I am a courtesy clerk at PCC, a co-operative grocery store chain here in the greater Seattle area, where I've worked since April of 2025. I was recently sent home about 30 minutes into my shift for refusing to remove my UFCW 3000 Watermelon Pin. I wore this pin in solidarity with our union brother at the Greenlake Village PCC and all 8 other PCC workers who have been sent home, without pay, for refusing to remove their union pins. Together we're making this GoFundMe "strike fund" to help cover the basic living expenses of all PCC workers wrongfully targeted by this illegal and immoral attendance policy, some of them missing a full week's worth of wages at this point.

We believe PCC's implementation of this policy is discriminatory and when they assume they have control over which union pins we wear it's a blatant violation of multiple federal labor laws, namely the NLRA sections 7 and 8. At a time when workers everywhere are losing their rights and becoming targets of repression both from the state and from their employer, we believe the union rank and file has an obligation to stand up for one another and defend the rights we still have.

PCC store directors and assistant store directors have told us our union pin is "too political" for their appearance policy, and their threat is to withhold our pay for refusing to comply. They want the right to decide unilaterally what is and is not a "political" symbol, Black Lives Matter and Trans Pride Flags are allowed but a watermelon is too extreme. It's completely arbitrary and gives way too much power to the employer, which is why it's being deployed in this discriminatory way.

That's why we're asking all workers, but especially PCC members and shoppers, to contribute what you can and help us recover some of those lost wages. Do this and we promise to stay in this fight for our collective right to express solidarity. No matter what slogan or symbol we choose, all workers have a right to say openly and unashamed: "An Injury to One is and Injury to All!!"

Never forget, our working conditions are your co-op conditions. Management cannot run the co-op themselves, between the workers and the members together we are the co-op. Lastly, the lockdowns may be over but we are still essential workers, we work hard every shift and we deserve to live with the dignity of a free voice.

Peace, Love and Solidarity,

Justice W.