Sunergos Coffee, local Starbucks location workers vote to unionize

The workers of another local chain of coffee shops voted to unionize this week.

Sunergos Coffee employees voted 30-14 on Wednesday to join National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, Local 32BJ, SEIU, a union with roots in Louisville’s railroad industry that has evolved to become a branch of the Service Employees International Union. SEIU is the same union Heine Brothers' Coffee workers voted to join in September 2022.

"Now it’s time to [bargain] for a fair contract that includes living wages, transparency from our employer and the dignity and respect all workers deserve," Sunergos organizers said in a tweet.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, 50 Sunergos workers — including full-time and regular part-time baristas, production employees, warehouse and delivery employees, bakery employees and shift leads — are eligible to join the union. The Louisville-based coffee chain has locations at 2122 S. Preston St., 306 W. Woodlawn Ave., 231 S. Fifth St., 1647 Norris Place and 3922 Willis Ave.

I have reached out to Matthew Huested and Brian Miller, co-founders and owners of Sunergos, for their response to the decision. This story could be updated.

In an August 2022 interview, the owners told Louisville Business First reporter Laurel Deppen if there is something lacking with communication in the company, they want to fix it.

“The idea that there is a missing piece, a missing piece that there is not a seat at the table, is something that is both surprising, and we would readily and gladly remedy or whatever is the barrier,” Huested said. “We have no idea what that barrier is currently. We don't feel at all that we're in an adversarial relationship with the interests of our employees."

Unions on the rise in Louisville, nationally

In other union news, the employees of the Starbucks on Baxter Avenue also voted 14-4 to join Starbucks Workers United on Wednesday. Its the fourth metro area Starbucks to organize with the union.

“This moment has been a long time coming. We fought long and hard for this victory, it may be a small victory but it is a great victory nonetheless," said Tamara Bell, a shift supervisor at the Baxter Avenue store, in a news release. "I'm excited to see what this next chapter holds for us and the next milestone we reach. We're going to keep fighting for fairness at work.

"Big corporations cannot keep doing and saying whatever they want while stepping all over hard working people. We deserve peace of mind like anyone else. I'm so excited, so happy, and so blessed.”

As I reported last month, employees at Louisville's only Trader Joe's store announced their intent to unionize. The effort would make Louisville the third Trader Joe's store to unionize with Trader Joe's United, an independent union representing Trader Joe's workers.

In November 2022, Courier Journal staff voted in favor to join the Indianapolis NewsGuild Local 34070. The Courier Journal Guild previously stated a few of its demands include the creation a system of pay raises to reward institutional knowledge and commitment to Louisville; ensuring all salaries are equitable, fair and livable; and dropping the paywall on stories in the public’s interest, including those on natural disasters and Covid-19.

The National Labor Relations Board, the government agency that oversees union activity and collective bargaining, saw 2,510 petitions for new unions in fiscal 2022 — up 53% from the year before and the highest number since 2016. Charges for unfair labor practices also grew 19% from 15,082 in fiscal 2021 to 17,988 in fiscal 2022.

Taken together, the total number of cases at the NLRB in fiscal 2022 reached 20,498 — an increase of 23% — which was the largest increase in cases since 1976 and the largest percentage increase since 1959.