Worried about moveÂ
The scheduled move of Weaver Street Market’s food production facilities and offices to Hillsborough will result in a loss of around 80 jobs for Carrboro and have a detrimental effect on the town and the environment.
The environment impacts are the most obvious: 80 workers driving 24 miles each workday equals around 2,000 miles a day. That is a lot of carbon emission, and it doesn’t include the added distribution miles of having a non-centrally located production and office facility.
The workers will suffer most directly: adding an hour of driving onto their daily work routine; for many, having to buy a car; leaving their work community in vibrant downtown Carrboro; and for the bakers, having to start work at 2 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. to allow for extra distribution time.
Most of the members of the food kitchen staff are Hispanic, live in Carrboro and do not drive to work. The impact on the Hispanic community is unclear. Some may move to Hillsborough and some may be forced to quit, weakening the fabric of an important piece of our community.
Carrboro businesses should also not be happy about 80 downtown jobs leaving. That loss translates to a lot of lunches, dinners, drinks, shopping, etc. done elsewhere.
Ruffin Slater lists some benefits of the move in the latest Weaver Street newsletter, but they fail to persuade me that Weaver Street would be following its mission or benefiting the consumer-owners. Additionally, I would miss the fresh-baked bread and pastries, the fresh hot bar and my friends whom I would no longer see walking to work or taking a break on the market lawn.
To comment on the move, go to www.ourweave.blogspot.com.
Daniel Amoni