Compass Coffee workers have announced a unionization drive across seven stores to end the chain’s no-tipping policy and improve benefits and working conditions.
Organizers said 84 percent of union-eligible employees at these cafes have signed authorization cards to join Workers United.
This is an SEIU affiliate that has successfully organized over 425 Starbucks stores since 2021.
The National Labor Relations Board requires at least 30 percent of eligible voters’ signatures to qualify for a union election.
The workers also delivered a letter of intent to Compass co-founder and CEO Michael Haft.
Cameron Call, a Compass employee and organizing committee member, said: “It’s important for any worker to have a union, especially in food service, which is an intensely exploitative industry.”
The union drive includes four D.C. cafes and one in Georgetown, Spring Valley, and Rosslyn, Va
Upon receiving the letter, Haft said he spent the afternoon discussing the matter with his leadership team and has yet to decide on a course of action.
If Compass voluntarily recognizes the union, the workers can bypass a union election.
Haft said: “Our team is critical to our success, and we are committed to ensuring that they are respected, supported, and fairly compensated.”
The union drive includes four downtown D.C. cafes and one in Georgetown, Spring Valley, and Rosslyn, Va.
The no-tipping policy implemented in March 2020 is a significant issue for the workers.
Although they were promised a corresponding wage increase, employees argue that it has reduced their take-home pay.
Current wages range from $18 to $27.50 an hour, and raises have been rare since the pandemic.
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While Compass offers healthcare and paid time off, the company suspended 401(k) retirement plans for hourly workers last fall and raised healthcare deductibles and prescription costs in March.
Compass Coffee, founded in 2014 by Marine Corps veterans Haft and Harrison Suarez, now operates 17 shops in the D.C. area.
Despite its growth and partnerships with notable entities like the White House and NASA, employees report issues with building maintenance, equipment, store temperatures, and a lack of an HR department.
Cafe workers nationwide are increasingly unionizing for better conditions, but they often face resistance from employers.
At Compass, workers are planning rallies and hoping for voluntary union recognition.
