Tension Continues as Compass Coffee Challenges Union Votes
By • July 22, 2024 0 647
By Paulina Inglima
Compass Coffee remains in limbo after baristas flocked to the polls July 16 and 17 to cast their votes on whether or not five of the popular coffee shop locations would unionize, as a majority of the votes have been challenged.
Out of the employees who voted at Compass’s Georgetown location, 22 votes have been challenged, and only 7 unchallenged. However, all 7 voted yes.
Chris Buchanan, a shift supervisor at the Wisconsin Avenue Compass location and organizer with Compass Coffee United said that “everybody voted yes on the unchallenged list, so that was really encouraging to see.”
Votes have been challenged by both Compass Coffee United as well as by Michael Haft, Compass Coffee’s CEO. According to Buchanan, challenged votes include those of alleged “plants” or employees said to have been hired by Haft in order to drown out pro union votes. These employees included CEO of Poppy’s bagels Grant Sarvis, Union Kitchen CEO Cullen Gilchrist, and Snacklins president Graham McLaughlin.
Michael Haft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“There were a few people who I saw who probably worked three times, two times. There were people I saw who I’ve never seen a day in my life which was kind of crazy.” said Buchanan.
However, Buchanan also said that despite the mass hiring’s potential to drown out pro union votes, many of the new employees have since supported the union.
“They just get more options via union, and they’re workers just like us, like they’re real… they come in, they see what goes on in these cafes. They get agitated and disgruntled and want a better work environment for themselves as well.”
Compass has filed challenges against supervisors and cafe manager apprentices, making supervisors without firing power like Buchanan ineligible.
According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), they will “determine whether it is necessary to conduct an investigation or schedule a hearing to resolve the determinative challenges,” with the hearings beginning no more than 21 days after the votes are tallied.
The vote came amid allegations that Compass CEO Michael Haft was attempting to union bust through mass hiring of new employees including friends and fellow industry leaders, hyper surveillance, and consequences for employees who discussed the union at work.
Compass Coffee United filed charges against Compass with the NLRB June 6, alleging coercive rules, changes in terms and conditions of employment, and discipline violations.
Penina Meier- Silverman, another shift supervisor at the Georgetown location, said that the employees of Compass deserve agency in the way their workplace is run.
“Michael Haft, the owner, takes home a very large profit every year and that’s no because he’s behind the bar making people drinks. That’s because we’re behind the bar making people drinks. That’s because we’ve developed strong relationships with our regulars and customers. So we should get a piece of that and we should get a say in the way that we’re treated.”
Meier- Silverman said that the biggest concerns they hope a union would address are the lack of tips, tech team expansion, job security, and understaffing. She said that because there is no internal human resources department, there is no avenue to ensure that their complaints are being taken seriously.
Meier- Silverman commented that the Georgeotwn community has been largely supportive of the union’s actions, and some regulars have stopped supporting the cafe.
Compass is not the only coffee shop in the DC area to face a unionizing push recently. A push amplified by Starbucks to unionize cafes has included Wydown Coffee, La Colomb, and Union Kitchen. Buchanan said that he hopes Compass is part of a domino effect amongst DC cafes empowering each other.
“I think that once that final piece sets in place and you see elections being won, that’s monumental, because it shows people that there is a way, you do have power… I think people are legitimately starting to see this job is something that’s worth fighting for.”
