Peet’s Coffee workers at the West Covell Boulevard location in Davis rallied with supporters in front of the first Peet’s in the country to join a union. The crowd chanted, “No Justice. No Peet’s.” “I love my job, and the community and I did not want to give it up,” said the employee Rivad Tal.Tal and some of the 15 employees who formed the union with the Services of Employees International Union 1021 spoke at the rally enthusiastic. They explained why they are fighting for fair pay, different schedules and corporate transparency. “It was at this moment when I realized how greedy the company was – the ability to give me 10 cents when they made $983 million in 2022 was surprising,” said Tal. Alyx Land, shift leader, said that with inflation and the pandemic it is difficult to live with the current wages Peet is paying employees. The baristas have the support of the community and some elected leaders, who also spoke at the rally. “We are going to send a strong message to management and corporate that we are going to support Peet’s united members 110 percent,” said Yolo County Supervisor Angel Barajas. Union leaders, like SEIU Vice President Akbar Bibb, said the young workers will need their coffee to stay alert and continue the fight. He said it’s just the beginning. “Courage is enough, and just say, ‘enough’ and stand your ground against the opposition and you want better working conditions,” said Akbar Bibb. “Peet’s has worked in good faith with all parties involved and while we hoped for a different outcome, we respect the right of our Davis employees to choose. Initially, two of our locations in Davis petitioned to unionize . Last week, the union withdrew its petition to represent the downtown Davis coffee bar. Our North Davis location has chosen a different path. As we pursue the next steps required by law with the union at North Davis , we will continue to work for and with our employees across the company. That’s the Peet way.” Peet’s employees said they received advice and help from recently unionized Starbucks employees. Peet’s employees earn anywhere from $25,000 to $39,000 a year, depending on the job.
Peet’s Coffee workers at the West Covell Boulevard location in Davis rallied with supporters in front of the first Peet’s in the country to join a union.
The crowd chanted, “No Justice. No Peet’s.”
“I love my job, and the community and I did not want to give it up,” said the employee Rivad Tal.
Tal and some of the 15 employees who formed the union with the Service Employees International Union 1021 spoke to the enthusiastic crowd. They explained why they are fighting for fair pay, different schedules and corporate transparency.
“It was at this moment when I realized how greedy the company was – the ability to give me 10 cents when they made $983 million in 2022 was surprising,” said Tal.
Alyx Land, a shift leader, said that inflation and the pandemic make it difficult to live with the current wages that Peet’s is paying employees.
The baristas have the support of the community and some elected leaders, who also spoke at the rally.
“We are going to send a strong message to management and corporate that we are going to support Peet’s united members 110 percent,” said Yolo County Supervisor Angel Barajas.
Union leaders, like SEIU Vice President Akbar Bibb, said the young workers will need their coffee to stay alert and continue the fight. He said it’s just the beginning.
“The bravery, and just say, ‘enough is enough’ and stand your ground against the opposition and you want better working conditions,” said Akbar Bibb.
In a statement to KCRA 3 News, Peet’s, which started in Berkley in 1966, said:
“Peet’s worked in good faith with all parties involved and expected a different outcome, we respect the right of our employees to choose Davis. Initially, two of our locations in Davis petitioned to unionize. The last week, the union withdrew its petition to represent the downtown Davis coffee bar. Our North Davis location has chosen a different path. As we pursue the next steps required by law with the union at North Davis, we will continue working for and with our employees across the company. That’s the Peet way.”
Peet’s employees said they received advice and help from recently unionized Starbucks employees. Peet’s employees earn anywhere from $25,000 to $39,000 a year, depending on the job.
