Peet’s Coffee Employees “March on the Boss” as IWW Union Campaign Expands to Fourth Store

Workers at Peet’s Coffee and members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), organized a “march on the boss” in Berkeley, California, announcing that a fourth store had joined the campaign to unionize the coffee giant in the bay area. In 2023, “Peet’s workers at the Southside Berkeley, Temescal and Piedmont locations each voted to unionize” with the IWW, winning victories in an industry known for union busting.

Members of the IWW marched and rallied both inside and outside of the Peet’s Coffee location in Berkeley, holding IWW picket signs and posters featuring the union’s mascot, a black cat, symbolizing the wildcat strike. Members of the union and Peet’s workers gave speeches which have now been posted to social media.

“I joined this union because managers don’t look out for workers, workers look out for workers…People at my shop don’t have enough hours to get by…[to] make enough money for rent. People work two, three jobs…we are not being looked out for by management…,” stated one Peet’s worker and IWW member, during the rally inside the store.

According to a press release from the union:

Worker’s from the 4th Street Peet’s location in Berkeley filed a petition to join the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). The workers are organizing together to fight for better control over hours, higher wages, longer breaks, better training, and for worker power, among other demands. The 4th Street Workers filed their petition on July 8th.

Peet’s was founded in 1966 in Berkeley in order to raise the quality of the US coffee industry. But while it started as a small-batch, specialty roaster, it has become a multinational corporation earning almost one billion dollars every year in profits. This growth has coincided with exploitative and cost-cutting business practices. Workers across Peet’s face understaffing, lack of training, work intensification, and wage stagnation, leading to deteriorating service and Isabel, a 4th Street Barista, explained “To me, the Peet’s Labor Union means empowerment and liberation for my fellow Peetniks. A less stressful work environment means I can better serve my community.” Fair wages and hours are also a prime concern. Cam, another 4th Street Barista, noted that he’s “joining Peet’s Labor Union to fight for fair wages and working conditions” and was excited to build an organization that would exist for future workers at Peet’s.

The 4th Street Peet’s workers joined the IWW because of its commitment to union democracy, rank and file organizing, and its militant tactics. Frances, one of the shift leads at the 4th Street location, was inspired to join the IWW to unite with the other unionized Peet’s stores due to the IWW’s internal democracy. “We joined the IWW in solidarity with our fellow East Bay Peetniks and to have more direct control over our unionization efforts. I like that the IWW is organized bottom up and truly wishes to change the system rather than just reform it.”

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was formed in 1905 around syndicalist principles of direct action and industrial unionism and called for general strike to “abolish the wage system” of capitalism. Recently in the bay area, the IWW has unionized a variety of stores in the service and education sector, while in Portland, Oregon, the union made history, organizing fast-food workers at the Burgerville USA chain and winning the first “labor contract in the nation’s fast-food industry.”

photo via Peet’s Labor Union