IWW Workers at Voodoo Doughnuts March on Boss in Portland; Issue Demands

Report from Doughnut Workers United, a part of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), in so-called Portland, Oregon.

On July 29th, workers at Voodoo Doughnut Old Town gathered to march on the boss together to address issues that we are all fed up with dealing with. Unfortunately, both managers left the premises before the time of the action (Surprising! Gasp!), so workers instead gathered in support of one another and delivered a signed copy of a letter stating our issues to management on management’s office desk.

The primary issues addressed in the letter were issues of disrespect, verbal abuse, unfair firing practices, safety, and cleanliness around the workplace. Workers are fed up with being belittled and talked down to in the restaurant, and even more fed up with managers blatantly disrespecting us and in some cases even going as far as to yell at us on the shop floor in front of coworkers and customers alike. Voodoo Doughnut Old Town’s management has also fired two workers for health related issues recently, and threatened the jobs of two others due to injuries and/or physical impairments. This blatant disrespect to workers must stop immediately, or Doughnut Workers United will be forced to escalate!

There are many more issues that workers are facing on the shop floor, but for this action, this is what we wanted to focus our attention on. You can read the full letter we delivered to the boss here.

Keep your eyes peeled for another action coming soon to help support Voodoo Doughnut employees in Old Town Portland. We need to show this company that they cannot continue to disrespect and intimidate their hard working employees in these ways, nor should workers be targeted due to health related issues or injuries. This is unjust and unfair, especially during the hottest days of the summer. DWU has a long history of standing up to the bosses at Voodoo Doughnut Old Town, and we will continue to do so if the need arises! Solidarity yall! Let’s show Voodoo Doughnut that an injury to one is an injury to all!