In May, 22 non-management employees at New Yorkโs Gimme! Coffee voted officially to unionize in what is believed to be the first union in American specialty coffee. And now, Workers United 2833 has officially been ratified.
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, ratification came via a unanimous 22-0 vote and covers all barista in Gimme! Upstate New York cafesโincluding locations in Ithaca and Trumansburgโbut does not cover baristas in the three New York City locations. The three-year contract includes wage increases for baristas, the creation of a sick day program, and a โjust causeโ clause that requires management to have appropriate reasons to โfire or discipline a barista and a grievance and arbitration process to resolve workplace problems.โ
In a statement, Gimme! barista and driving force behind the unionization efforts Samantha Mason had this to say:
Built into the contract was a renegotiation of wages in December of this year after Gimme! baristas found managementโs wage proposal โunsatisfactory.โ
It should be noted that the union has not been opposed by management. Owner and CEO Kevin Cuddeback stated, โIโm a proponent of people coming together to build a better world, and I look forward to working with the union toward the advancement of the company mission.โ
For more information on Workers United 2833, visit Workers United Rochester Regional Joint Boardโs website.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
Top photo viaย The Cornell Daily Sun.ย