At this point, we’ve all heard a lot about the Great Resignation. People are quitting their jobs in droves, and for good reason — poor working conditions, low pay, and just the general feeling that there’s more to life than staying at an organization you dislike. But what if you could have a say in your own working conditions? What if the company you worked for couldn’t make decisions without your input? In 2021, the workers at Pavement Coffeehouse in Boston found themselves asking these questions. Soon after, they became the first unionized coffee shop in Massachusetts. Emma Delaney, a former supervisor at Pavement and now a full-time organizer at NEJB Unite Here, was one of the many employees that led the union’s organization efforts. She shared with us what it was like to start a union at Pavement, what it really means to “organize” a workplace, and what you may be putting at risk when you do. Subscribe to HBR Ascend on YouTube for more videos on work, life, and everything in between. Transcript EMMA DELANEY: People were really sick and tired of feeling disposable, and we did not want to feel disposable anymore. And really truly the turning point was just having the information and having the resources to do it. I was a barista for about six years, ever since high school. I truly didn’t think of myself as a career person. I was just going to work in foodservice until I figured something else out. And then honestly, organizing kind of hit me like a truck. There’s a colloquial term, “barista hopping,” where you go from one coffee shop to the next thinking it’s gonna be better, but it ends up being about the same. It was getting to a point where I was about at the end of my foodservice rope. It had just been a very long time, and I just wanted something that didn’t make me feel like I had to rest for three days after one shift. I think the turning point really came out of being exhausted from working through the pandemic and being considered “disposable” workers. While also at the same time society was showing us that we were essential workers, because we were seeing hundreds of people a day, having to fight people on wearing masks and then being treated rather poorly. People were really sick and tired of feeling disposable. And we did not want to feel disposable anymore. When I first heard about a union, it was through my roommate. She just kind of called me one morning and was like, “Hey, what if you unionized pavement?” and I said, “I don’t know what that means. Tell me more.” Being in a union essentially looks like all of your coworkers just coming together to support each other. And then there’s a lot more on a technical level that happens such as, you now literally have 50% of the say in your working terms and conditions, which is massive. It’s just a legally enforceable process that makes you come together and act collectively. But there’s also some accountability from management, and there are certain things in place that they have to follow. If they want to change anything, they can’t do it without bargaining with you first. When we had issues with management, we would go to them, we would ask them to do something about the problems we were facing, and it was generally met with empty promises. We just wanted there to be something that held them accountable to what we were asking for. We were fighting a lot for just having a say in our working terms and conditions, and that was ranging from scheduling to pay, to “just cause” discipline. In the United States, you’re an “at will” employee. So you can be fired for any reason, unless it’s based in discrimination. And even then, the burden of proof is on the worker. We really wanted something set in place so if you’re going to be fired, there’s going to be all of these steps before, you’re going to be very aware of what is happening, and you have a grievance procedure along the way. I don’t really think that we were that afraid of being fired. The night before [we delivered our demand letter] we were actually in my apartment. That night ended up turning into all of us rallying around each other — if one person gets fired, we are turning off the toasters or walking out. We’re not standing for it. It was just a really beautiful moment of solidarity. I’ve never felt so much support in one room before. And it was just a really great energizing, wonderful moment to go into the next day with, which was a big day. It was a very chaotic and energy filled day. The next morning, we handed the demand letter to management. And I think that they were in shock, honestly, because you didn’t really hear about coffee shops organizing. It wasn’t like an industry that was thought of as one that you organize. So I think everyone was just kind of like, wow, this actually happening. They decided to voluntarily recognize us, which was unheard of. I remember an organizer at the time saying that he would jump off a roof if that happens, because it was so unheard of, for this to happen. So the fact that it did floored us. From there, we were a union, and now we are in a contract fight. I think young people specifically are really energized by this movement because it just seems really kind of hopeless. Especially when the pandemic hit — the system is not set up for us. I think because it’s so tangible and so possible, that’s why it’s really taken off. It’s something that we can actively do to change our working terms and conditions and therefore, our life trajectories. I never expected to be here, but I am so grateful that I have found this path and that I am here now.
