The Checkout: Grocery Nerds

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Episode #72 Notes

1:00 - How did Brandworkers come about?

2:00 - How is Brandworkers structured?

4:00 - What are some of the issues affecting food system workers in NY?

6:30 - What is labor organizing like in facilities?

9:00 - What sectors and businesses are you working in currently?

13:30 - What are some major victories you’ve had?

17:00 - On collective bargaining and unionizing.

24:30 - How has COVID impacted campaign strategies?

29:30 - How have priorities changed with a new administration in the White House?

31:00 - What do you hope to accomplish in the next few years?

34:00 - What does a fair and just food system look like to you?

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Episode #71 Notes

Interview #1 with Lisa Gregory and Carl Miller of BCTGM

1:15 - Food industry experience

2:00 - Working on the Nabisco bakery production line.

4:00 - Lisa’s role at BCTGM Union.

5:00 - What has it been like working in food manufacturing during COVID?

9:00 - How many union members fell ill during COVID?

11:30 - On organizing efforts at their food manufacturing facility.

17:00 - The effects of working under onerous management.

18:00 - On PRO-ACT and how it would help unionizing efforts.

22:00 - What has inspired the current wave of strikes at Nabisco?

28:00 - What’s at stake with these union organizing efforts, and how you can help.

Mike Burlingham, Portland Local 364 of BCTGM

33:30 - On Mike’s work experience at Nabisco.

35:30 - What does it mean to be a baker? What’s the job like?

37:00 - What is it like working in the facility during COVID?

42:00 - How have business decisions made affected jobs and livelihoods of the workers?

47:00 - What has inspired the current wave of Nabisco strikes?

55:00 - How you can support the organizing efforts.

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Errol Schweizer is the Host of The Checkout and has over 25 years of food industry experience, including retail operations and purchasing, CPG, farmers markets, community organizing, and more.

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Episode #69 Notes

0:45 - How did you get started in the food business and Miyoko’s Creamery?

4:00 - What were gaps in the market for dairy-free cheeses?

7:00 - How did you develop these dairy-free cheeses?

11:00 - What was consumer’s initial reaction to the products?

17:00 - On inequities in the funding and financing landscape.

21:00 - On what’s working and what’s not in the plant-based food industry.

25:00 - What is your vision for the food system?

30:00 - On a just transition for workers and food businesses in a plant-based food system.

35:00 - Lessons learned in the food industry.

39:00 - Book Recommendations!

The Homemade Vegan Pantry, Miyoko Shinner

The Vegan Meat Cookbook, Miyoko Shinner

Artisan Vegan Cheese, Miyoko Shinner

Afro Veganism, Bryant Terry

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Episode #68 Notes

0:45 - From impact investor to Cool Beans CEO.

4:15 - How did you re-discover the frozen food aisle?

8:00 - Why did Cool Beans decide to focus on plant-based foods?

15:00 - The Four Waves of plant based foods.

18:00 - On competing in the plant-based foods sector.

22:00 - On the ethics of plant-based foods.

25:00 - On converting conventional grain production to grass-based products.

34:00 - Book Recommendations!

The Water Will Come, Jeff Goodell

This Is The Way The World Ends, Jeff Nesbit

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Episode #67 Notes

0:45 - Tell us about your role at Tisch Center for Food, Education, and Policy.

2:15 - On Tisch Center’s research and advocacy work.

3:30 - On food insecurity in New York.

9:50 - How has COVID impacted food insecurity and your positions on policies impacting this?

18:45 - Policy goals around universal lunch programs.

28:30 - On the Food Ed Coalition.

35:00 - Policy positions regarding nutrition for school lunches.

40:30 - Food, well being, and food education.

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Episode #66 Notes

1:00 - On unionizing efforts at No Evil Foods.

7:30 - Motivation around the initial unionization drive.

17:00 - How did the other employees respond to unionization?

21:45 - On the mechanics of union-avoidance industry.

23:00 - On PRO-ACT.

28:00 - What was the work dynamic? What did it feel like to work at the facility?

29:30 - What happened after the unionization effort failed?

42:00 - What happened when you left the company?

56:00 - How you can support. Takeaways and lessons learned.

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Follow The Checkout on Facebook - Instagram - Twitter.

Stream The Checkout on Apple Podcasts - Spotify - Stitcher - Google Podcast

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Episode #64 Notes

0:30 - What is the mission and vision of Brooklyn Packers?

2:15 - What is Brooklyn Supported Agriculture?

3:15 - On selecting farm and food suppliers.

5:00 - How is a worker-owned cooperative different than a typical corporate business? And what are the pros and cons?

8:45 - How do you competitive as a cooperative?

10:00 - Impacts of COVID-19 on the business.

14:00 - How is your cooperative financed?

17:45 - History of cooperatives in Brooklyn.

21:20 - How does Brooklyn Packers contribute to food sovereignty?

23:00 - Book recommendations!

Collective Courage, Jessica Gordon Nembhard

The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois

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