Two D.C. coffee shops abruptly shut down Tuesday night, and workers say the decision came just days before they were to vote to unionize, but an attorney for the owners says the decision to close had nothing to do with the union.
The 35 employees were surprised by the decision to close The Wydown Coffee Bars on H Street NE and 14th Street NW. They were told they were out of a job but not why the cafes were closing.
The notice on the door of the store on 14th Street also left the reason somewhat ambiguous, saying a process that began last year reached its conclusion.
The employees believe it was because of the union.
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“The ballots were going to be mailed out five days from now, and it seems to us that once they heard about the potential for a union, they kind of stayed quiet, planned this out and made sure to execute it right before we would be in a position to negotiate,” fired worker Christopher Chandler said.
The workers decided to protest in front of both cafes. They said they just wanted better working conditions and better wages than the $11 an hour they made.
“We wanted more of a say in how the shop was run and maintained,” fired employee Tom Friedl said.
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In a statement to News4, one of the owners, Alex McCracken, said, “After 10 great years, we have closed both Wydown cafes. Last year, we realized we were ready for a change, and Tuesday, May 14, was our last day of operations.”
A spokesperson for the union, SEIU affiliate Workers United, released a statement which reads, in part, “This is a classic example of why workers throughout this country are organizing. If they had a voice and a seat at the table, they could have shared the burden of whatever the issue is. Instead, workers are left feeling blindsided and treated without respect.”
“I think the curious things is that, you know, even some people at the union haven’t even seen this sort of complete closure of business,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of uncharted water for a lot of people.”
The workers say they hope the publicity will have the owners rethinking the decision to close.
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