Coop Scoop Blog
Making Change at Honest Weight
We were recently asked a really great question:
Besides voting with our dollar, what would the recourse be for customers/members who believe a supplier to be unethical and would like the co-op to consider terminating the business relationship?
We appreciate the question and wanted to preserve our answer for other curious shoppers and Co-op Owners to be able to read and refer to.
There are a few different avenues for making changes at the Co-op, and more for Co-op Owners than for non-Owner shoppers. So if you’re a shopper who loves the Co-op and wants to make it even better, we recommend becoming an Owner! Learn how at honestweight.coop/join.
For All Shoppers
For all shoppers, the preferred means of communication for products you believe may be in conflict with our Food and Product manual, is the “Product Compliance Feedback” form, available at our Service Desk at all times.. Per the form, “receipt of this form will be acknowledged by the leadership team within one week. Subsequent review for compliance may take longer, but you will receive a notice/explanation of the decision within 30 days of notice of receipt. If you find the decision to be unsatisfactory, you may choose to contact the HWFC board of directors (board@honestweight.coop). If the Board’s response is still unsatisfactory to you, you have the option to consult the GRC (Governance Review Council) at GRC@honestweight.coop.
For Honest Weight Food Co-op Owners:
These actions are outlined in detail in Section III of our Member-Owner Manual, “Governing the Store We Own” (page 19 in the current revision).
- Remember: as a Co-op Owner, the Food and Product Manual is truly YOUR food and product manual. Membership vote to approve revisions in the Food and Product Manual, and if you don’t agree with something in the manual, you are empowered to change it by working with our Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC. This committee of the Board is responsible for potential changes to the manual, and they are always open to enthusiastic owners looking to improve the Co-op’s policies. You’re welcome to sit in on one of their meetings as a bystander, or even better, you can get involved and ask to join the committee! Normally, the NEC meets on the Third Monday of each month in our Conference Room from 5:30-7:30pm. They can be contacted at NutritionComm@honestweight.coop.
- If the changes you’re seeking to accomplish go outside of the scope of the Food and Product Manual, as a Co-op Owner, you can reach out to our Board of Directors (or any appropriate committee of the Board), and ask for time on their agenda.
- To reach the whold Board, email board@honestweight.coop
- Click here to learn more about committees, including when they meet and how to contact them.
For more information about Co-op governance or getting more involved, visit the Membership tab of our website or contact any of the above email addresses or our Owner Services Coordinator, Yevette, at MemberServices@honestweight.coop.