On this episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Kai Shin, a worker organizer with Chicago Botanic Garden Workers United, shared his experience confronting alleged unsafe working conditions and workplace retaliation at Windy City Harvest, the garden’s urban farm initiative. Shin, who was terminated after advocating for transparency and justice for his peers, highlighted disturbing management practices, the exploitation of vulnerable populations and the broader implications for labor organizing.
Shin began by discussing the gap between the Chicago Botanic Garden’s public mission and the on-the-ground reality faced by workers. Although Windy City Harvest promised sustainable agriculture and community outreach, Shin recounted witnessing widespread health and safety hazards from his first days on the job. Workers endured exposure to poor air quality from wildfire smoke, a lack of protective gear, chronic flooding in produce pathways, collapsing storage structures and dangerous equipment, he said. The situation extended to animal welfare issues, as a mismanaged aquaponics system routinely resulted in the deaths of hundreds of fish, adding both health risks and emotional distress for staff, Shin said.
Shin then focused on the union's involvement and the employer's alleged retaliation. He joined the organizing effort immediately after starting at Windy City Harvest and, with Workers United’s backing, spoke out against a series of suspect and racially biased terminations in the workforce development program. Attempts to raise ethical concerns were met with intimidation tactics from management, including long one-on-one meetings and veiled threats about his future at the organization, he said. Despite including whistleblower protections in staff training, these safeguards proved ineffective, Shin said, highlighting the vital role unions play in ensuring workers can safely critique and improve their workplaces.
Finally, Shin described alleged anti-union tactics deployed by management, including the hiring of consultants and dismissing worker communications as “too anonymous.” He revealed pay disparities and the organization’s tendency to prioritize consultant fees and executive compensation over frontline staff safety and salaries. Despite being fired during the organizing campaign, Shin remains engaged in union organizing, working with the National Labor Relations Board and maintaining solidarity with organizing campaigns at other employers. The workers' determination and optimism should serve as a rallying cry for workers everywhere, Shin said, adding that meaningful change and a fair workplace are only possible through collective action and unwavering solidarity.
For more from Shin and the organizing at Chicago Botanic Garden, listen to the full episode above.
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