DETROIT, MI – Today, baristas and cooks at Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company announced their strike for union recognition, joining industry colleagues across the country in a growing movement towards workplace unionization. The group is branding themselves as “Comrades in Coffee” and hopes to inspire coffee shop workers across Michigan to follow in their footsteps.

Baristas and cooks at multiple Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company locations began organizing conversations with UNITE HERE! Local 24 in early January and are following in the footsteps of countless workers who have gone on strike for safer working conditions, fair wages, and respect on the job. This strike comes at a time when approval ratings for unions are at an all time high, where 68% of Americans approve of labor unions according to a September 2021Gallup Poll. 

“When COVID 19 cases began surging again in Michigan, we asked for more stringent health and safety measures like mask requirements and continued contact tracing,” said Lex BLOM, a barista at Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company. “Our requests were dismissed. We realized that the best way to advocate for ourselves and ensure our health and safety needs were met was to form a union, get a contract, and have a real seat at the table.” 

“What we are seeing with Comrades in Coffee demonstrates a new generation of workers who are ready to demand their right to collectively bargain,” said Nia WINSTON, President of UNITE HERE! Local 24. “We look forward to helping these workers organize and get a fair contract.”

“Workers in Michigan and across the country have been inspired by the countless actions workers have taken to fight for their rights on the job,” said Ron BIEBER, President of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it abundantly clear that workers are prioritizing their own health and safety, and many are realizing a union contract is the best way to guarantee that.”

Additional information on Comrades in Coffee can be found at https://comradesincoffee.org