New Seasons Markets Faces Critics In Potential Seattle Project

By Nigel Jaquiss

New Seasons Market is meeting some opposition as it expands in Seattle.

The Seattle Times reported this week that a new transit-oriented project at a light-rail stop developed by the Portland firm Gerding Edlen might feature New Seasons as an anchor tenant.

After rapid growth in the past couple of years, Portland-based New Seasons now has 16 stores in the Metro area, one each in Washington and California and four others on the drawing board.

Critics' objections in Seattle seem to be that New Seasons is a non-union operation.

Here's how the Times described the situation.

New Seasons CEO Wendy Collie defended her firm's pay and benefits in a statement to The Seattle Times. "We always put our people first and are proud to offer a progressive, comprehensive benefits package," Collie told the Times.

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