5/6/2021
This article was originally published at JustBlono.net on 4/24/2021.
Workers should think twice about applying for a job at Green Top.
Green Top Grocery is urgently hiring new employees after a quarter of their workforce went on strike. The worhttps://www.justblono.net/blog/green-top-grocery-labor4kers allege a hostile working environment, disability discrimination, wrongful termination, and more.
Chloe White, a 23-year old former Marketing Coordinator wrongfully terminated by Michael Talley on January 29, 2021, was among those workers bringing awareness to the hostile working environment at Green Top Grocery. After she was fired, her termination letter was left out publicly for employees to see. This is illegal under the Personnel Record Review Act and constitutes a petty offense on Green Tops part.
White applied for unemployment benefits. Typically, workers fired for misconduct are not eligible for unemployment insurance. However, the Illinois Department of Employment Services took her side saying she was wrongfully terminated by Green Top. Because of an arbitrary & capricious decision, White was thrown into financial instability during a pandemic from lost wages. Even with unemployment, she only makes 50% of her pay at Green Top with a small weekly pandemic bonus.
White says seeing her fellow employees stand up and support her by striking was empowering and let her know she’s not alone. “I really admire everyone’s courage and everybody standing up for myself and others who were mistreated by Michael.”
When asked what she has to say to other workers in Bloomington-Normal suffering labor abuses, she said, “They are not alone, and if the proper channels don’t work, then I encourage them to publicly air their grievances. That’s the best way to hold people accountable; you don’t keep that information secret if injustice is being done.”
Unfortunately, not many working people will hear it because of the media blackout around this story. Besides Just Blono, only alt-right conspiracy theorist (and Jen Carrillo’s lover by another mother) Diane Benjamin has reported on it albeit in a derisive fashion. Green Top strikers say they feel demoralized by the lack of interest from news organizations regarding mistreatment and violations of labor law. Just Blono reached out to our media colleagues about this. Emails sent to the Pantagraph, WJBC, and Cities 92.2 received no response.
Sources say Michael Talley has been placed back on leave. Other controversial management like former General Manager Nicholas Walter are still present, while former Human Resources Lora Jorgensen has left the company. Many of the striking workers have been fired by now. Their only support has been a Strike Fund organized by worker Sarah Greenberg which has raised $1,500 in less than a week. Sources say none of the ADA noncompliance issues have been addressed yet.
Just Blono reached out to Green Top multiple times for a comment but received no reply. Sources were kept anonymous out of fear of retaliation.
