Coffee Shop Workers Vote to Form the City’s First Café Union

Workers at four locations of a local coffee chain voted 31–6 to form a union, the first among the city’s cafés. The vote, held over two days last week and counted Friday afternoon at a federal labor office, makes the employees of Northbranch Coffee the first café workers in the city to win the right to bargain as a group. Several baristas who gathered outside one of the shops after the count hugged, cried and then, as one of them put it, “went back to work, because the morning rush doesn’t care.”

Northbranch Coffee opened its first shop in 2012 in a former shoe store downtown. It has since grown to four locations, including one near the university and one in the South End, and employs about 40 hourly workers, most of them baristas and bakers. The company is locally owned and well liked; several workers stressed that their union drive was not about anger at the business but about making jobs there more stable.

How the vote came together

Organizing began quietly last winter, when a handful of baristas started comparing notes on schedules and tips. Many said they had trouble planning their lives because weekly schedules were sometimes posted only a day or two in advance. Others said tip policies varied from shop to shop, and some workers were unsure how tips were divided at all.

Over several months, a small group of workers met after closing to talk about what they wanted to change. In the spring, they contacted a regional union that represents restaurant and food service workers. In August, a majority of employees signed cards saying they supported a union, and the workers filed for an election.

The final count was 31 in favor and 6 against, with a handful of eligible workers not voting. Managers and shift supervisors were not part of the bargaining unit.

What workers want

Predictable schedules, a shared tip policy and paid sick days. Those are the three priorities workers say they will bring to the bargaining table first. Several workers said wages matter too, but that their biggest frustrations had more to do with stability than with pay alone.

• Predictable schedules. Workers want schedules posted at least two weeks ahead, with extra pay or notice when shifts are changed at the last minute.
• A shared tip policy. Workers want one clear, written policy for how tips are pooled and divided at all four locations, including the shops that get more foot traffic.
• Paid sick days. Workers say they want enough paid sick time to stay home when they are ill without losing a day’s pay — something they say matters for customers as much as for staff.
• A fair process for problems. Workers also want a clear way to raise workplace concerns and have them addressed.

We love this place. We just want it to work for the people behind the counter too.

Jordan Ellis, barista

Ellis, 27, has worked at the downtown shop for four years and was one of the organizers. She said many workers have stayed at Northbranch far longer than is typical in food service because they like the owner, the customers and each other. “People think café jobs are temporary,” she said. “For a lot of us, this is our career right now. We’re paying rent, paying for school, some of us are raising kids. We want a job we can count on.”

Another barista, Marcus Hale, who works at the university location, said he voted yes because of scheduling. “I’ve had weeks where I didn’t know if I was working 15 hours or 35 hours until Friday,” he said. “That’s hard when you’re trying to budget.”

The owner’s response

The owner said she would bargain in good faith. Sarah Northcott, who founded the business after working as a barista herself for nearly a decade, said in a written statement on Friday that she respects her employees’ decision and is committed to reaching a fair agreement.

“I started this company behind an espresso machine, and I know how hard this work is,” she wrote. “I didn’t expect a union, and I’ll be honest that it’s a big change for a small business. But our team has spoken clearly, and I will sit down at the table and bargain in good faith.”

In an interview, Northcott said the company has always tried to treat workers well but acknowledged that growing from one shop to four created problems she hadn’t fully addressed. “When you have one café, you know everyone and you can fix things on the spot,” she said. “At four, things slip through the cracks. Maybe this will help us build better systems.”

Northcott said she is concerned about rising costs, including rent, milk and coffee beans, and said she hopes workers will understand the limits of what a small, independent business can afford. She did not campaign against the union, according to workers, and several said she was respectful throughout the process.

What happens next

Under federal labor law, the employer and the union are now required to bargain in good faith toward a first contract. First contracts can take months, and sometimes longer, to negotiate. Workers said they plan to elect a bargaining committee of five, with at least one member from each location, and to survey all employees about their priorities before talks begin.

Here is what the process usually looks like, according to the regional union:

1. Workers elect a bargaining committee and gather input from coworkers.
2. The union and the employer agree on a schedule for meetings.
3. Each side presents proposals, and the two sides negotiate section by section.
4. Once a tentative agreement is reached, workers vote on whether to accept it.

For now, nothing changes about day-to-day operations. The cafés will keep their current hours, menus and prices, and workers will continue under their existing terms until a contract is reached.

A first for the city

Labor organizers say the vote could influence other small food businesses in the city. Café and restaurant workers at independent shops have rarely unionized here, in part because many businesses are small and staff turnover is high.

Some local business owners expressed concern. The owner of a bakery downtown, who asked not to be named because she did not want to be seen as taking sides, said she worries about how small shops will handle rising costs. “We all want to pay people well,” she said. “But margins in this business are thin.”

Others were more supportive. A city councilor who represents the downtown ward said the vote showed that workers “want a seat at the table, not a fight.” Several customers interviewed outside the downtown location said they would keep coming back regardless. “Honestly, if it means the people making my latte get sick days, I’m all for it,” said one regular, a nurse who stops in before her shifts.

Back behind the counter

By Saturday morning, the line at the downtown shop stretched out the door, just as it does every weekend. Baristas pulled shots, steamed milk and called out names. A small hand-written sign taped near the tip jar read, “Thank you for supporting us.”

Key takeaway: Northbranch’s baristas voted for a union not to fight the business they work for, but to make their jobs more predictable — and the owner has said she is ready to bargain.

Maple & Main will follow the bargaining process and report on any agreement. Workers and customers with questions or stories to share can reach our newsroom through the contact page.