Over 200 Workers at Seven Twin Cities Venues Owned by First Avenue Unionize with UNITE HERE Local 17 and the Support of the Restaurant Opportunities Center
In a landmark move, over 200 workers at seven Twin Cities venues owned by First Avenue recently formed a union with the assistance of UNITE HERE Local 17 and the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC). This momentous event is a major victory for hospitality workers in the Twin Cities, and a step towards achieving job stability and a better quality of life for all.
The unionization of these workers has been a long time in the making. Since 2018, ROC has worked with these workers to raise awareness of their rights as hospitality employees and to help them unionize for improved wages and working conditions. Through hundreds of individual conversations, grassroots organizing, and assistance from UNITE HERE Local 17, these workers were finally able to achieve their unionization goal.
Speaking about the unionization victory, Alison Winder, the National Director of Membership and Communications for ROC, said, “ROC is thrilled to see so many workers at First Avenue join together and unionize. This is an especially meaningful victory for hospitality workers in the Twin Cities, who have long faced a challenging and precarious job market. These workers have now secured a voice and a seat at the table for all hospitality workers in the Twin Cities.”
The unionization of these workers comes at a crucial time in the Twin Cities, as the hospitality industry struggles to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This unionization victory not only brings job security to these workers, but also sets a strong precedent and sends a powerful message to other hospitality workers in the region.
ROC and UNITE HERE will continue to work together to ensure that all hospitality workers in the Twin Cities have access to the resources they need to organize for better conditions. “ROC will continue to work with more First Avenue venues and other hospitality workers in the area to ensure they too have the benefits of a union and the power to organize. Hospitality workers are the backbone of restaurant and hotel industries, and we know that when they have the right tools and information, they can truly make an impact on their businesses and their communities,” Winder said.
The unionization of the First Avenue workers is a major victory for hospitality workers in the Twin Cities, and a symbol of the power of collective action and solidarity. We hope that this victory is only the beginning of a new era of job security and livable wages for job stability and a better quality of life for all hospitality workers across the region.
The Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) is a national non-profit employee organization dedicated to improving wages and working conditions for the nation’s restaurant workforce, ensuring that all workers have access to quality jobs and careers. ROC works with hundreds of restaurants, bars, and hotels to create strong workplace standards and help workers form important partnerships with management. Now, with their support of the First Avenue workers, they are expanding their reach and mission to other hospitality workplaces in the Twin Cities.
