NEW
NEW PUSH
NEW PUSH FOR UNIONIZATION. >>> KEN CHERTOW TAKES A LOT.
>> Reporter: EMPLOYEES AT THIS
COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND DISTILLERY
COMPANY MADE A JOINT
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEIR INTENT TO
UNIONIZE THE TIMING WAS NOT
LOST ON THEM.
>> THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO
DO IT.
DO IT.
DO IT. NO
DO IT. NO BETTER DAY THAN LABOR DAY.
>> Reporter: EVEN POINTS SECTOR
ETHAN POINDEXTER SAID IT REALLY
STARTED THIS SPRING, DAYS
BEFORE CLOSING BARS AND
RESTAURANTS EMPLOYEES WROTE A
LETTER TO THEIR BOSSES TO CLOSE
DOWN FOR WORKERS SAFETY.
>> THEY DID SHUT DOWN AHEAD OF
THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND I
THINK THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST
MOMENT WE REALIZED HOW
IMPORTANT THE COLLECTIVE ACTION
WAS.
WAS.
WAS. BUT
WAS. BUT ELIJAH SMITH SAYS IN LATE
JULY EMPLOYEES OF BOTH
BUSINESSES MET IN THIS PART.
>> YES, IT WAS A LITTLE WARMER.
>> Reporter: BOTH BUSINESSES
REOPENING.
REOPENING. >> WE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOSH.
WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF
OURSELVES BUT BETTER.
>> Reporter: I THINK THE
PANDEMIC CHANGED A LOT OF
THINGS IN OUR MINDS WHEN WE
RECOGNIZE THAT WE OFTEN SEE
THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS A DAY
AND WE DESERVE A SAY IN WHAT
OUR SAFETY PLAN IS.
>> AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE GET
LAID OFF THEY ARE LOOKING
AROUND AS TO WHAT CAN I DO TO
PROTECT MYSELF.
PROTECT MYSELF. >> Reporter: MITCHELL HAMLIN
LAW PROFESSOR DAVID LARSON HAS
STUDIED LABOR LAW FOR NEARLY 40
YEARS AND SAYS HIS WORKER
PROTECTION SEEMS TO BE THE
COMMON THREAD BEHIND A WAVE OF
SUMMER EFFORTS.
SUMMER EFFORTS. DO YOU FIND ANY OF THIS
SURPRISING.
SURPRISING. >> WELL, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A
SURPRISE TO ME THAT IT HAS
TAKEN SO LONG.
AFTER WORLD WAR II WE HAD
UNIONIZATION RATES IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR 43 TO 45%.
REALLY HIGH, ALMOST HALF OF THE
LABOR FORCE WAS IN UNIONS.
EVER SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD
THIS GRADUAL DECLINE AND THE
PRIVATE SECTOR, WE ARE DOWN TO
ABOUT 6%.
ABOUT 6%.
ABOUT 6%. FOR MY PART OF THE REASON IS
THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
PROCESS IS OFTEN SET UP FOR
CONFLICT WHICH APPEARS TO BE
PLAYING OUT WITH SURLY BLUING
SURLY BREWING AND ITS EMPLOYEES
WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE BEER
HALL IS BEING CLOSED AND THEY
ARE BEING LAID OFF.
EMPLOYEES AT LAWLESS AND STILL
HARD HAVE HAD AN EASIER TIME.
"AFTER SPEAKING WITH OUR UNION
REP THIS MORNING IT IS CLEAR
THE UNIONIZATION REP IS COMING
FROM A PLACE OF RESPECT WHICH
IS REFLECTIVE OF THE
RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE HAD WITH
EMPLOYEES.
EMPLOYEES. >> THE FACT THAT THEY ARE
BEGINNING THE RELATIONSHIP ON A
COLLABORATIVE UNDERSTANDING AND
ACCEPTING BASIS IS PROMISING.
THE REALITY IS SOMETIMES UNIONS
AND WORKERS CAN HAVE IDEAS THAT
CAN KEEP SOMEONE IN BUSINESS.
>> WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR
OWNERS AND OUR BUSINESS.
WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE WERE KEEPING A SYSTEM
THAT ALREADY WORKED IN GREAT
WORKING ORDER.
WORKING ORDER. >> WE WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE YOU
CAN ORGANIZE TO KEEP A
WORKPLACE GOOD.
WORKPLACE GOOD. >> TODAY I SPOKE TO UNITE HERE
AT LOCAL 17, THE LOCAL UNION
THAT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ALL
OF THESE GROUPS OF HOSPITALITY
WORKERS TO THOSE THAT WE SPOKE
TO TODAY.
TO TODAY.
TO TODAY. THEY SAID THEY WERE VERY
IMPRESSED WITH THE LATEST MOVE
AND HOW QUICKLY THE UNION WAS
RECOGNIZED BUT THEY ALSO SAID
THEY DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BE A TREND THAT KEEPS
GOING SIMPLY BECAUSE THE AMOUNT
OF SAFETY CONCERNS WITH COVID-
19 AND OF COURSE DUE TO THE
COLDER WEATHER COMING BACK.
>> THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS
HEARING AS WELL.
THAT PEOPLE THAT WENT BACK TO
WORK IN RESTAURANTS OR TAP
ROOMS OR DISTILLERY ROOMS WERE
COMING FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE
PUBLIC THAT PERHAPS WERE NOT
BEING AS SAFE AS THEY WERE SO I
HAVE HEARD THAT AS WELL AND YOU
MENTIONED SURLY.
MENTIONED SURLY. THAT IS THE ONE THAT IS STILL
KIND OF IN LIMBO.
ANY UPDATES ON WHAT IS GOING ON
THERE?
THERE?
THERE? >>
THERE? >> THIS WEEKEND, THERE WAS A.
IT LINE OUTSIDE OF SURLY.
AS YOU KNOW, REPORTING ON THIS
LAST WEEK, THERE IS A BACK-AND-
FORTH. THEY DECIDED TO CLOSE
THEIR TAPROOM BEFORE THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT UNIONIZATION
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN
LOSING A LOT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE
OF COVID-19, SOMETHING
CERTAINLY MANY PEOPLE WOULD
UNDERSTAND IN THAT WAY BUT THE
UNION SAID THEY ARE PUSHING
FORWARD BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE
THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF
TIMELINE SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT
A FEDERAL COMPLAINT ON
INTIMIDATION AND UNIONBUSTING.
CERTAINLY FOR THEIR PART, THEY