Updates
May 27 2024
Java Blend employees have won their union. After a settlement was reached yesterday, ballots cast a year ago in a vote to unionize were finally counted this morning – and 90% of workers voted to join SEIU Local 2.
What's Next
WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN! 💜 We are thrilled to tell you we have a settlement with Java Blend! Ballots were counted and 90% voted to join SEIU Local 2!
We are incredibly excited. This is what the settlement means:
- First, we are calling for an end to the boycott! ☕️ We hope you will visit to grab a coffee and say “Hi!”
- We have an agreement in place to start recalling terminated employees.
- Union wins a city-wide bargaining unit that includes Cortado, Coastal and Java Blend cafes.
- We’ve agreed that over the next four weeks, we will start good-faith bargaining to win the best possible collective agreement.
Halifax, we have felt your support for us from day one. Thank you for your solidarity! This is a massive win for our community! 💜💜💜
Voices
“One of the reasons we felt courageous enough to speak out and defend our rights is because of union support. Java Blend will say they are facing mounting debt, but from my perspective, [that’s] inconsistent with terminating staff at its most lucrative cafe on North St.”
—Cailen Pygott
Cailen had been working at Java Blend since June 2017. He was a barista supervisor and one of the four Union leaders that was fired in January.
To know that we have the community’s support in our fight for workers’ rights is truly amazing to see. As employees of Java Blend we have continuously done our best to serve our surrounding community, so it is an honour for you all to return that service to us.
—Emma Cooper
Coop had been working at Java Blend since April 2021. They were a barista supervisor and one of the four Union leaders that was fired in January.
“Forming a Union was important because I deeply care about the well-being of my co-workers in the workplace. Over the four years I’ve worked there, I witnessed a lot of change in the company such as unfair scheduling and hours being cut. We knew that forming a Union was the only way we could do something about these issues.”
—Andrew Mawko
Andy had been working at Java Blend since December 2019. He was a barista and one of the four Union leaders that was fired in January.
“As a person living with disability, I value health and safety in my workplace above all. After seeing countless hazards go ignored by management despite employees continuously bringing them to attention and watching our health and safety committee slowly dissolve with positions left vacant for months despite having plenty of volunteers. We mobilised to form a union that would support our health and safety needs.”
—Emily Kristensen
Em K had been working at Java Blend since October 2022. She was a barista supervisor and one of the four Union leaders that was fired in January.
TAKE ACTION!
Boycott Java Blend cafés, businesses and its products including: Cortado Tasting Room (Bedford), Java Blend Downtown (Sackville St), Java Blend North St, Coastal Wholesale, Java Blend roasting and coffee beans.
Talk or write to café or business-owners to tell them to stop their accounts with Java Blend until they settle a collective-agreement for workers.
Donate to the terminated workers, some of whom are facing continued financial ramifications from the sudden illegal terminations.
Community is welcome to join us on the picket line. Want more information? Contact Tina at toh@seiulocal2.ca
Background
Workers at Java Blend Coffee Limited began organizing a Union at the workplace in early 2023. Java Blend is a roasting production and retail business that operates in four locations in the Halifax Regional Municipality including three cafes: Java Blend North Street, Java Blend Sackville Street and Cortado Tasting Room. The Roastery and production outlet is located at 30 Borden Avenue in Dartmouth.
Workers across the Java Blend company cast their votes on June 2, 2023 with the goal of unionizing with SEIU Local 2.
These ballots remain sealed to this day because of delays caused by Java Blend’s objections over which employees should be included in the union.
On January 23, 2024, nine café employees, including the four leaders of a union drive, were illegally terminated according to an Unfair Labour Practice complaint.
On January 31, SEIU Local 2 filed an unfair labour practice complaint and announced its plans to fight what we believe to be illegal union-busting terminations.
After months of Java Blend ownership objections that are delaying the counting of ballots from the June 2023 Union vote, a boycott of Java Blend and it’s products started on April 28, 2024.
Legal Complaint
The employer’s conduct has all the hallmarks of an orchestrated campaign of retaliation aimed at crushing workers’ rights, according to the legal complaint filed by SEIU Local 2 at the Nova Scotia Labour Board.
ULP Overview
The Complainant, Service Employees International Union Local 2, Brewery General and Professional Workers’ Union (“SEIU”) alleges the Respondent has violated sections 53 and 58 of the Trade Union Act (“the Act”) by terminating union organizers in retaliation for organizing a union in their workplace. The Employer has enacted this retaliation under the guise of layoffs required to maintains financial stability. However, in doing so the Employer has terminated only twenty-five percent (25%) of the workforce, but a full one hundred percent (100%) of the Union’s organizing committee. Furthermore, the impacted workers, who are living paycheck-to paycheck, have been told that they will only receive desperately needed severance if they give up their rights under the Trade Union Act. For the reasons which are further particularized in this complaint, the Employer’s conduct has all the hallmarks of an orchestrated campaign of retaliation aimed at crushing workers’ rights.
As a remedy, the Union will be seeking orders that: all affected workers are reinstated, general and pecuniary damages to the impacted workers and the Union itself, declaratory relief, and that the Board’s decision be posted in the workplace.
