Philz led us to believe that they listened to our concerns about pride flags, but since our last update, we’ve heard that stores that weren't allowed to have flags to begin with are still prohibited from hanging one. While our quick, collective action was able to force the company to reverse course on the removal of pride flags, Philz thinks they can get away with doing less than the bare minimum.
Recently, in part due to an outpouring of support from the community, baristas at Philz in Berkeley made the decision to join UFCW Local 5, the union that also represents baristas at Verve Coffee, Highwire Coffee, Peerless Coffee, and Cat & Cloud Coffee.
Issues like the one mentioned above will continue to exist unless we take action and unionize too. When many of us took this job, we took it because: we felt safe, seen, and included. It felt like a place where we could freely express ourselves and make a cup of love with our friends. Since private equity took over, Corporate has sacrificed our community for profit and taken the love out of Philz.
We are facing many challenges at work including a lack of hours, chronic understaffing, and unjust and arbitrary discipline. As Philz continues down a path of greed, it has become apparent that they intend to co-opt the culture the company was founded on while disrespecting the staff and the communities they serve. In doing so, Corporate has normalized disrespect by failing to protect baristas of various identities and orientations from discrimination from problematic customers and managers alike, creating a working environment that disservices both customers and baristas by inhibiting us from being the best we can be for ourselves and our communities.
To our fellow baristas: ALL workers deserve to work with dignity and respect, to feel safe, and to know that our best interest is being looked out for. Baristas are no exception! We believe that the only way to make lasting and impactful change at Philz is to amplify our voices by coming together and speaking as one. If you’re interested in unionizing your store and returning Philz to a safe space for all baristas to show up as they are, connect with like-minded baristas by clicking here!