In April, the Board of Directors met at the Birdhouse Neighborhood Center for our Spring Retreat, during which we established our governance priorities for the upcoming fiscal year beginning in July.

We began the day with an orientation presented by an Employee & Labor Relations Consultant who has worked closely with Three Rivers Market since the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union was voluntarily recognized in 2021. We learned more about how the bargaining process works; the legal and process limits on Three Rivers Market and the staff union; the role of the Board; and the importance of adhering to the collective bargaining agreement struck between the staff union and Three Rivers Market. 

Three Rivers Market is committed to prioritizing a positive working relationship between the staff union and store management, with ongoing education helping all involved to better understand the … Read More »

What does community mean to you? What does your answer say about your values? Who is Three Rivers Market here for? And how do we create a common vision for the future of our co-op from the many diverse opinions of our members?

These are just a few of the questions Three Rivers Market community members tackled during our recent event with Jon Steinman, author of Grocery Store: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants. During the two-night event, Jon shared a compelling overview of the economy of grocery stores, and the many challenges co-ops must overcome to provide an economic alternative to big grocery chains.

But the most engaging part of Jon’s visit was his introduction of an intentional form of group communication he calls “cooperative dialogue.” He differentiates dialogue from discussion in that it involves thinking … Read More »

SAVE THE DATE!   

Please mark your calendars for a special event featuring Jon Steinman, co-op leader and author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants.

Jon will spend the evenings of Monday April 22, and Tuesday April 23, discussing the future of food co-ops and leading members of Three Rivers Market in a cooperative dialogue session around the theme of “Developing a Common Vision for TRM.”

Both sessions will cover the same theme, but night two will build on the momentum of the first session, and all members are welcome and encouraged to register for both nights.

WHAT IS COOPERATIVE DIALOGUE?

Jon describes cooperative dialogues as a forum and opportunity to engage in democracy at our co-op where all voices are of equal value. It’s a chance for people who love Three Rivers and our community to … Read More »

The Board of Directors is pleased to convene five committees this year, with participation of both Directors and members of the cooperative. We appreciate the willingness of members to contribute their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for Three Rivers Market to our committees’ work. We would like to share the mission and purpose of each committee with members: 

The Board Perpetuation Committee will represent the interest of the Board of Directors in organizing, coordinating, and monitoring the election for Board Director seats during the year in which the term of those seats expire. The committee will further be responsible for taking action to recruit enough suitable candidates to provide a contested election, and certify that only candidates that meet eligibility requirements may be able to participate in the election.

The Building Committee is tasked with researching, advising, and making recommendations on the maintenance … Read More »

We are pleased to share the appointment of Jackie Kittrell to seat 7 of the Board of Directors, which became vacant with the passing of Helen de Haven last summer. Jackie is the Executive Director of the Community Mediation Center (CMC), a nonprofit that provides mediation services to our community in Knox and surrounding counties, regardless of ability to pay, and with a focus on vulnerable populations in need of mediation services and training services. She is also a licensed TN attorney, practicing employment law, civil rights law, and family law for over 35 years.

Jackie recently attended Cooperative Board Leadership 101 along with newly elected Directors Alhen Drillich and Adam Hughes. This training, a benefit of Board service, is provided by Columinate, a consulting cooperative serving mission-driven organizations. Here are some reflections on this learning experience: 

Alhen Drillich: “In my recent … Read More »