Aubergine Opening, Contract Negotiations & More!

by Anya Firszt, General Manager

Hello February!

This month, like most, we have a lot going on at the Co-op, as well as a few reasons to celebrate. Before I share an update for the month ahead, there are a few updates from last month that I’d like to share.

As you know, the second week of January we had a significant snowfall, not Madison’s greatest single-day snowfall on record, but great enough, which was followed by extreme cold temperatures. The extreme weather had an impact on the Co-op and you too, I imagine. We adjusted store hours, services, and deliveries to deal with the severe weather. I am grateful to the staff for their part in dealing with added complications brought on by the weather.

Also last month, the production kitchen walk-in freezer needed a repair. This kind of repair was no small feat; it required emptying out the walk-in, shutting off the unit, waiting for it to come to room temperature, performing the repair work, then turning the unit back on, and letting it get down to temperature. My compliments to the team for the terrific job they did addressing the repair while maintaining the production schedule for the stores.

Aubergine Opening This Month

We are pleased to announce that Aubergine (across the street from Willy East) is opening this month! Classes are scheduled starting the second week of this month. We will have a grand opening celebration on Friday, March 8; we’ll share details here next month and on our website..

Check it out during our regular open hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 11-2pm starting February 15th. You can also find scheduled Aubergine events on our website at willystreet.coop/events.

West Meat Room Repairs

This month, Willy West’s Meat department room will be undergoing some repairs starting in late February and continuing into early March. While the repairs are ongoing, some product offerings will be relocated or may be temporarily unavailable. We thank you for your patience as we complete this necessary maintenance work.

Union Contract Negotiations

This month we will begin bargaining our third contract with the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Our last two-year contract with the UE was ratified in March 2022. Stay tuned for updates as we move through this important work.

A Few Things to Celebrate 

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.

Carter T. Woodson was inspired to research, document, and promote the accomplishments of Black Americans after participating in Illinois’s 50th anniversary celebration of emancipation. He was instrumental in founding the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 and The Journal of Negro History in 1916.

In 1926, Woodson announced Negro History Week, choosing February partially because it was the month that included both of the dates on which Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays were celebrated, but wanting it to be more than a recognition of two great leaders. He hoped to expand consideration of Black history beyond one week; he even spoke of transitioning to “Black History Year.” It wasn’t until 26 years after Woodson passed away, in 1976, that a US president officially declared February to be Black History Month. President Gerald Ford said that it would allow people to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Here are a few resources that I found informative:

A few additional things to celebrate this month are Wellness Wednesday (on February 7), the Super Bowl (February 11), Valentine’s Day (February 14), and the increasing minutes of sunshine every day! Whatever you choose to celebrate this month, we have nearly everything you need to help you eat and stay healthy; we also have a wide and varied selection of indulgences to tempt your tastebuds.


SIGN UP FOR OUR DIGITAL READER