The Co-op Council acknowledges that the last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the Co-op, member-owners, staff, and the larger community. We stand alongside this community in our grief and our commitment to heal and move forward in meaningful ways. The Council is especially grateful for all Co-op staff who have been diligently working to not only keep our store running smoothly but also taking a high-level view on ways to support healing at a pivotal time for our organization.

The Council is working closely with Co-op staff and bringing in external resources to support a full policy review and path forward to ensure our policies and culture represent our commitment to staff and community safety. This will include a full HR audit, to ensure our policies meet the new standard for Vermont’s workplace harassment law and is intended to ensure continuity and business support during this difficult time. Please know that we are committed to healing our community and creating meaningful change.

As we look at the work ahead in the coming days and weeks, it’s vital that the team at the Co-op understand, feel, and know that they have the full support of the Council to help ensure that our systems and policies are fair and supportive of a safe and supportive work environment. There’s much work to be done to help rebuild trust with our team and within the community. The Council is committed to doing this work and will stand alongside the Co-op’s team to heal and move forward.

Respectfully,

Eva Schectman
Council President
Hunger Mountain Co-op
[email protected]