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The International Socialist Organization reports
The Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU) in Portland, Oregon, has become the first federally recognized fast-food workers union in the U.S.
With a vote of 18-4 in a National Labor Relations Board election, workers at Store #41 notched an important victory in the drive to organize the 1,500 workers at all 42 Burgerville sites located in Oregon and southwest Washington. BVWU spokesperson Emmett Schlenz says that six of the company's locations now have publicly active unions. Workers at another store have already filed for an NLRB election.
[...] The union has been pressing for a $5 an hour raise, stable scheduling, affordable health care, paid maternity/paternity leave, free childcare and transportation, and an end to the employer's use of e-verify to exclude undocumented immigrant workers.
Using direct action tactics, including mass picketing with community allies, occupations and a three-day strike at four restaurants, the all-volunteer BVWU has drawn the support of dozens of local unions, many community and faith-based organizations, and some elected officials.
The union called a boycott of Burgerville after a number of union activists were fired.
[...] The union's announcement of its victory stated:
In this moment of victory, we want to celebrate, yes, but we also want to turn our attention to the 4.5 million other fast-food workers in the United States. We want to speak to everyone else who works for poverty wages, who are constantly disrespected on the job, who are told they aren't educated enough, aren't experienced enough, aren't good enough for a decent life. To all of those workers, to everyone like us who works rough jobs for terrible pay, we say this:
Don't listen to that bullshit. Burgerville workers didn't, and look at us now.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Knowledge Troll on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:35PM (1 child)
Burgerville is a rather expensive fast-food place to eat at already. You do get what you pay for - the food quality is high and the menu choice is decent but anyone can easily call BV a premium fast food place. The most basic cheeseburger, more tasty than but roughly the same size of, a McDonalds basic cheeseburger, is $2. A bacon cheeseburger on it's own is about $7 - add the fries and a drink and it's about $11 for that quick meal. 3 piece fish and chips is about $11 bucks as well.
It is already almost $20 for a bacon burger combo with a seasonal shake!
I can't fathom how BV can remain competitive in the face of cost increases like this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:32PM
See Thexalon's post in the thread above. It may sound like a massive increase but the impact to consumers wouldn't be as big of a % jump. Our consumerist drive for lower and lower prices has become quite detrimental to society. The only benefit was for China and other developing nations who gained some benefits by exploiting their own desperate people, and it is hard to say whether allowing the corporate slavery resulted in better outcomes than if those countries simply focused on developing themselves internally.
More to your topic, I prefer to pay a bit more for better food and knowing the employees aren't miserable. Not surprisingly they seem to go together.