Update on Petition + Election Details

Dear Intellis,

Last Friday, I communicated that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was scheduled to hold a hearing today. The hearing was set on two significant issues related to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1220’s Petition for Election to represent Intelligentsia employees. The two significant issues were: the differences in the operations at CRW and our coffeebars, and the inclusion of supervisors as employees the union seeks to represent.

Several Intelligentsia employees spent the weekend preparing for this hearing, and several more were issued subpoenas by the union and would have been called to testify today before the NLRB. It was a first-time experience for many of us, and not how we had envisioned Intelligentsia employees spending their Juneteenth holiday. Thank you to everyone for your time in this endeavor.

Yesterday, late in the day, Intelligentsia was approached by the Union. Local 1220 proposed dropping CRW employees from the election process and having only our baristas and shift leads vote. We agreed so today’s hearing was cancelled and an election for only our Chicago coffeebar employees will take place in July.

What does this mean? It means that our CRW employees no longer are included in Local 1220’s organizing effort of Intelligentsia employees. Local 1220 made the decision to drop CRW employees on its own.

It also means Local 1220 is still pursuing representation of Intelligentsia employees at our five Chicago coffeebars. Intelligentsia baristas and shift leads will be voting in July if they want to represent themselves. Or, if they want to join the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1220 and have the union represent them and have their employment conditions controlled by a collective bargaining agreement, in exchange for their payment of monthly union dues.

The details of the election are as follows:

• Eligible voters: all baristas and retail shift leads in the Chicago market and who were on the payroll as of June 19th

• Location: the NLRB will mail ballots to the homes of all eligible voters on July 7th. The ballots must be returned to the NLRB no later than August 4th.

• Vote Tally: the NLRB will count the ballots on August 8th.

I continue to encourage everyone to Be Curious – ask questions, get answers, and for employees who will vote, to make an informed decision about whether you want and need the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1220 to represent you.

James