Protect Our Co-op’s Democracy: Restore Members’ right to put initiatives on the Co-op bal

Protect Our Co-op’s Democracy: Restore Members’ right to put initiatives on the ballot.

At its March 1, 2011 meeting, the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Board took away Members’ right to put initiatives and referendums before a vote of the full Co-op membership.

This latest move by the Co-op Board to squelch Member input and the Human Rights Initiative would take away the Co-op’s Bylaws’ provisions which guarantee Members the right to put measures on the ballot WITHOUT Board interference. This provision of the Bylaws is critical because it gives Members an important check to balance Board power.

On March 1, the Board revised the Elections Code to give the Policy Committee, which is composed of Board Members and members appointed by the Board, the power to review and prevent Member initiatives and referendums from going on the ballot. Why should this committee of a few members be making decisions that the Bylaws say the whole membership should make?

This attempt by the Board to use policy to circumvent the Bylaws is a violation of the Bylaws and a fundamental breach of the Cooperative Principle of Democratic Member Control.

The revised Election Code also states that any disputes about what the Policy Committee decides would be also handled by the Policy Committee – making this Committee both judge and jury.

The new “review” criteria include: “alignment with … Rochdale Cooperative principles”. Nothing in the Bylaws requires compliance with these principles and clearly determining such “compliance” could be very subjective.

Why doesn’t the Board want Co-op Members to vote on this issue??

Contact the Board to express your concern about this attack on the Co-op’s Democracy (and urge others to do so).

♦ Ask them to Trust the democratic process and LET PEOPLE VOTE on the Human Rights initiative.

♦ Ask them to trust members to be able to read and think for themselves. Let Co-op Members provide information about the Human Rights Initiative in front of the store.

Board’s emails: sjbrancamp [at] aol.com, michellereyn [at] gmail.com, steven_maviglio [at] yahoo.com, adienst [at] sbcglobal.net, sonemi [at] comcast.net, rhdjr65 [at] aol.com, sccfcommittee [at] yahoo.com

2) Attend the Tuesday, March 15 Policy Committee meeting, 6:30-7:30pm at 1901 Alhambra (corner of Alhambra and S) at which the Human Rights initiative will be reviewed.

Specifics on the Bylaws

There is nothing in the Bylaw section (10.06) on Initiatives and Referendums tht gives anyone any authority to review initiatives and referendums submitted by Members and certainly not to prevent them.

Section 10.06 states that the procedures for initiatives are outlined in the Election Code, Section 10.02. Section 10.02 is very specific about what it covers: voting, secret ballot, no use of Co-op money for campaigning, etc. The Board’s attempt to use this section of the Bylaws to significantly and qualitatively change another section of the Bylaws is a defacto amendment to the Bylaws. By taking this action, the Board is in violation of their own Bylaws, which require that any Bylaw amendment come before a vote of the Members.


The Co-op’s Bylaws are on its website: http://www.sacfoodcoop.com/images/board/SNFC_Bylaws_Sept_2010.pdf

Is the Human Rights initiative in “alignment” with Federal Law, California Law, SNFC Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation and the Rochdale Cooperative Principles”?
Yes. The Initiative has been reviewed by a National Lawyers Guild attorney and does not violate Federal or State Law or the Co-ops Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. The proponents of the initiative wrote the initiative to be conformance with Cooperative Principles.

What if a submitted Member initiative was in violation of the Bylaws?


Just like with State ballot initiatives, a measure is not in violation of anything until it is passed. If Members should pass an initiative that was in violation of the Bylaws or Federal or State Law, it would not be implemented.

As noted above, the Board has also added the requirement that a Member-proposed measure would have to be in “alignment with … Rochdale Cooperative principles”. This is entirely subjective and is not required for Bylaw amendments or any other actions of the Co-op – so why should it be a condition of Member initiatives?

Why has the Board taken these actions?
The Board’s elimination of the long standing Co-op Boycott Policy in December 2010, its elimination of the Open Comment at Member meetings and now its attempt to control Member initiatives seem to be directed at the Human Rights Initiative which would require the Co-op to stop carrying Israeli products until Israel stops violating the Human Rights of the Palestinian people. However, these new restrictions now apply to ALL Member initiatives. Individual Board Members have said that they oppose boycotts on principle, yet the store effectively boycotts many products by not carrying them, including products tested on animals, Coca Cola, cigarettes, etc.


