January 2, 2019
Page 9
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
photo by d anny p eterSon /t he p ortland o bServer
James Curry, 24, is an organizer for the Burgerville Workers’ Union, which recently got its third Portland area Burgerville restaurant to become federally recognized
as a union shop allowing workers to bargain collectively for wages and working conditions, making Burgerville the only fast food chain in the nation to have unionized
employees.
Blvd., joining workers at the Burgerville fer counter-proposals in response to the
on Southeast 92nd and
union’s proposed $5 hourly raise for all
Powell, and at the Burgerville serving workers, protections for undocumented
Gladstone and Milwaukie. Many more workers, accessible health care, and 15
shops beyond those three have prominent minute breaks.
union committees, Curry said.
The demonstration came amidst a com-
Curry, 24, works at the Hawthorne panywide boycott that the union has held
shop and has been an employee and orga- since February, and will remain in effect
nizer for the union for the past two years. until corporate signs a fair contract, orga-
He told the Portland Observer that despite nizers said.
some stress due to anti-union pressure
“It’s taken many months to get two mild
he’s received from Burgerville manage- tentative agreements,” Curry exclaimed.
ment, he feels good overall about the “Burgerville is definitely dragging their
progress made.
feet and trying to make this take as long
“The
future’s
bright,
excited
about
as possible.”
workers rights and livable wages and he
what’s
coming
next.
Both
for
my
shop
and
The delay won’t stop the solidarity of
expects more victories in the New Year.
the
union
as
a
whole,”
Curry
said.
Burgerville
employees, Curry said, de-
Portland made history when workers at
Burgerville
employees
and
supporters
spite
efforts
from
corporate to pit employ-
three area Burgerville restaurants voted
held
their
first
ever
picket
at
the
Haw-
ees
against
each
other.
last year for collective bargaining rights,
An anti-union flier, which claimed
the first fast food restaurant chain in the thorne Burgerville a few days after store
employees
voted,
13-9,
to
unionize.
“union
management” would “enforce
nation to have unionized employees.
by d anny p eterSon
The
main
issue
was
a
demand
for
dues”
on
its members spooked some em-
The latest Burgerville Workers Union
t he p ortland o bServe
Burgerville
corporate
offices
to
pick
up
c ontinued on p age 16
Burgerville employee James Curry is to gain recognition was for employees at
on the front lines of a successful fight for the Burgerville at 1122 S.E. Hawthorne the pace of its labor negotiations and of-
to
Power
the
Workers
Fast food employees
grow movement for
rights and wages