| Co-op 101: 800 Words on How the Co-op Works | |
By Kenna Eaton, General Manager, from the September 2006 Newsletter
The beginning of the school year is the most logical time to offer a crash course in how the Co-op works: think of it as Co-op 101 — only there’s no exam to pass or fail. Just great food and great people!
Every new employee at the Co-ops attends an orientation with me. This gives me, the GM, a chance to learn their names and for them to learn a little bit more about how the Co-op got organized in the first place, what our mission is and how we are organized today.
So, just how is the Co-op organized and who does own it?
Each member makes a financial investment of $10 per year. That investment is used by us to buy capital equipment and to make facility improvements; the members literally do own us. And each member has one vote (that’s the democratically owned part of being a Co-op). Our members mostly vote with their dollars, but once a year, they also vote for their Board of Directors. The Co-op has a seven-person board responsible for strategy, long range planning and visioning. And for hiring and supervising their one employee: me! As General Manager, I am responsible for all daily operations, for ensuring that the Co-op is run according to their/our vision and values and, also, to enact their policies and to achieve their goals. I hire and supervise the department managers, who in turn hire and supervise their staff. Each department has its own team, working together to make the store what you see when you come shopping.
Moscow Food Co-op got its start back in 1973 as a natural foods store, and incorporated in 1974 as a Co-operative. We’ve come a long way since our early days, but who we are today is built on those blocks of yesterday
When I started at the Co-op in 1982, I was hired as one of three staff persons. As we grew, so did our staff. At the 3rd & Almon St. location, we grew to a staff of 20, and at the Jefferson & 3rd location, we were up to 50 staff. Today, it takes 100 people to do that job. So where do we all work?
Aside from the various departments (front end, produce, meat, wellness, grocery and kitchen), we have a second-floor set of offices overlooking the main store floor. Up here work Laura Long, our finance manager, and Ida Jokisaari as her lovely bookkeeping assistant. Joseph Erhard-Hudson also works up here overseeing the care and feeding of our computer and cash register systems, as well as running the music program every Tuesday night. Oh, and me, with the “million dollar view.”
Coming out of the “New Wave” of Co-ops started in the late 1960s, Moscow Food Co-op opened its doors selling bulk food: primarily whole wheat flour, lentils, cheese and peanut butter. And bulk food is still the heart of what we do. In fact, with is latest move, we actually grew that dept 20%.
However, if bulk is our heart, the deli is defiantly our tummy! The kitchen currently employees 50 people to cook, bake and serve all that delicious food; the grocery department has eight people; and the produce dept has four; as does meat. Wellness has three, and the front end fills in the rest of the staff spots.
Many staff at the Co-op wear several different hats, and may also work for more than one manager; it can get a little confusing at times, but certainly helps keep things interesting for our staff.
Managers meet weekly for a couple of hours. There, we discuss departmental and storewide issues and concerns. It gives us an opportunity to know what’s going on in various other parts of the store. Each department meets with their team as necessary. All departments have logbooks for communication purposes, plus we have an in-house staff newsletter (aptly titled the “Staff Infection”) that comes out monthly to help keep everyone up to date. All permanent positions are first posted internally at the Co-op; we love being able to move our staff up through the Co-op ladder. In fact, many of our managers have been with us for over eight years, with most of them starting as cashiers and slowly gaining more and more responsibilities. The Co-op is a great work place. We try to have fun (like the Co-op softball team — come watch us play!) as well as work hard. To quote another organization, it’s the “toughest job you’ll ever love,” and staff that have left us frequently write notes back telling us how much they miss their Co-op.
Of course, this is only one part of our story; don’t forget the 100 or so volunteers that help us everyday. But that’s for another newsletter article.
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