Highlight: Spyhouse Union

Fast food workers on strike. This image is in the public domain.

Four months ago today, George Floyd was tragically murdered by Minneapolis police. Since that time, we’ve witnessed countless acts of courage in support of the movement to defend Black lives. However, we’ve also witnessed many reasons to continue applying pressure to those in power; for example, with the recent grand jury decision not to criminally charge the police officers who killed Breonna Taylor while she slept in her bed. We at NCFA must therefore yet again extend our deepest sympathies to Breonna Taylor’s loved ones, and reaffirm our solidarity with the BLM movement to honor, defend, and respect Black lives.

To help spread awareness and support, NCFA is highlighting one organization each month that works for the health, well-being, and dignity of Black lives and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. This month, we highlight the Spyhouse Union, a new union at the Twin Cities chain Spyhouse Coffee, represented by UNITE HERE Local 17. The Spyhouse Union is including racial equity as one of their demands, and we at NCFA think this is a great example of how workers can leverage their power to promote racial justice!

From their Instagram:

“We feel Spyhouse has a history of racist policy implementation.

“When this has been made public, it has been met with deflection and minimal action.

“The owner should make a true, robust apology for a recently released letter, as his last statement focuses far too much on ‘we’ language instead of ‘I’ language.

“We believe there is an abundant lack of POC representation within the company.

“We… demand a detailed plan for hiring and promotions that give BIPOC better equity in the company.”

To stay up to date on the Spyhouse Union campaign and learn how to support them, please follow them on Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for supporting workers’ struggles for racial equity in the Twin Cities.

In Solidarity for a Better World,

The Workers of NCFA