Daily Archives: September 2, 2007

Brooks Pharmacy in Montpelier vs. Organized Labor

I photographed the following, posted by the entrance to Brooks Pharmacy in Montpelier:

“Will do anything legally permissable” to hinder a union. On the one hand, I suppose there's something refreshing about the honesty. On the other hand, is this the type of corporate citizen a progressive town like Montpelier wants in its midst?

Brooks was recently bought out by Rite Aid nationally. It will be interesting to see if the signs stay after the transition is complete. On the one hand, Rite Aid struck a deal in the late nineties to be the preferred provider pharmaceuticals to the National Health and Human Service Employees in New York in exchange for opening their stores up for unionizing (many already were at the time). On the other hand, there's this report from only a year ago in L.A. County:

The warehouse workers at Rite Aid’s distribution center in Lancaster need our support. They sweat and vomit on the job all because the warehouse where they work lacks air conditioning. In fact, one worker died on the job. Many attribute his death to heat stroke. Now these workers are trying to organize themselves for better working conditions by joining the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26, but Rite Aid has not been supportive. In response, they have slammed these workers with firings, suspensions, harassment and threats.

In any event, if the sign doesn't come down, there may be an opportunity for local activists to work in solidarity with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which absorbed NHHSE about ten years ago. SEIU has a strong New England presence and is a very activist-oriented union. Since this sign amounts to a spitting-in-the-face of those of us who consider the labor movement a good thing and the right to organize as fundamental, a little pushback would seem to be in order. Stay tuned.

Remember When: Happy Halloween, Vermont Election Style 2004

( – promoted by odum)

[cross-posted from Norsehorse’s Home Turf, here]


Associated Press (AP) Photo caption:

Democrat Cheryl Rivers, left, stares at Liberty Union party candidate Peter Stevenson, who wore a Halloween costume, as Stevenson speaks during Vermont Public Television’s Lieutenant Governor candidates debate Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004, in Colchester, Vt. (AP Photo/Alden Pellett)

via Mike Hicks, here, who — within his blog post on the subject — opined:

Political debates should always be held on Halloween

[by the way, for the sake of full disclosure, having met him sometime after the 2004 election cycle through a mutual friend — Patricia Henjy (Pat Political), deceased December 13, 2005  — whom wanted me to help him with some Blogging 101 coaching so he could get started with blogging a blog of his own, I happen to know Peter Stevenson (Illuminati Slayer) and consider him a friend. In fact, he has recently informed me that once he is able to do so, he hopes to get his blog going once again as it has been somewhat dormant for a little while now. — mwb]

Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights (VCDR) Letter of Support

[cross-posted from Norsehorse’s Home Turf, here]


If you live or work in Vermont, please read and consider signing onto the VCDR Letter of Support, here [via Vermont Protection and Advocacy (VT P&A) Website]

About VCDR

The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights (VCDR) is a cross-disability advocacy organization that seeks to increase awareness of disability issues and effect systemic change through legislative and administrative processes. VCDR staff work closely with member organizations to empower people with disabilities, thus enabling them to directly participate in legislative decisions which will expand their civil rights.

Originally established as the Vermont Coalition of the Handicapped (VCH) in 1974, VCH changed its name to the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights in 1990. VCDR is comprised of 28 member organizations including local and statewide organizations of Vermonters with disabilities, parents, advocates and service providers.

[…]

[excerpts via About VCDR page; logo via VCDR Website]

If you are interested in disAbility issues, especially within the state of Vermont, visit the VCDR Website for more information.

Yet another statewide disability organization Website to check out as well is the Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL).

My Daily Kos

I take two of these daily as part of the handful of pharmaceuticals my doctor has me on for my various frailties. I only just noticed what they actually say on them…

Funny prescription for a blogger, eh? Wonder if Markos knows he's available in pill form.