Ithaca Coffee Co. workers form union (NLRB to oversee April 21 recognition vote)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20100409/NEWS01/4090372/1126/news/Ithaca+Coffee+Co.+workers+form+union

By Liz Lawyer •[e-mail] • April 9, 2010, 7:10 pm

A group of baristas and other employees at the Ithaca Coffee Company have formed the first coffee worker's union in Ithaca.

A majority of the workers formed the Tompkins County Coffee Workers Union on Feb. 21, but the company refused to voluntarily recognize the union, said Pete Meyers, executive director of the Tompkins County Workers' Center.

The National Labor Relations Board will oversee a vote among the non-supervisory employees at Ithaca Coffee Company to officially recognize the union as a bargaining unit April 21.

"My employees have every right to choose to be represented, and they will have their chance to vote on the 21st," said Ithaca Coffee Company owner Julie Crowley. "I am disappointed my employees didn't come directly to me before going outside the company, but they didn't."

Meyers said the workers hope to gain the ability to negotiate regarding working conditions and job security, among other things.

"Significant portions of the community would be shocked if they knew of the anti-union tactics being employed by a company, the Ithaca Coffee Company, that specializes in selling Fair Trade coffee," Meyers said. "A key principle of Fair Trade certification is the right of coffee workers to organize a union, which is why the Workers' Center loves the slogan the workers at the Ithaca Coffee Company have come up with for their campaign literature: 'Fair Trade: From the Bean to the Cup.'"

FULL story at link.