Posted on Aug 26, 2022
A Chipotle restaurant in Michigan becomes the first in the chain to unionize
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https://www.npr.org/2022/08/26/ [login to see] /chipotle-michigan-union
A Chipotle restaurant in Lansing, Mich., voted Thursday to unionize, making it the first of the chain's nearly 3,000 locations to do so.
The employees are seeking improved schedules and higher wages, and first filed for a union election July 5.
"Today's victory is an amazing moment for our team that has worked so hard and spent many months organizing," said Samantha Smith, 18, a crew member who has worked at the location for over two years. "We set out to show that our generation can make substantial change in this world and improve our working conditions by taking action collectively.
Employees at the location first filed for a union election July 5. They are being backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union with 1.2 million members across professions such as warehouse workers, pilots, public defenders and more.
"Forming a union will allow us to have a true voice on the job and force Chipotle to address our concerns," said Harper McNamara, 19, a crew member who, like Smith, has also been there for more than two years. "I am so proud of all those who were involved in this effort, and showed the courage needed to take on a huge corporation."
A Chipotle restaurant in Lansing, Mich., voted Thursday to unionize, making it the first of the chain's nearly 3,000 locations to do so.
The employees are seeking improved schedules and higher wages, and first filed for a union election July 5.
"Today's victory is an amazing moment for our team that has worked so hard and spent many months organizing," said Samantha Smith, 18, a crew member who has worked at the location for over two years. "We set out to show that our generation can make substantial change in this world and improve our working conditions by taking action collectively.
Employees at the location first filed for a union election July 5. They are being backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union with 1.2 million members across professions such as warehouse workers, pilots, public defenders and more.
"Forming a union will allow us to have a true voice on the job and force Chipotle to address our concerns," said Harper McNamara, 19, a crew member who, like Smith, has also been there for more than two years. "I am so proud of all those who were involved in this effort, and showed the courage needed to take on a huge corporation."
A Chipotle restaurant in Michigan becomes the first in the chain to unionize
Posted from npr.org
Food/Chow
Restaurants
Lansing
Posted >1 y ago
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If I were the franchise owner I would just shut down the location. Unions have a place but not at a franchise where corporate sets pricing and supplies all the components of whatever you sell. In this case the owner does not have the ability to raise prices, or change to cheaper suppliers to offset increased labor costs.
By the way a Chipotle Franchise costs between $125 and $150K to open.
By the way a Chipotle Franchise costs between $125 and $150K to open.
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I spent much of my life working in a business where most of it was non union. Eventually I moved to the Chicago area and for the first time had to deal with a union. It was an interesting experience and surprising as well. What I discovered was that in the non union world I had been working in, we started people out at a higher wage than under the union contract. The benefits were also not as good. We gave 5 days for funerals in the non union world but the union contract called for 3 days as an example. Whereas the benefits in the non union world were better, it was the members of the union who had to pay their dues to get less.
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