Local 80, Philly’s barista union, calls for Ultimo Coffee boycott

Local 80, the nearly 2-year-old food service union that represents employees at various independent coffee shops in Philadelphia, is calling for a boycott of Ultimo Coffee beginning today. The boycott comes a week after unionized Ultimo employees publicly authorized a strike, and a week before the union’s next bargaining session with the cafe’s owners.

Ultimo’s four Philadelphia cafes unionized in late 2022. Owners Aaron and Elizabeth Ultimo and union employees have been negotiating a tentative first contract for just over a year. In January, employees at the Germantown and Graduate Hospital shops moved to decertify their unions, leaving just 12 workers represented under two Ultimo unions at the Newbold and Rittenhouse cafes.

Local 80 is encouraging customers to “suspend their use of Ultimo Coffee products until owners settle a contract with their workers,” according to a release.

“We are disappointed that the Union has chosen to attack our small business, where we guarantee our employees earn a minimum of $20/hour with tips, and they make an average of more than $25/hour,” the Ultimos said in a statement. “The parties have barely begun to negotiate the economic portion of the contract. We have already agreed to benefits that Local 80 ratified in a contract with another unionized coffee company. We look forward to coming to an agreement on all remaining proposals as soon as possible.”

Besides Ultimo, Local 80 represents unions at Elixr, ReAnimator, and Vibrant Coffee Roasters,where workers only recently began negotiating a first contract. The Elixr and ReAnimator unions both ratified respective first contracts in the last two months, shortly after the workers at each outfit authorized strikes.