On Tuesday, October 25, workers and organizers gathered at the headquarters of Philadelphia’s Workers United union hall to celebrate a recent string of victories: the voluntary recognition of unions formed at locations across two local coffee shops, Reanimator Coffee and Ultimo Coffee.

Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United Local 80 — the newly formed union under which the two shops have organized — is at the forefront of a growing movement to unionize across the coffee industry, and the momentum is not slowing down. There are currently four more campaigns underway to unionize stores across the city. Organizers there are hoping to join the five separate businesses, sixteen stores, and over 150 workers currently represented by the union.

In the past year Starbucks unionization efforts have received national publicity, while comparatively little attention has been paid to unionization campaigns at smaller coffee shops. But recent months have seen unprecedented union activity at small coffee shops across the country, too, with successful campaigns in Boston, Pittsburgh, and Chicago.