Elm City Market is a food cooperative owned by its members, who are local residents. We are founded on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, solidarity and community and, in this spirit; we issue this policy in support of our paid workers.

Like all cooperatives, Elm City Market is an autonomous association of persons united in our commitment to realizing common economic, social, and cultural aspirations through democratic and open processes.  To that end, a cooperative must respectfully balance the needs and interests of everyone involved.  Additionally, our goal as a food cooperative is to be successful and sustainable; no different than any other locally owned business.

Concern for community is one of our core principles.  Elm City Market is not a business designed to maximize profits at the expense of any one group; as our mission states our goal is to offer a rewarding shopping experience as well as a caring workplace for our customers, employees and suppliers.

As a locally-rooted and locally-owned cooperative business, Elm City Market offers our community the economic benefits of good quality jobs, an emphasis on local and regional products, and a return of all profits that are not reinvested into the co-op to member-owners as patronage refunds. We aim to be a market leader in New Haven by creating and maintaining a great workplace, with good wages, benefits, working conditions, training, and opportunities for advancement.

We strive to insure that the interests of the member-owners and management are not in conflict with those of the workers, who are our fellow residents and community members, many of whom may choose to be member-owners themselves. The Board of Directors itself is elected by the members, and as a result represents member constituencies.  Because we are a cooperative that is based on values of democracy, equality and solidarity, and because our core principles include those of democratic control, education, and community sustainability, Elm City Market fundamentally believes in the rights of workers to have a voice and to organize themselves as they wish, which includes their right to join a union if they choose.

In recognition of these principles, Elm City Market will remain neutral in any union organizing campaign by neither encouraging nor discouraging membership in a union.  Elm City Market and its management will not make disparaging statements about unions or unionism or engage in any campaigns of union avoidance.  Elm City Market will cooperate fully with and abide by any call for elections and decisions of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enable a timely election that allows employees to exercise their democratic rights. We are also open to discussions about alternative election processes consistent with our principles.  We will work with union representatives to allow fair and reasonable access to the premises.   Throughout, Elm City Market will remain neutral, and will not seek to influence any employees' decision regarding union membership, or in any other way to interfere with their democratic rights.

Elm City Market is in the final stretch of construction activity.  It's hard to believe in a little over half of a year what was a 24,500 square foot shell space has been completely transformed into a vibrant market reflecting the food culture of New Haven.

Over the past two months, the construction and design team have completed all major construction activities including: floor sealing; interior door and window installation; custom millwork fabrication and installation; interior framing, drywall, and painting; decorative tile work; HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work; conveying systems between the loading dock and retail floor; and installation of all coolers, freezers, kitchen equipment, refrigerated and frozen cases, produce cases, grocery shelving, check-out stands, and signage. 

The team has also been busy outside the walls of the Market installing store signage at the pedestrian and vehicular level; grocery cart corrals and a parking validation system in the structured parking garage above the Market; as well as finalizing the outdoor usable areas of the Market including a new walkway connecting the Orange Street entrance to the Pitkin Plaza-fostering improved connectivity to downtown pedestrian activity and access to other businesses in the Plaza. 

This month as the various major building trades are concluding, the team has been working side by side with city agencies to obtain all required permits for opening.  Over the next several weeks as the team prepares to open its doors for business, the construction team will continue touch-up work, punch list items, final inspections, equipment and system testing and start-up. 

This past week, the store reached a benchmark level of progress allowing the store to start stocking the shelves with dry grocery items-- a proud moment for the team.  As we see the eclectic mix of natural and local products filling the aisles, the real aesthetic of the Market has come to life and its evident the collective hard work and diligence of the team has paid off to create a superbly harmonized Market.