‘Social Movements Are Contagious’: Protests Within Massachusetts Companies Are Part Of A Growing Trend

A group of Whole Foods employees dismissed by managers for wearing Black Lives Matter masks during their shifts gather outside of the Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

If you happened to be shopping at the Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge last month, you may have gotten the vibe that something was up.

Small groups of employees were huddled together, whispering. One by one, they took off their plain face coverings and replaced them with masks that said “Black Lives Matter” in bold white letters across the front. Then, one by one, they were called into the manager’s office and told, in essence, that the masks violate the company’s dress code. The employees would have to take them off or go home.

So, what did they do?

They walked out.

In front of the store, the 25 masked employees were greeted by a small crowd of cheering supporters and a few local journalists. This was no mere workplace disagreement — this was a full-on, organized protest, aimed at pressuring Whole Foods to let workers wear clothing supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

“That’s such a basic statement, and for that to be considered controversial or political, just really doesn’t sit right with me,” said Suverino Frith, who works as a cashier at the store. After being sent home five times for continuing to wear the mask, Frith, who is 21, said he knows he’s risking his job by walking out.

“The idea of facing a huge corporation, it’s a scary thing. It’s not something you take lightly,” he said.

Despite the obvious financial risks, employee-led protests like this have been playing out within companies in Massachusetts and around the country. Inspired by demonstrations in the current movement against systemic racism and debates in the halls of government, these workers are publicly calling out their own bosses.

Read the rest of this story at WBUR’s website.