News

Jimmy John's employees get ready for union vote

October 20, 2010

Employees at several Minneapolis locations are expected to vote tomorrow on whether to unionize.

The employees are being represented by the Industrial Workers of the World, the same organization that tried to unionize workers at Starbucks coffee shops without success.

The workers first started to protest what they claim are unfair labor and wage practices in September, and staged several protests both in stores and throughout their local communities. The employees are part of a crew that works among nine area-owned locations owned by Rob and Mike Mulligan of Miklin Enterprises.

According to a story in the New York Times, the unionization effort is one of the few to organize fast-food workers in American history. And if the union wins, organizers say they will seek to unionize fast-food employees in other cities.

From the New York Times:

Union supporters say more than 60 percent of the workers signed cards asking for a unionization election. ...

“A union in fast food is an idea whose time has come,” said Emily Przybylski, a bike delivery worker at Jimmy John’s who is also a social work student at the University of Minnesota. “There are millions of workers in this industry living in poverty, with no consistent scheduling, no job security and no respect. It’s time for change.”

Mike Mulligan, the franchisee who owns the Jimmy John’s shops here, is pressing employees to vote against joining the I.W.W., which he says is a dangerous “socialist-anarchist organization” that “proudly preaches the overthrow of capitalism.”

“This is a group hellbent on bringing down someone, anyone, in the fast-food industry, and we just happened to be the next on the list,” said Mr. Mulligan, a retired senior vice president with Supervalu, a national grocery company.

While it was reported that 60 percent of the workers have asked for a union election, several employees are not behind the vote. Either way, tomorrow's vote could have historic implications.