SILENCE NOT FOR SALE!
In addition to their termination, workers were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement which would give up their right to any legal challenges.
At the termination meeting, “we were all then presented with a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which, if we had signed, would have provided additional termination pay, but also required us to keep all details confidential,” said Emily Kristensen, one of the terminated worker-leaders. “However, our silence is not for sale.”
They say that nothing worth having comes easily. For over a year, we fought for this moment, OUR FIRST COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT WITH JAVA BLEND! 🤩
Here are some highlights from our first agreement:
▪️ Wage increases with every year of service + min. wage increases on top!
▪️ $1/hr pay premiums, improved overtime rates & paid bereavement leave.
▪️ Paid sick leave including ability to bank days.
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#Solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #halifax #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN! 🎉
💜 We are thrilled to tell you we have a settlement with Java Blend Coffee Roasters! Ballots were counted and 90% voted to join SEIU Local 2! We are incredibly excited.
Here`s what`s next:
▪️ First, we are calling for an end to the boycott! ☕️ We hope you will visit to grab a coffee and say "Hi!" to our newly unionized workforce!
▪️ We have an agreement in place to start recalling terminated employees.
▪️ We won a city-wide bargaining unit that includes Cortado Tasting Room, Coastal Wholesale and Java Blend cafes.
▪️ We’ve agreed that over the next four weeks, we will start good-faith bargaining to win the best possible collective agreement.
Halifax, we have felt your support for us from day one. Thank you for your solidarity! This is a massive win for our community!
--
#Solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #halifax #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
Rapper and activist @iamgeneralkhan at our #BoycottTheBlend rally!
⭐️UPDATE: The union has won and we are calling for an end to the boycott. See website for more details.
It’s been one long year since the start of our struggle to unionize javablendcoffee.
Throughout this time, the employer has tried to stall the counting of the union-votes, our ability to begin collective-bargaining all while terminating worker-leaders/supporters.
Halifax — let’s show them we’re a union town 🪧 Keep boycotting Java Blend until they prove they can do better for the workers / communities they do business in.
—
#StopUnionBusting #solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #halifax #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
⭐️UPDATE: The union has won and we are calling for an end to the boycott. See website for more details.
Community-minded businesses and organizations are boycotting @cortadotastingroom, @coastalwholesale and javablendcoffee and are standing in solidarity with our terminated workers! Thank you @thegraineryhfx, @glitterbeancafe and @rosefinch.store for all your support! 💜 #BoycottTheBlend
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#StopUnionBusting #solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #halifax #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
Poet, journalist and activist, Professor El Jones at our #BoycottTheBlend rally!
⭐️UPDATE: The union has won and we are calling for an end to the boycott. See website for more details.
It’s been two weeks since we launched our boycott and one long year since the start of our struggle to unionize javablendcoffee.
Throughout this time, the employer has tried to stall the counting of the union-votes, our ability to begin collective-bargaining all while terminating worker-leaders/supporters.
Halifax — let’s show them we’re a union town 🪧 Keep boycotting Java Blend until they prove they can do better for the workers / communities they do business in.
--
#StopUnionBusting #solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #halifax #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
JAVA BLEND RALLY this Sunday, April 28, at 1pm outside of javablendcoffee, North St. #BoycottTheBlend
Featuring special guests
▪️ Poet, journalist and activist, professor El Jones
▪️ Rapper and community-organizer,
Masuma Khan
▪️ Actor & director of Mayworks, and Bus Stop Theatre, Sebastian Labelle.
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@mayworkskjipuktukhfx @busstoptheatre #StopUnionBusting #solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #halifax #canlab #cdnpoli #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
On Saturday, our community came together and showed that we won`t stand for union busting! Thank you to everyone who showed up and lent their voices to be in solidarity with us. We love our local baristas!
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#solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #halifax #canlab #cdnpoli #LivingWagesForAll #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
☕️ Rally is THIS SATURDAY, Feb 10 at 1pm outside Java Blend North St (Halifax). Come show your solidarity and stop union busting! *sips tea*
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#solidarity #unionstrong #unionize #halifax #canlab #cdnpoli #LivingWagesForAll #workerscantwait #seiu #coffeeshop #coffeelife #baristadaily #SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
💥JOIN US💥 for a rally outside Java Blend (North St) on Feb 10 at 1pm
With all the hallmarks of an orchestrated campaign of retaliation aimed at crushing workers’ rights, terminated workers of Java Blend hosted a press conference on Jan31 to share their story 💢
While the employer states it had to lay off 25% of its staff due to financial hardship, the reality is that they terminated 100% of the worker-leaders of the ongoing public union drive since June 2023 👀
The Union’s unfair labour practice complaint is posted publicly on our website ☕️ You should read it; it’s juicy
#SpillTheBeansOnJavaBlend
In the News
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- Java Blend (18)
Halifax-based Java Blend, union sign first collective agreement
Java Blend Coffee Roasters and union reach settlement agreement
Former Halifax coffee shop employees hold rally after layoffs
Laid-off workers at Java Blend in Halifax say ‘our silence is not for sale’
