Democracy is hard, and that's why it's worth doing (Day 78)

I went to my daughter's workplace today to help support the next step in their unionization drive. Her company, Blue Bottle, had until noon today to recognize their union. Because they didn't, she read a prepared statement announcing that everyone was walking off the job to go file their papers with the National Labor Relations Board. 

I followed as my daughter and her crew slowly picked up people from other stores, first at the Copley MBTA stop, then at the Park Street stop. I felt incredibly awkward as the only non-Blue Bottle employee there, but eventually I found a couple of other young people who also weren't employed by Blue Bottle, including a nice young person from 1369 Cafe in Cambridge, an organizer from UAW from Evan MacKay from Harvard who is running for State Rep, and Sarah, an organizer affiliated with the Dorchester Food Co-op. I was easily the oldest person there, and I stood out like a sore thumb, but if I'm going to be somewhere I don't fit in, I'd rather be surrounded by people like them than some of the alternatives.

There was a lot of waiting for people, which was harder than moving. But if you want a group action, you have to wait for everyone in that group. It takes a while, but that's the only way to guarantee that it's real.

Perhaps understandably, the federal building on Causeway Street that houses the NLRB didn't want over twenty people inside to file the papers. Perhaps...but the four Department of Homeland Security officers were maybe a little bit much. 

That's what's up

Three and a half hours after the walkout, the papers were filed. It's just a matter of time, but that time does need to be spent. Fingers crossed that they have their election in May and everything goes to plan. Sign me up for the next action...as soon as I get a stretch.

Deb in the City