Workers at Homegrown, the local artisanal sandwich chain, say they have secured significant concessions after engaging in a strike that lasted more than 100 days.
The employees unionized with Unite Here Local 8 in June 2022 in response to low pay and poor climate conditions at work. They achieved official recognition after voting 59 to 11 in favor of a union in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election on Dec. 8, 2022.
According to Zane Smith, a worker at the Redmond location, about 170 workers are part of the union across all 10 of the company’s stores.
Unlike some other union members, rank-and-file Homegrown workers have shown a readiness to go on strike to put more pressure on their employer. They went on strike multiple times during 2022 to encourage their union’s recognition. In September 2023, workers from multiple Homegrown locations staged a three-day strike after contract negotiations broke down.
However, the latest extended strike was not precipitated by bargaining but by perceived retaliation from management. According to Smith, workers were given eight write-ups between the September strike and the end of October. Union organizer and Redmond shift lead Sydney Lankford received three in the span of just over a month, including one for leading an
Oct. 27 meeting where workers complained about a change in break policy. On Oct. 30, Lankford was fired; her coworkers immediately went on strike.
“I just walked in and told everybody I was fired, and they walked out with me,” Lankford said.
Smith said the strike was not just about standing up for Lankford but also for the principle of protecting workers’ organizing.
“We all know Sydney at my store; we’re all friends with Sydney,” he said. “But we didn’t go on strike because we like Sydney. We didn’t even go on strike, necessarily all of us, for Sydney’s job. We went on strike because we wanted to show the company that they can’t just fire people for being pro-union and for taking action.”
Workers at the Redmond location were on strike for a total of 119 days. Workers at the Westfield Southcenter Mall store joined the strike in solidarity on Nov. 24. The work stoppage shut down both locations for months. With the help of Unite Here’s strike fund and more than $13,000 in community donations, workers were able to ensure they could all afford their rent and other necessities while on the picket line.
In addition to the strike, the union also filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the NLRB, which allowed an investigation into Lankford’s termination to proceed. Following the decision in February, Homegrown agreed to reinstate her and offered $10,000 in backpay. Lankford said she shared the money with her coworkers to help make up for the lost wages while on strike.
Homegrown did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
In addition to the reinstatement, Smith and Lankford said they had won important tentative concessions from their employer around wages and benefits. Lankford said they secured paid breaks and vacations for all workers. According to the agreed-upon contract language, workers will also receive immediate wage increases of more than $3 an hour, with raises of an additional $4 over the life of the contract. Lankford also said the union won health benefits for employees’ children.
“I have a co-worker who had a week off during the strike that the union paid us out for during Christmas,” Lankford said. “And this was the first time she had taken a vacation in about five years. So that’s an incredible thing for folks to be able to actually take time off and spend time with their kids.”
Another key victory for the union was an agreement for better climate precautions during hot weather. Workers said the Redmond location is small and has poor air circulation; due to the oven, temperatures inside the store can reach well over 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
“We’ll get time and a half when it’s over 82 degrees, and then double time when it’s over 86 degrees, which means either they’re going to put in a much better AC unit or a lot of the summer is going to be spent at time and a half and double time,” Smith said.
The Homegrown workers’ union drive could have broader implications for the restaurant sector, which is notorious for its difficult working conditions and frequent under-compensation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 1.6% of restaurant workers were covered by a collective bargaining agreement in 2023, compared to 10% of all workers. In Washington state, 18.1% of workers across industries were unionized.
Smith attributes part of their success to workers’ perseverance and determination. He also said it was an example of how a more militant approach to trade unionism — one that is unafraid of confrontation — can be successful.
“We’re class-struggle unionists, which means we don’t see the union as an outside force or as some sort of intermediary between us and corporate,” Smith said. “The union is a machine made by workers, designed to crush corporate and win things for workers.”
Smith and Lankford said both sides were once again at the bargaining table and that large sections of the labor contract have already been tentatively agreed upon. While there is still more work to be done, Lankford and Smith are optimistic about the prospect of winning a strong contract.
This article has been updated clarify the details of the unfair labor practice complaint.
Guy Oron is the staff reporter for Real Change. He handles coverage of our weekly news stories. Find them on Twitter, @GuyOron.
Read more of the March 6–12, 2024 issue.