The local Israel lobby affiliate actively opposed the original proposal to bring the boycott through the Co-op’s Boycott Policy (which they successfully appealed to have eliminated) and now is trying to prevent Co-op Members from being able to vote on the initiative. Co-op decisions should be made by Members, not the lobby for a foreign government.

Members who support the Human Rights Initiative should be allowed to campaign for it and those who oppose to campaign against it. That is democracy.
To not allow Members to vote is undemocratic and against cooperative principles.
Human Rights are a Co-op Value:
Support the Human Rights Initiative

What is the human rights initiative? The initiative would allow Members of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to vote on whether they would like to participate in a grassroots, citizen-led effort to put pressure on Israel to stop violating international law and Palestinian human rights. If the initiative passes, the Co-op would stop carrying Israeli products until Israel respected international law and human rights.

Why this campaign? On a daily basis, Palestinians in the West Bank are under siege by Israel’s illegal military occupation and colonization. Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from an Israeli blockade that is designed to keep them at near-starvation levels according to the Israeli government. Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship are discriminated against in a system with confers specific benefits, rights and access to land on people based on religion.

Unfortunately, the U.S. government has continued to support Israel despite its human rights abuses. Every year, over 3 billion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, your money, goes to support Israel’s ongoing deadly violations of international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people. In response, citizens have organized to boycott and divest from Israel, like they did in the effort that helped end Apartheid in South Africa.

Why should Members of the Sac Co-op care?
Our Co-op was founded on principles and has operated from basic values that reflect concern for human beings. Many, if not most Members and shoppers expect that products they purchase at the Co-op have minimal or no adverse affects on the environment, animals, or people. For human beings, this means assuring their human rights.

Who is supporting the initiative? We are a diverse group of Co-op owners who want to see the Co-op’s products reflect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We come from Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other religious and secular backgrounds. Whether at the Co-op, in our community or in the way our nation deals with other nations and people; we strongly oppose discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious identification, for or against anyone. More info: humanrightsareacoopvalue [at] gmail.com

Initiative endorsers include: The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – USA; Nor Cal Friends of Sabeel (The Voice of Palestinian Christians); Boycott from Within (Israeli citizens in support of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, BDS); Veterans for Peace, Sacramento Chapter; Sacramento Area Peace Action and others.

What products would be affected? The Co-op currently carries at least seven products from Israel: Ancient Secrets Dead Sea Mineral Baths; Masada Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts; Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask, Bath Salts and Salt Soap, One with Nature Soap and Yahuda Matzo. It may also carry other Israeli products. In addition to the human rights concerns, there are also environmental impacts associated with mining Dead Sea minerals and importing food products from half-way around the world. Mineral salts and matzo are both available from domestic sources.

Have other Co-ops taken similar actions? Yes, the Olympia, WA Co-op voted to remove Israeli products in July 2010. Their reasons include that their co-op “operates with an awareness of economic, ecological, and social justice … Because the Co-op understands that social ethics and social justice are inseparable from providing the community with goods, it is only appropriate that the Co-op honors the boycott … [which will] help the Co-op live up to its goals and mission statement.”

What about products from Israeli co-ops? Products would be allowed from Israeli Co-operatives that have taken a stand for human rights by signing on to the 2005 call from Palestinian Civil Society asking the world to boycott and divest from Israel, the same non-violent means used to pressure South Africa to end its apartheid system.


What Else Can I do?

► Don’t buy Israeli products & ask stores not to carry them
see http://www.sacbds.org/products)

► Don’t buy products from or invest in companies that support Israel’s violation of Palestinian Human Rights.

► Learn more about the situation: http://www.ifamericansknew.org, Jewishvoiceforpeace.org; http://www.freegaza.org; http://www.mecaforpeace.org; http://www.ampalestin.org; http://www.sabeel.org; http://www.palsolidarity.org; http://www.imeu.net

► Get involved locally: http://www.sacbds.org; email humanrightsareacoopvalue [at] gmail.com