Grocery store beef

Some 50 supporters of higher standards for workers in the supermarket industry staged an “informational protest” in front of Whole Foods Market on Tuesday. The United Food and Commercial Workers contend the non-union chain fails to meet local industry standards in providing good wages and health benefits. “Customers care about sustainability and green, and that should include fair wages,” said Lisa Maldonado, executive director of the North Bay Labor Council. “Workers are part of the environment.” Staff inside the store greeted shoppers with complimentary bottled water and answered questions about the protest and store policy. Said one employee, “They have their job to do, and we have ours.”