Update: Cafe Ceres Wins Their Union, Colita Results TBD
“We’re taking comfort in the fact that the fight never ends and that the restaurant has already begun to change because of this effort.” Says Theo Ebarb, a server at Colita.
Cafe Ceres’ Linden Hills location
On July 18th workers at Colita, a “modernized Mexican eatery” owned by Daniel del Prado, voted to unionize. The votes were inconclusive as management contested 20% of workers’ votes ahead of time. Whether or not these votes will be counted will be decided by a National Labor Relations Board judge. Theo Ebarb, a longtime server at Colita, said of the contested votes, “Of course, we knew the company was going to contest 20% of the vote ahead of time, so we weren’t expecting the full result on Election Day. The employees organizing put a lot of work into making the union effort known. We took comfort from each other and put a brave face on while the company continued to twist the truth about the matter into unrecognizable lies.” Of tactics management used, Ebarb cites relentless flyering and tense “non-mandatory” pre-shift meetings. Ebarb continues, “there was disappointment that the company could deflate some of the momentum by claiming that 1/5 of their employees’ voices didn’t matter. It feels like an excuse to become jaded about labor rights and what’s possible in the workplace, but I’m letting it harden my resolve that we must change things.”
Cafe Ceres, a chain of four cafes located around Minneapolis and also part of the DDP restaurant group, also voted for their union on August 3rd. Ana Poole, a barista at the Linden Hills location, said, “It’s been a week since we had our vote to unionize, and the best way to describe it is that it’s been a period of rest. The organizing committee and every single worker put so much energy, thought, and effort into pushing that vote across the finish line. I think people are still processing that it’s even really done and that we can feel safe in this win before moving on to the next steps.” Cafe Ceres will join Unite Here Local 17, which also represents Kim’s, First Avenue, and countless other hospitality businesses. Poole continues, “for now, though, we’re enjoying the sense of accomplishment and leaning into the friendships built at work over the past 1.5 years—and gathering our energy and fire back up to face the company again, this time at the bargaining table!”
Resources
Jones, J. (2024a, May 29). Here’s why workers are pushing to unionize at Kim’s [updated]. Eater Twin Cities. https://twincities.eater.com/2024/5/29/24167209/kims-union-ann-kim-restaurant-workers-uptown-minneapolis
Jones, J. (2024b, June 18). Workers at Daniel del Prado’s Restaurants Colita and Café Cerés plan to Unionize. Eater Twin Cities. https://twincities.eater.com/2024/6/18/24181355/colita-cafe-ceres-restaurant-workers-unionize-dani-del-prado-minneapolis-labor-movement
