Blue Bottle Coffee, a brand owned by mega conglomerate Nestlé, could soon become the latest coffee chain facing a wave of unionization: five stores in the Boston metropolitan area have joined together to form the Blue Bottle Independent Union (donation fund here). These five stores constitute all but one of Blue Bottle's locations in Massachusetts. As the name implies, this is also a rare independent union which does not have the backing of a larger union such as SEIU or UFCW.
In their announcement on Twitter, BBIU provided the following reasoning for unionization and the independent union approach:
We're unionizing for:
- Livable wage
- Democratic control of our workplace
- Better treatment from management and protection from harassment
Why an independent union?
- We have complete control of all decisions
- We can be as democratic as possible
- We can be transparent with everyone involved
To the Boston Globe, the union added that "[...]Blue Bottle does not pay us enough to meet our basic needs, does not allow us any input into cafe operations, and continues to show disdain for us as workers." and further that “As baristas we are the face of the company and produce all of the value for Blue Bottle, yet could not afford a drink if we didn’t work here. Many of us struggle to make ends meet despite working full time.” The union has demanded voluntary recognition by April 8, although it is exceedingly unlikely this is forthcoming.
If you get a chance and are in the Boston metropolitan area, consider throwing some support their way. They are currently asking that you "stop by any of the cafes, share your support, and tip your union baristas."
