Wisconsin-based cafe chain Colectivo Coffee’s expensive, vindictive yearlong battle to grind down an employee unionization effort (via eaterchicago)
. “We want to be clear that as people with progressive values, we are not against the right to organize, and we are not anti-union. However, we do believe very strongly that this union ... will not solve the challenges of this company and will not make our co-workers’ Colectivo experience better.”
Organizing efforts began in Milwaukee as warehouse employees sought the support of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers due to concerns over increasing workloads and stagnant hours. Other employees, who had watched with growing anxiety as management rapidly opened new locations without tending to repairs at preexisting cafes and implemented menu and policy changes unexpectedly, decided to follow suit, hoping they would be able to have a voice in the company.
In September, Mullner was terminated from her position as a cafe employee in Andersonville in a move that she and IBEW claim was retribution for becoming involved in the Colectivo union organizing committee. Firing a worker in retaliation for union organizingIBEW filed a grievance on Mullner’s behalf, but it was ultimately turned down by the NLRB. Still, Mullner says there may be some positive momentum in her case: Management said she’d be put on a call list when positions opened back up.
When reached by Eater for comment on Mullner’s situation, Colectivo’s Hill writes in part, “Allegations that employees were unfairly terminated were investigated by the NLRB and dismissed as being without merit. I would add that we’re actively hiring in several markets based upon business needs and evaluating applications for new co-workers on a regular basis.
Increasingly frequent anti-union communications from the Fowlers, Miller, and Hurdle exacerbated the tension. In asent to Colectivo employees on January 11, Lincoln Fowler addressed the failed insurrection on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol, referencing a need for unity at Colectivo and the country at large. To organizers, it sounded like their bosses were drawing a parallel between unionization efforts and the politically charged violence seen in Washington, D.C.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Amazon employee dies at Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse, site of unionization driveAmazon declined to share further details about the situation, noting that it was a personal medical incident.
Read more »
Ageless Kylie Minogue beams on glamorous coffee run Down Under with mum CarolKylie Minogue looked sophisticated and chic as she stepped out to run errands in her native Australia with mum Carol
Read more »
Disneyland Guests Cry as Park Reopens After Yearlong ClosureDisneyland guests and cast members get emotional as park opens for first time since yearlong closure.
Read more »
Hello, Frappés: How to Make the Frothy Iced Coffee DrinkInstant coffee is made instantly refreshing in this foamy Greek iced coffee.
Read more »