A unionization campaign by Stauf’s Coffee Roasters employees has stalled due to lack of internal support and difficulty communicating with employees across five locations in Columbus, Ohio.

Background

Quinn, a pseudonym for a Stauf’s barista, earns $13.50 an hour, just above Ohio’s minimum wage, and is forced to look for work elsewhere due to financial struggles. The employees’ organizing committee has realized that organizing could take years, with less than 20 of 80-plus eligible employees signing authorization cards.

Stauf’s CEO Mark Swanson did not respond to requests for comment. In January, Swanson held an all-staff meeting to discuss a social media post regarding serving federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, which was later deleted.

Unionization Efforts

The unionization campaign was announced in April, with the goal of making Stauf’s a better workplace. However, the efforts have been met with resistance, and the committee has decided to publicize their campaign to drum up support and signal to the community that workers’ values are separate from management.

Quinn stated that the employees on the floor are Stauf’s biggest asset and want a say in how the company is run. The committee has heard from other staffers that folks are terrified of losing their jobs, and one coworker is a single parent relying on a combination of wages and federal subsidies to support their four kids.

Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.