LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Newly unionized workers at Heine Brothers Coffee are in line for regular wage increases, more control over their schedules, additional paid time off and extra holidays under a tentative agreement between the union and the locally owned chain of 18 coffee shops.
The contract, which must still be approved by the chain’s more than 200 hourly workers in an upcoming vote, marks a significant milestone as many newly organized unions fail to reach a first agreement with their employers.
"That’s a big step; to get that first contract is really important," said Ariana Levinson, a professor of labor law at the University of Louisville.
The union, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union, announced the "major" changes in a Twitter post on Saturday.
We’ve got some big news! Just *11* months after taking our organizing public - we have reached an agreement and are ready to ratify our first contract! Here’s some of the MAJOR improvements we’re thrilled to announce 1/5 #UnionsForAll
— Heine Brothers Coffee Union (@HBWorkersUnion) March 11, 2023
Heine Brothers co-founder and President Mike Mays said the agreement was the result of "a lot of hard work and good faith commitment by all involved over the last five months."
Mays said he hopes workers will approve the deal.
"We look forward to working together to keep our company a great place to work that delivers remarkable coffee shop experiences to our customers," he said in a statement.
No one from the union could be reached immediately for comment.
Heine Brothers workers voted by a 2-to-1 margin to unionize in September, marking the biggest labor organizing effort in Louisville in about a decade. Contract talks began in November.
For newly organized unions, winning representation is merely the first step. It is often more difficult to secure an agreement with an employer.
More than 200 Starbucks stores nationwide, including as handful in the Louisville area, have unionized, but store-by-store efforts to negotiate labor contracts have so far fallen short.
A 2021 Bloomberg Law analysis found that it takes an average of 409 days — more than a year — for unions to reach a first collective bargaining agreement with an employer. Bloomberg Law examined 330 bargaining units formed between 2004 and 2021.
Levinson said first contracts are difficult because there is no template from which to negotiate. Future negotiations will use previous contracts as a framework, she said.
According to the Heine Brothers union’s summary on Twitter, the contract would ensure that hourly wages currently ranging from $10 to $13.33 for baristas, roastery employees and assistant store managers rise in 50-cent increments annually over a four-year period.
Workers will accrue paid time off at a faster rate, meaning fulltime workers will earn about three weeks per year, up from the current two weeks. The company will have nine paid holidays instead of seven.
