Two More Blank Street Coffee Units Vote to Join UFCW 1500

On March 6th, two more neighborhood umbrella groups of Blank Street Coffee voted overwhelmingly to join UFCW Local 1500, joining their 34 colleagues in West Brooklyn who voted to unionize in February.  The new units consist of 24 workers from Central Brooklyn and 30 from Chelsea/West Village.

The workers, who are employed as Baristas, Service Pros, and Shift Leads (Baristas), joined for better wages and benefits that are accompanied with a union contract. They were also concerned about safety issues, maintenance issues, scheduling, lack of PTO, lack of scheduled raises, and the lack of a fair grievance process.

“I wanted to organize because I want the legal protection and support that a union provides. This win means that I am not alone. This win means having a voice. It means transparency between workers and our employers and a newfound sense of job security,” said Barista Lucie Mead. Read background on Blank Street workers' efforts to organize in The Huffington Post!