Bija Young, CLRP • Labor Relations Consultant
When a union arrives, the legal framework tells you what you can and cannot do. It does not tell you how to run your business.I help mission-based independent retailers translate the legal reality of a union into clear, practical operations.
WHO I WORK WITH
Mission-based independent retailers navigating unionized environments. Food co-ops, B Corps, independent natural foods retailers. Organizations that lead with values and hold themselves to a higher standard than the conventional grocery industry.You believe in fair wages, dignified work, and community accountability. You have operational plans and real intentions. And you may still find yourself in conflict, frustrated, or simply unsure how to translate what you believe into what actually happens on the floor every day.That frustration is not a sign of failure. It usually means the operational framework has not caught up with the relationship. That is the work I do.
WHEN TO CALL ME
I have spent thirty years inside mission-based retail. I understand how these organizations run, what leadership actually looks like on the ground, and what it takes to translate a union relationship into clear, practical operations. I help you develop the policies, train your managers, and build the internal knowledge your organization needs to navigate with confidence.Does any of this sound familiar:
• You have caught wind of organizing activity and do not know what you can say or do.
• You are heading into bargaining and your leadership team has never been at that table.
• A contract was just ratified and now someone has to make it operational.
• Things are tense and you are not sure why, but trust is eroding.
• You are at a successor negotiation and need clarity before you walk in.
• You simply need a guide who has been on this path before.If so, let's talk.
WHAT I OFFER
LEADERSHIP TRAINNG & ORIENTATION
For frontline and senior leaders at every stage of the union lifecycle: organizing activity, bargaining, contract implementation, and ongoing administration. The focus is practical. What changes, what does not, and how union dynamics intersect with the way your business actually runs.
RISK & OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT
A diagnostic look at where your policies, management practices, or internal misalignment are creating inconsistency, confusion, or avoidable conflict. Not to identify liability but to identify where you are losing ground you do not have to lose.
HANDS-ON PROJECT SUPPORT
For critical moments that need a steady guide: preparing leadership before bargaining, translating contract language into operating practice, strengthening discipline consistency, or restoring internal clarity so your leaders can focus on running the business.
A note on scope: I do not serve as a spokesperson or negotiator at the bargaining table. My role is to guide, orient, and build the internal knowledge so your organization can own its labor relations approach.
ABOUT ME
Certified Labor Relations Professional from Michigan State University · 30+ Years in Grocery Retail · Food Co-ops and B Corp Environments
I started in this industry as a clerk at a natural foods co-op. Over the next thirty years I worked through almost every role a grocery operation has: produce, marketing, store management, board service, and eventually the labor relations work I do now.I spent a decade at a member-owned cooperative in California, working my way from assistant produce manager to store manager. I ran the full operation, sat on the board, and learned what cooperative governance actually looks like from the inside. I went on to serve as store director at a Portland cooperative before moving into a B Corp environment, where I spent several years building the organization's labor relations function.That path shaped how I work. I understand the operational pressures, the governance structures, and the cultural commitments that define mission-based retail. I also understand the gap between good intentions and daily execution, because I have worked on both sides of it.
LET'S TALK
I work with a small number of organizations at a time. If something is going on and you think I may be of service, reach out.