds of shoppers, traffic police, and protestors from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union’s Local 371.
The protesters, citing the non-unionized conditions at the store, were located at the entrances to The Fresh Market’s parking lot on the Post Road. In order to attract attention from passersby, they stood beside a giant inflatable rat, named “Jimmy.”
“We’re here to level the playing field,” said UFCW Local 371 leader Peter J. Sena. “The Fresh Market’s benefits are substandard.”
Unlike other supermarkets in the area, The Fresh Market does not offer its 90 employees health insurance or a pension plan.
Officials at The Fresh Market saw no need for a union protest at the store, however.
“Until [employees] have that interest, there’s no need for [a union],” said Fresh Market public relations officer Sean Crane. “However, we respect their right to protest, and we hope they don’t harass customers.”
Crane emphasized that Fresh Market employees have shown no interest in forming a union, and that the option to do so is available to them.
Shoppers from various parts of Fairfield County agreed with The Fresh Market’s position.
“I have no problem [shopping at a store] with no union,” said Sheri, a shopper from Westport who did not want her last name used.
Others at the store felt the same way.
“I think they shouldn’t be protesting [at the store,]” said Fred, who also refused to provide his last name, from Fairfield. “It’s horrible.”
The protesters plan to station themselves outside the store for the rest of the month, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and the entire month of February.