Sponsored By

Compass Coffee union vote interrupted by challenged ballots at five cafesCompass Coffee union vote interrupted by challenged ballots at five cafes

The union that represents the Washington, D.C.-based coffee chain is contesting over one hundred votes, claiming that these voters are part of a union-busting campaign

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

July 19, 2024

2 Min Read
Compass Coffee
The NLRB will put a halt to the Compass Coffee union elections until the challenges have been settled.Compass Coffee

Joanna Fantozzi

The union elections at five Compass Coffee locations are being put on hold after ballots have been challenged in what union advocates are calling a potential union-busting attempt.

Last month, employees filed union petitions at seven locations of the small Washington, D.C.-based coffee chain, and now workers are claiming that about 100 ballots are invalid because they were cast by workers hired by Compass Coffee right before the election. The union’s claims about invalid ballots refer to a union-busting practice known as “unit packing,” where companies will try to increase hiring of people that they are confident will vote against a union in the weeks leading up to a union election. This could lead to legal repercussions, an attorney told Bloomberg Law.

Compass Coffee United, the union representing workers that is a branch of Workers United — the same union that organizes Starbucks workers — has contested 101 votes, and is claiming only 22 votes are valid (all 22 of the non-contested votes came back in favor of unionizing, the union said).

“Instead of winning our union today, Compass Coffee decided to drag out the process by muddying the waters through hiring over 100 employees for the petitioned cafes, and engaging in illegal union-busting tactics,” Compass Coffee United’s statement released on social media said. “If [Compass Coffee CEO] Michael Haft had decided to respect workers’ rights, we could have both avoided months of litigation, only to reach the same outcome of union representation for Compass workers.”

Related:Multiple Compass Coffee, Bluestone Lane, and OCF Coffee stores are unionizing

View post on X

According to the National Labor Relations Board, workers at four out of the five cafes voted to form a union (at one café, ballots were not opened), however, because the election was challenged, the regional director of the NLRB will decide whether to open or count any of the contested ballots. Parties have until next week to file objections to the election, which could result in a hearing. The results of the union election at Compass Coffee will not be made official until all challenges are cleared up.

Nation’s Restaurant News reached out to Compass Coffee for a response to this election challenge but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.

You May Also Like