Retail stores have continued operating at limited capacity throughout the pandemic, but one closed its doors: Last Chance Mercantile, a beloved thrift store run by Monterey Regional Waste Management District, where shoppers could find anything from a Halloween costume to a second-hand bathtub, records to bikes, mulch to furniture, giving new life to material that might otherwise be landfilled. Ten workers were laid off, and now MRWMD is trying to reopen the store under new management.
In February, the Last Chance Mercantile Re-Opening Task Force provided an analysis to the MRWMD board with three options to reopen: Under continued management of MRWMD; an outside contractor – Second Chance, a thrift store retailer that provides jobs for people struggling with addiction; or nonprofit Veterans Transition Center. Staff recommended VTC be selected.
At a meeting March 19, the board voted 6-2 to review additional information on wages, benefits and union jobs before deciding which entity will run the store, despite ranking VTC first. “We need more quantitative information before we make this decision,” boardmember Bruce Delgado said.
The average hourly rate for MRWMD workers is $35.25 for management positions and $21 for other full-time positions. VTC’s hourly rates would be lower: $23.50 for management and $15 for others. District jobs also include cost-of-living adjustments, while VTC’s proposal doesn’t.
“This is not moving the community forward, this is actually moving back,” Cesar Lara, executive director of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, told the board.
VTC Executive Director Kurt Schake said jobs for veterans at a place like Last Chance Mercantile would provide opportunity to build their resumes, and reintegrate into society. “I want to dispel any notion that veterans are being taken advantage of,” he said. “That is absolutely not the case.”
Annual revenue had been about $800,000, but fell far short of the cost of operations, $1.5 million.
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