WHO WE ARE
We are baristas for the Nestlé owned specialty coffee chain Blue Bottle Coffee. In April 2024, we announced the formation of the Blue Bottle Independent Union (B.B.I.U.).
In a letter read aloud directly to management by workers at five out of six stores in the state, and sent via email to the upper-management team, we asked
the company to voluntarily recognize our union by or before 12pm EST on Monday, April 8th, and to immediately begin bargaining with us in good faith.
When Blue Bottle's management failed to voluntarily recognize us by that deadline, we conducted a state-wide walkout to file for an NLRB election. With overwhelming support from workers across the state we won Union recognition 38--4 in May 2024.
WHY WE ARE UNIONIZING
We are unionizing because Blue Bottle does not pay us enough to
meet our basic needs, does not allow us any input into cafe operations,
and shows continuous disdain for us as workers. Many of us are working
paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to live in the city we work in!
As baristas, we are the face of the company and produce Blue Bottle’s
value, and yet we struggle to make ends meet despite working full time.
For these reasons, we intend to fight for a living wage, democratic control of the workplace, and comprehensive protection from harassment.
In 2017, Nestlé, the multinational corporation with a market
capitalization over $270 billion, acquired a majority ownership in Blue
Bottle Coffee for over $400 million. While Blue Bottle prides
itself on providing high quality specialty coffee and paying fair trade
premiums, we as baristas are not paid enough to live in the city we work
in. B.B.I.U. intends to hold Blue Bottle and Nestlé to their
proclaimed values of social consciousness by fighting for and demanding a
living wage! With an undeniable, overwhelming majority of workers across all of the cafes in the state of Massachusetts, and with the
prominent backing of our customers, community members, legal network,
union siblings locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, we
are ready, willing, and able to fight for and win an equitable share of
the value we produce and rightfully deserve.
WHY INDEPENDENT?
We are forming an independent union because we believe that unions run best when they're in the control of rank and file workers. Our independent structure allows us to have direct democratic control of our demands, campaign strategy, finances, and anything else pertaining to the union. In short, we wanted our union to berun by the workers and for the workers.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US WIN
- One of the biggest ways that you can help us is by making either a one-time or recurring donation to this fundraiser for our worker owned and controlled union fund! The funds we raise here will go toward expenses such as printing materials, our website, food, hosting union events, and other common expenses for a union :)
- Filling out our community supporter form, to stay up-to-date on our campaign and join us for any upcoming actions or events!
- Promoting and circulating information about our campaign, including the above three resources, with your friends, loved ones, colleagues, and comrades.
- Follow us on social media! @bbiunion on Instagram and Twitter
