Two more independent Philly coffee shops move to unionize

The union movement continues to spread in Philly this month as workers from two well-established coffee shops, Elixr and Ultimo, filed petitions to unionize to the National Labor Relations Board. The union at Elixr was voluntarily recognized.

If Ultimo workers vote to unionize, they will join Korshak Bagels, Good Karma Cafe, and now Elixr in being represented by Local 80, a newly formed union dedicated to Philly’s food-service industry. (Local 80 is affiliated with Workers United.)

» READ MORE: Unions are brewing at coffee shops and restaurants. Will they change Philly’s food scene?

According to Philadelphia Joint Board organizer Eli Zastempowski, both union campaigns had been brewing since the spring.

Elixr has four locations in Center City, Callowhill, and University City. When workers there presented their letter to the owners in late August, they had unanimous support among employees. Owner Evan Inatome voluntarily recognized the union after a sit-down meeting with workers last week. The union was certified on Tuesday and will begin bargaining for its first contract in the coming months.

“The best part of Elixr has always been our staff and our culture,” Inatome said in a statement to The Inquirer. “Outside of the fancy coffees, we are a really cool and fun place to be. And for that the employees take all the credit. I think we are all looking forward to building a future where all of our outcomes are thought through a bit more democratically.”

Ultimo has four locations in Rittenhouse, Graduate Hospital, Newbold, and Germantown. Barista Kate Lord said workers there have had an interest in organizing for years, but their efforts gained speed once they teamed up with Local 80 and Workers United in the spring.

“With their resources and guidance, we’ve been able to take a more strategic approach to reaching people at other shops and getting the majority of people on board,” Lord said. She echoed a sentiment shared by other food-service workers who have organized in Philly: Unionizing is an expression of support for one’s workplace, rather than a move against it.

“If this was such a terrible place to work, I probably would have quit,” she said. “I see potential in this workplace, and I see co-workers who are invested and bosses who I think want this business to succeed and want long-term employees. I think this is an excellent path to that.”

Owner Aaron Ultimo responded to a request for comment on Friday afternoon. “While we don’t think unionization is right for a mom and pop small business, we will look forward to having all our employees given the opportunity to vote for unionization in the coming month. We will accept the outcome either way and proceed in good faith to continue to make Ultimo Coffee a great place to work (and to drink coffee).”

Philly’s independent-cafe unionization push has drawn strength and inspiration from that of Starbucks’ workers, which has spread to 327 stores in 37 states. Of the eight Starbucks in Philly that filed petitions to unionize, five have voted and won, two have lost union elections, and one — at 22nd and South Streets — is still in process.