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News at a Glanceby Nancy Ellegate The HWFC Board of Directors met on December 19. New Scanner System Information on a new scanner (PoS) system was presented, and the Board voted to purchase it. This will be the same system that is used at the Brattleboro (Vt.) and Ithaca coops. Coop managers have seen the system in use in Brattleboro. It is hoped that the system will be in place by the end of January. Potential New Coops Two Board members attended a meeting in Hudson with a group that hopes to start a food coop there. The General Manager will stay in contact with this group as they continue to work on their plans. There is also a group in Saratoga that is interested in starting a food coop, and the Board encouraged the General Manager to continue his contact with them. Business Development Plans The Central Avenue Business Improvement District is doing a feasibility study for an "Empire Market" to be located at the corner of Manning Boulevard and Central Avenue. The Empire Market would be a collection of shops with a large parking area. It has been suggested that the Coop might be an anchor store for this market. However, this idea is only in the conceptual stage. Hiring Policy A Board member pointed out that a 1997 policy requires Board approval for new paid staff positions and increase of hours for existing staff. This policy has not been changed, and it was asked whether this is still being followed. Discussion noted a recent increase in paid cashiers despite the desire to encourage member labor. It was moved to replace this policy with a new policy allowing the General Manager to hire for pre-existing and new positions; this motion did not receive consensus. The Board voted to table discussion until the next meeting. The Board made the following formal statement about member labor: "We have a concern about the dwindling member-labor program and that whenever a decision is made about scheduling, opportunities for member-labor should be optimized." Personnel The committee met and set an agenda for the future. The committee's January meeting was to discuss the staff council and the employee manual. A copy of salary scale for Coop employees is now available, and will be provided to the committee. Budget Meeting The Board worked on preparations for the January Budget Meeting. It was agreed that the mailing of information on this meeting will go only to current working members and those who have worked in the last three months. This was because of the great expense ($2,500-$3,000) of mailing the information to all members. Weekly Worker Dinner The Membership committee was commended for the successful Weekly Worker Appreciation Dinner. Approximately 170 people attended. Minutes Minutes of all meetings are available at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted on the bulletin board. Upcoming Meetings The Board has scheduled meetings for Wednesday, February 27 and Wednesday, March 27. Meetings are held at 326 Ontario Street, Albany, at 7 pm. It is recommended that anyone planning to attend confirm the time and location with the Coop. |
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