Workers at No Evil Foods say they were union-busted

This article was originally published at Prism

When Jon Reynolds started working on the production line at No Evil Foods in 2019, he was excited to work for a business he thought shared his progressive values. But what he didn’t know yet about the vegan frozen food company was that workers were already organizing for better working conditions. By May 2020, he would be the victim of an unfair labor practice, subject to surveillance by management, and ultimately fired for what he believes was retaliation for being a union leader. In less than a year, Reynolds, like many of his other colleagues, quickly learned No Evil Foods’ humane and socially conscious image was a facade for another profit-driven, growing company.

Reynolds is one of many former No Evil Foods employees who tried to unionize the growing North Carolina production company but failed after the owners successfully union-busted and silenced workers. No Evil Foods joins a growing list of food companies, like Amy’s Kitchen, that have been accused of mistreating workers behind a moralistic veneer. No Evil Foods, in particular, brands itself as leftist with products called “Comrade Cluck” and, until recently, “El Zapatista,” referring to how people are referred to in the Communist Party and the Mexican Indigenous rights movement from 1994, respectively.