by Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello June. Hello Summer!
June gives us the end of the traditional school year and the kick-off to summer, the Northern Hemisphere’s Summer Solstice Saturday, June 20, the official start of summer, the day with the longest amount of daylight. What will you do with your extra moments of daylight?
End of the fiscal year
This month also marks the end of our current fiscal year, and next month is the beginning of our new fiscal year. We have end-of-year and beginning-of-year tasks to accomplish this month and next. We are in the process of wrapping up the first draft of FY21 Operating Budget for the Finance Committee review and input before recommending approval to the Board of Directors at their June meeting.
Union
Early in this fiscal year, the Co-op received notification from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) filed a petition for an election to become certified representatives for the employees of Willy Street Co-op. On September 4, Willy Street Co-op staff voted in favor of union representation by the UE. And, after six months of collective bargaining, the UE and Management successfully negotiated a contract, which was ratified by bargaining unit staff on March 16, 2020.
COVID-19
That same week, we started searching for ways to protect ourselves, loved ones and co-workers from the onslaught of the coronavirus. There is no corner of our operation that hasn’t changed because of the pandemic. Staff are wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing to help them (and you) stay healthy. The number of daily transactions are half what they were two months ago, but the average amount purchased has doubled. Our online delivery program exploded—in a good way. We effectively responded to customer demand for this service and watched sales grow from $1k to $37.5k a week.
Included in this issue of the Reader is an update to last month’s article by Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director, which offers changes in operations, new services and products, limitations in products and services, Owner benefits, and employee safety that have been implemented with regard to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Hours of operation update
As of May 26, we have expanded our open hours of operation; Willy East and Willy West hours are 8:00am-8:00pm, and at Willy North hours are 9:00am-8:00pm. We reserve the hours earlier than 10:00am for seniors and those shoppers with compromised immune systems to shop.
One exception in June to the above open hours of operation is Sunday, June 28, which is the last day of our current fiscal year. We will be closing early on that day to perform our year-end inventory count. This is when we count every item on our shelves and in our backstock to determine the value of products we have. This information is used on our balance sheet to help determine the value of your business. Hours on June 28 are 8:00am-6:30pm at all three stores.
Wellness ANYDAY coupon
The first Wednesday of the month is usually Wellness Wednesday, but in light of Covid-19 and continuing to support social distancing we are offering Owners a Wellness ANYDAY coupon to use any day they choose in June.
Annual Meeting
You are all cordially invited to attend our Annual Meeting on Thursday, July 9. Our meeting will be hosted virtually and will require some planning on your part to attend. You will need to register so that we can provide you with the necessary login information. If we don’t yet have your email address, now might be a good time to fix that. See willystreet.coop/2020-Annual-Meeting for more information.
Board Elections and Bylaw Changes coming in July
In the July issue of the Reader, you will find a ballot and Board candidate statements; there are four open Board seats that need to be filled. On the ballot, you will also find the set of proposed bylaw changes for you to consider; details of the changes will be included in the July Reader.
You have three options for casting your ballot: you can vote in person, vote absentee, or vote online. Ballot boxes will be located near the Customer Service desk at any of our stores should you want to cast your ballot in person or you can mail absentee ballots to 1457 E. Washington Ave. or you can cast your ballot online or by phone.
This year please consider casting your ballot online using the unique ballot link that will be emailed to you so our staff don’t have to handle quite so many paper ballots. All we need is your current email address. Ballots are due no later than Tuesday, July 21 at 6:00pm!
Dates to think about
• Summer Solstice: June 20
• Year-end inventory count: June 28 - Hours of operation 8:00 am- 6:30pm at all three stores.
• Independence Day/July 4: Hours of operation are 8:00am-6:30pm at all three stores.
• Annual Meeting: July 9 beginning at 5:30pm. Registration required
Who can really know what the new fiscal year will bring. In the meantime, I wish you all good health and wash those hands!