Dear PSFC members,
It is time to rethink the structure of the Personnel Committee: Five members who were elected by uncontested vote are clearly not qualified to wield this much power. Perhaps a professional moderator or two could be added. An overarching perspective was absent in the brutal punishment delivered to Joe Holtz for his error in judgment. The disciplinary measures enacted were heavy-handed and did not benefit the PSFC or its members.
Withholding Holtz’s salary was unjust and requires full review; it is hard to imagine that any member of PSFC would fail to recognize the generosity and forgiveness he has embodied for decades while leading the Coop to success. PSFC’s leaders give incalculable hours of extra effort from their hearts; this is what has made the Coop great! A one-week suspension with pay would have been sufficient to alert everyone to the risks to others in guessing if we have COVID-19 or not. The decision was painfully unfair to a man who has given his all.
During the last General Meeting, the Personnel Committee directive was described as “to hire, fire and discipline top staff, in consultation with the general coordinators.” I would like to know which General Coordinators were consulted before this too-harsh penalty was finalized. Amends must be made where harm has been done: I support a full disclosure of the Disciplinary Committee’s process and reasoning, a review of the structure and function of this committee, and immediate actions to restore Holtz’s salary.
Please be kind,
Claudia Joseph