From the Ground Up: The Challenges and Opportunities of Bargaining a First Contract
With “Music Between the Stacks” with Emmett Doyle

Friday, March 24, 2023, 6:30pm-9:30pm

Register here to join this event in person or on Zoom.

The panel will feature speakers from Trader Joe’s Union, Starbucks Workers United, Peace Coffee, and Common Roots Cafe discussing the challenges and opportunities created by organizing and fighting for a first contract under progressive employers. Are these businesses as supportive of their workforce as they claim to be? What does it take to win a first contract across these industries? And what can we expect from them in the future? 

Sarah Beth Ryther – Sarah Beth Ryther is an employee organizer at the Minneapolis Trader Joe’s. She is also the Vice President of Trader Joe’s United, the independent union created for and by employees.

Graciela Nira – Gracie (she/they) is a shift supervisor and rank-and-file organizer at Starbucks. She has worked at Starbucks in St. Paul and San Antonio, Texas since 2017 and has been an active member of  Starbucks Workers United’s (SBWU) National Bargaining Committee since mid-2022. They are interested in how queer, working class, and BIPOC consciousnesses inspire and architect holistic contract proposals. 

Andrea Lechuga – Andrea grew up in a union family, with both parents actively participating in their union chapter. Andrea gained an interest in food production and learned organic farming, then worked as a kitchen manager at a preschool before getting a job in catering sales at Common Roots Cafe. Once the working conditions deteriorated at Common Roots, Andrea contacted UNITE HERE Local 17 to discuss how to unionize Common Roots. The Cafe’s owner fired Andrea for organizing, so she has returned to working in education.

Sandro Garcia – Sandro was born in Lima, Peru. Sandro has worked at Peace Coffee in the production department for nearly a decade and has been involved in the organizing campaign at Peace Coffee since early on. Solidarity!

Seating is limited, registration is required.

Masks required.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC