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Whole Foods argues it can ban BLM masks because the Supreme Court let a Christian business owner refuse same-sex couples (fortune.com)

submitted 1 year ago by Grayox@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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Amazon.com’s Whole Foods Market doesn’t want to be forced to let workers wear “Black Lives Matter” masks and is pointing to the recent US Supreme Court ruling permitting a business owner to refuse services to same-sex couples to get federal regulators to back off.

National Labor Relations Board prosecutors have accused the grocer of stifling worker rights by banning staff from wearing BLM masks or pins on the job. The company countered in a filing that its own rights are being violated if it’s forced to allow BLM slogans to be worn with Whole Foods uniforms.

Amazon is the most prominent company to use the high court’s June ruling that a Christian web designer was free to refuse to design sites for gay weddings, saying the case “provides a clear roadmap” to throw out the NLRB’s complaint.

The dispute is one of several in which labor board officials are considering what counts as legally-protected, work-related communication and activism on the job.

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[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Let's put this in perspective. What has Whole Foods done to warrant being protested against in regards to BLM? Is Whole Foods racist for applying a policy fairly across the board?

Why would you protest Whole Foods if they've done nothing wrong? Why would you stress your contract with a company you're working for that has a known dress code in order to "protest" something that the company has no part in?

What does the "protest" resolve at a Whole Foods? Does it make other people who are just trying to live uncomfortable to be confronted with something that is ultimately politically charged when they just want to buy some fucking frozen pizza's and milk for their family?

Does protest

Yes

or symbolism

mean anything to you?

If the Westboro Baptist Church or Scientologists set fire to all the neighboring black homes in their area... and you went to Whole Foods to protest that act... Do you think that would be effective? Do you think it would be meaningful? Wouldn't you rather see them protest where it matters? Like I dunno... At the organization that actually created the problem or is actively participating in the problem?

Since a job is effectively selling your time to work for a company in return for compensation it's fair to the company to violate their policies while they're paying you?

You talk about morals before... but cheating a company out of the contract that you signed seems pretty scummy. Like I've said before... find another job if the morals of the company doesn't align with your own.

[+] Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well I wouldn’t go to a different store to protest

Right... So what does THAT [or any really...] particular Whole Foods have anything to do with BLM? So why protest while you're working? Does it make sense to WORK for the people you're apparently protesting against? That's a bit counter-intuitive...

And BLM is not POLITICAL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/09/black-lives-matter-pac-428403

Black Lives Matter launches a political action committee

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/21306771/black-lives-matter-george-floyd-protest-michael-kazin

BLM is succeeding — culturally and politically.

So... You sure about that? I can provide more if you'd like...

Protesting isn’t done out of convenience, or postponed for the convenience of others…

When you've sold your time to someone else, it shouldn't be done at all. Or at the very least with their blessing/permission.

And “just quit”? What fucking cushy world do you live in where you can hop from job to job? Especially if you were black, or trans, and other places could be equally as discriminatory?

The same ones you would if you lives near me. There's plenty of jobs to have. Literally have access to dozens of jobs at several different wage points within walking distance of me. They've been publicly advertising the need for workers desperately for years at this point. But see... you seem to be too entitled to just follow a simple fucking dress code... so many places probably wont want to hire you since you're unable to follow simple policies. If your job, whatever it is... decided that you need to show up in khakis and a button shirt starting tomorrow with no visible writing/logos (other than maybe the tags on the clothing itself)... Is that racism? Would you scream that they're being unfair? Or maybe they just want you to appear more professional to your customers? But this is a different problem all together. Being desirable by companies usually means you play by their rules in regards to the time you're working for them.

[+] Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ll let you have your long, elaborately structured final word , it doesn’t matter at this point really

If you say so... I actually would appreciate actual discussion on the matter. But a lot of what you've posted has instead been ad hominem... which is disappointing.

If rules mean that much to you, then that’s fine, but some rules are made by people with ulterior motives.

I don't give a shit about "rules". I just don't understand why you work somewhere... agreeing to abide by their policies... just to surprise pikachu when then actually enforce their policies? Then decide to try to sue the company for applying their policies fairly?

Further I don't understand people like you going out of their way to claim it's racism...

It’s like you said, a fucking pin.

That violates the contract/policies that you agree to in order to work there... Like you said. It's just a pin. (even though before you were saying it's much more than the pin/mask). I mean that's been my point all along. It's just a pin and ultimately means nothing on it's own. Should they be allowed to wear a NAMBLA pin (not comparing the organizations... Just proving a point)?

But if you honestly don’t believe that small acts of showing that there are good people out there,

I don't think that a pin/design on a mask attests to ANYONE's character. Nor if they even understand/agree with what's on the pin/mask. I have a shirt that I wear sometimes with "National Pro Fastpitch"... I've never been part of the organization, nor do I even know what it is.

Yes, protest and strikes are what make real results.

Which wearing a pin is neither protest nor strike... But do you agree that if people came to work... And held up signs all day about BLM... would the company then be fine to fire those people? What makes it any different then wearing that sign all day long? To your point earlier... I'll entertain for a moment that it could be a protest.

Protesting isn’t done out of convenience, or postponed for the convenience of others…

So the company must suffer it (even if it's simply just as little suffering as an employee not following a legal policy)? While paying you to do it? Imagine you paying someone to do something explicitly against the contract they signed... Then taking you to court and winning. This is not how a functional society works.

Whatever group you belong to, I believe you’d appreciate someone acknowledging the state of the world and how your people have historically been treated

Nah, I'm good. People's lives before me doesn't make me who I am... I'm me in spite of that.

I do also want to revisit one other thing you brought up before...

You must not [...] music [...] that shows who you are as a person…

So if I prefer music like Spiritbox, Sleep Token, etc... Do you stand by the logic that I shouldn't be allowed to blare my music while I'm working? Should I have to go into an Albertson's and listen to WAP blaring on some portable speakers or through their headphones? I mean, that's who they are right?