Organic supermarket chain Whole Foods is experiencing a local crisis in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a local leftist organization, ProgressNow New Mexico, is blasting the organization for supposedly prohibiting employees from speaking Spanish. “Whole Foods Market’s commitment to organic and natural foods has made it a national leader in responsible food choice,” said ProgressNow New Mexico. “[B]ut their policies prohibiting employees from speaking their own language or organizing to overturn these anti-diversity policies directly contradict their commitment to ‘team member excellence and happiness.'”
They’ve filed a petition on MoveOn.org to push the CEOs of Whole Foods to change the alleged policy.
Two employees said last week that they were suspended after complaining about a rule that stops them from chatting in Spanish to one another while on the clock. The store itself claims they were suspended for rudeness.
The policy does state that all English-speaking workers must speak in English to customers and other employees, unless the customer wishes to converse in another language. A spokesman for the company said that the policy allows employees to speak in Spanish if “parties present agree that a different language is their preferred form of communication.”
Gov. Susana Martinez (R-NM) has weighed in, saying Whole Foods should change the policy.
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