PORTLAND, Maine — Workers from all three Coffee By Design locations in Portland announced their intent to unionize on Tuesday.
Approximately 89 percent of eligible workers signed authorization cards to be represented by Local 327 of the Laborer's International Union of North America (LIUNA) to seek voluntary recognition of a union, according to a news release from LIUNA.
Workers who voted to unionize cited "industry-low pay, uneven hours which lead to inconsistent benefits, an ad-hoc disciplinary system and working conditions that are incongruent with best practices," according to LIUNA.
"Our success is Coffee By Design’s success," Lauren Gamble, a barista and shift lead, said in the news release. "We’re banding together to ensure the long-term viability of our being able to continue to serve the best customers in Maine. Fairness, consistency and predictability shouldn’t be a whole lot to ask for when it comes to being able to have the tools necessary to provide our customers the experience they want and deserve."
The move to unionize comes less than a week after the business announced its Congress Street location will be closed for the "foreseeable future." Coffee By Design said it's working to train and hire staff to reopen with a full team.
Owner of Coffee By Design Mary Allen Lindemann released the following statement regarding the unionization effort:
"We have a great team of employees at Coffee By Design. They are critical to the company’s success and to the experience of our customers, and we have worked hard to offer competitive wages and benefits, including health insurance. For 29 years, we have worked to create a transparent and supportive workplace, and we will continue to do that. Today (Oct. 17, 2023) we received a letter from Local 327 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America telling us that a majority of the retail staff and barista employees have signed authorization cards to form a collective bargaining unit. We support the right of employees to organize if they feel that’s the best decision for them. Through this process, we want to make sure that the voices of all our employees are heard. We will work with Local 327 and our employees to determine next steps, which will include submission of the authorization cards to an impartial third party. Once Local 327 is certified as the bargaining agent, we are prepared to begin good-faith negotiations on a contract that protects our employees and the long-term viability of Coffee By Design."