Colectivo Coffee Workers Are Organizing a Union
Baristas and other workers at multiple Colectivo Coffee locations in Wisconsin and Illinois are organizing a union. We spoke to a Colectivo worker about the working conditions under COVID-19 that spurred them to organize, allegations of union-busting, and the need for workers everywhere to “get over the fear that [unionizing] can’t be done.”
A Colectivo Coffee cup. (Flickr)
For almost a year now, workers at Colectivo Coffee, a Milwaukee-based chain with locations in Wisconsin and Illinois, have been organizing with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). This month, employees will vote whether to form a union. If the vote passes, Colectivo Coffee would be the largest unionized café chain in the United States.
Brynn Schaal spoke with Ryan Coffel, a café worker at a Colectivo location in Chicago. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Brynn Schaal
How did you and your colleagues decide to organize?
Ryan Coffel
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