Whole Foods Assessing ‘Danger’ of Unionization at Stores

Whole Foods using ‘heat map tool’ to track potential unionization at stores

Whole Foods is using an interactive “heat map tool” to track which of its store are most likely to attempt to unionize, Business Insider reports.

The software works by analyzing data on the Amazon-owned company’s 510 locations before assigning them a unionization risk score.

Scores are based on more than two dozen metrics, including turnover rates, employee loyalty, and racial diversity.

The scores also take into account how close each location is to a union office as well as statistics on unemployment and poverty in the surrounding area. The company monitors allegations of labor-law violations made by employees with the National Labor Relations Board as well.

The end result is a heat map in which certain at risk stores are highlighted with a red dot. Business Insider also reports that a statement on the map specified its focus as union-related.

“The [Team Member] Relations Heatmap is designed to identify stores at risk of unionization,” the statement reads. “This early identification enables resources to be funneled to the highest need locations, with the goal of mitigating risk by addressing challenges early before they become problematic.”

NOTE:

Apparently, their metrics suggest that stores with less racial diversity in staffing have a higher risk of a unionization drive. This may reflect that Whole Foods management uses racism and divide and conquer tactics to disrupt worker solidarity, cohesion and activism.