coffee?

These brave baristas are going up against Nestlé

Dear Pamela, Union elections get a lot of attention, but some of the most intense and important work comes after the media has moved on, when workers shift their focus to negotiating a first contract. That's where the independent union at Blue Bottle, a specialty coffee shop, find themselves right now–on the verge of sitting down at the bargaining table with their employer as legal equals for the first time. And they are up against a massive opponent. Blue Bottle isn't some mom and pop coffee chain—Nestlé owns the chain, and is as anti-union as any other multinational conglomerate. That's right. These brave baristas are going up against Nestlé, the very same company that's been embroiled in controversy for everything from pushing baby formula on nursing mothers to using child labor to harvest cocoa. Nestlé is planning to follow the time-honored union-busting strategy of dragging out the proceedings and forcing the union to pay its lawyers overtime. Nestlé believes that they can bankrupt the union before it even gets off the ground. It's up to us to prove them wrong. Can you make a donation to the Labor Force to provide the assistance Blue Bottle workers need to go up against this corporate behemoth? The baristas of Blue Bottle Independent Union are ready to take Nestlé on. They've already unionized 6 cafes–8% of the locations in the U.S.–and are united in their drive to achieve a fair union contract for their members. But in order to win, the biggest thing BBIU needs right now is leverage. Leverage to make their employer wake up, smell that coffee, and realize that they need to bargain in good faith or face a crisis. For BBIU, that leverage is a strike fund. A strike fund will allow BBIU to do what every employer fears the most: affect the company's bottom line by withholding their labor if Blue Bottle refuses to sit down and negotiate in good faith. That's why The Labor Force is partnering with BBIU to help them build a strike fund. Can you make a donation today to help Blue Bottle baristas build power to win the contract they deserve? In solidarity, The Labor Force Paid for by Progress America, a project of Strategy & Hustle   Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Progress America, please click here.