Tell Blue Bottle: No Pay Cuts!

 

Wow, The Labor Force really showed up for Blue Bottle Independent Union this weekend! From making donations to their strike fund to showing up in person to picket with baristas, the support of this community was deeply felt by our team and by the union members themselves. But Nestlé-owned coffee chain Blue Bottle still hasn’t budged on workers’ demands. Can you send a letter to Blue Bottle today, telling them that an effective pay cut for workers is absolutely unacceptable? Wait...pay cut? In case you missed it, earlier this year baristas at SIX Blue Bottle cafés in Boston voted to unionize after the chain refused to pay them what they’re worth. But instead of coming to the table and negotiating a fair contract, Nestlé’s Blue Bottle bosses are effectively giving workers a pay cut by shutting down a unionized café for unnecessary renovations. Blue Bottle’s decision to renovate this location means that already struggling workers will be facing even tougher times. The union’s asks are simple: guaranteed hours at other stores for displaced baristas, a tip differential, and commuter benefits for workers traveling to other locations during the renovations. Without these concessions, baristas across the state will be scheduled for fewer hours and have shrunken tip pools. This is a de facto pay cut being implemented just as baristas have to begin thinking about heating bills. When Blue Bottle baristas explained to higher-ups how this renovation amounts to a pay cut for all workers in the state, the company told them that they “didn’t see it that way.” It seems pretty clear to us that fewer hours, less tips, and higher commuting costs mean less income for workers who are already having trouble making ends meet. That’s just math. Right now, Blue Bottle Independent Union is ramping up their fight for the pay and benefits their members deserve. Can you show the strength of their support by sending a letter to Blue Bottle’s Director of Café Operations, Anne Conroy to tell her that this de facto pay cut is unacceptable and that Blue Bottle needs to provide for baristas during this renovation? Send a Letter » In solidarity, The Labor Force

The Labor Force is building worker power by uplifting the most exciting and pressing campaigns across the U.S. labor movement. Donate Today »