...with Communism!
Nearly a dozen current and former workers at Bruegger's Bagels restaurants in Eastern Iowa, calling for increased pay and better working conditions, will call a vote next month on forming a union.
Workers from two Bruegger's locations in Iowa — one at 708 S. Riverside Dr. in Iowa City and one at 404 First Ave. in Coralville — petitioned June 3 with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union.
Juniper Hollis, one of the organizers of "Bruegger's Workers United," said the organizers are asking for increased base pay and paid time off and better treatment from management.
Days after the workers announced their intention to form a union, officials from Bruegger's announced the franchise's Coralville location would be closing. While workers said they were told the store would be closing due to repairs, Hollis alleges the closure was in retaliation for organizing workers.
On June 15, several union members protested outside the Riverside location. Less than a week later, the NLRB ruled the workers could vote to certify the union July 9.
If a majority of workers vote to support the union, the NLRB certifies the union to represent workers in collective bargaining with the company. Hollis said workers from the Coralville location would be ineligible to vote because the store closed before the union filed with the NLRB.
A representative of Bruegger's Bagels declined to comment to The Gazette about the union petition or questions employees raised about pay and working conditions.
Hollis, who began working at the Bruegger's Riverside location in January, said she got the idea for organizing around May after speaking with her co-workers about their pay.
"I thought that what I was paid was not enough, and so I began asking workers what they got paid, and I found that people were getting paid varying amounts," Hollis said.
Hollis resigned from Bruegger's after the chain announced the Coralville closing.
Molly Harris, who works at the Riverside location, said she was paid $11 an hour when she joined Bruegger's in late 2023. After a couple of months working, Harris said she referred one of her friends to work there, too. But after being hired, the friend’s pay was higher but held the same job, Harris said.
"My friend got hired at $11.50 per hour, and sometime after that, two new people were hired, and they were making $11.25 an hour," Harris said. "There have been some people hired at $12, and this is all (for the same position)."
Harris said members of the Iowa City Starbucks union, who accompanied the Bruegger's workers during their protest and became the first Starbucks in Iowa to unionize last year, have helped boost morale among Bruegger's workers and gave advice on what steps to take.
"The Starbucks employees in Iowa City have helped pave the way so that other unions can be successful in our causes and get things we are asking for to be fulfilled," Harris said.
Comments: (319)-265-6889; cooper.worth@thegazette.com
https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-city-brueggers-bagels-workers-to-vote-on-forming-union/
Iowa City Bruegger's Bagels workers to vote on forming union
Members of Bruegger's Workers United allege pay discrepanciesNearly a dozen current and former workers at Bruegger's Bagels restaurants in Eastern Iowa, calling for increased pay and better working conditions, will call a vote next month on forming a union.
Workers from two Bruegger's locations in Iowa — one at 708 S. Riverside Dr. in Iowa City and one at 404 First Ave. in Coralville — petitioned June 3 with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union.
Juniper Hollis, one of the organizers of "Bruegger's Workers United," said the organizers are asking for increased base pay and paid time off and better treatment from management.
Days after the workers announced their intention to form a union, officials from Bruegger's announced the franchise's Coralville location would be closing. While workers said they were told the store would be closing due to repairs, Hollis alleges the closure was in retaliation for organizing workers.
On June 15, several union members protested outside the Riverside location. Less than a week later, the NLRB ruled the workers could vote to certify the union July 9.
If a majority of workers vote to support the union, the NLRB certifies the union to represent workers in collective bargaining with the company. Hollis said workers from the Coralville location would be ineligible to vote because the store closed before the union filed with the NLRB.
A representative of Bruegger's Bagels declined to comment to The Gazette about the union petition or questions employees raised about pay and working conditions.
Hollis, who began working at the Bruegger's Riverside location in January, said she got the idea for organizing around May after speaking with her co-workers about their pay.
"I thought that what I was paid was not enough, and so I began asking workers what they got paid, and I found that people were getting paid varying amounts," Hollis said.
Hollis resigned from Bruegger's after the chain announced the Coralville closing.
Molly Harris, who works at the Riverside location, said she was paid $11 an hour when she joined Bruegger's in late 2023. After a couple of months working, Harris said she referred one of her friends to work there, too. But after being hired, the friend’s pay was higher but held the same job, Harris said.
"My friend got hired at $11.50 per hour, and sometime after that, two new people were hired, and they were making $11.25 an hour," Harris said. "There have been some people hired at $12, and this is all (for the same position)."
Harris said members of the Iowa City Starbucks union, who accompanied the Bruegger's workers during their protest and became the first Starbucks in Iowa to unionize last year, have helped boost morale among Bruegger's workers and gave advice on what steps to take.
"The Starbucks employees in Iowa City have helped pave the way so that other unions can be successful in our causes and get things we are asking for to be fulfilled," Harris said.
Comments: (319)-265-6889; cooper.worth@thegazette.com
https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-city-brueggers-bagels-workers-to-vote-on-forming-union/
