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The Montpelier Downtown Workers' Union was an attempt to organize workers in the service and retail industries in downtown Montpelier from 2003-2005. Due to high turnover and fierce employer opposition, the MDWU was ultimately unsuccessful in building a sustainable trade union organization. However, through their struggles and innovative grievance procedure, the MDWU brought a measure of justice for many service and retail workers who had been wronged by their employer.

Below are some of the news items related to the Downtown Workers' Union.
Downtown Workers' Union Wins Excellent Settlement for Workers at J Morgan's Steakhouse July 2004
Downtown Workers' Union Signs Second Contract June 2004. The Mountain Cafe in Montpelier became the second downtown Montpelier business to sign a contract with the Downtown Workers' Union. more >>
Downtown Workers' Union Gains Momentum March 2004

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http://www.uevermont.org/news/04_mdwu.html

Montpelier Downtown Workers’ Union Gains Momentum

Reprinted with permission from the Catamount Tavern News
By David, GMAC Member

Montpelier, Vermont

The drive to unionize the entire downtown Montpelier workforce has been in full swing throughout the winter. The Montpelier Downtown Workers’ Union, sponsored by the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC) and the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers (UE), now claims a total membership of more than 100 out of the approximate 800 downtown employees. As of print, official recognition, and a signed union contract, has been won at the Savoy Theatre and Downstairs Video shop. This shop has 14 employees. Their contract now guarantees these workers protection against unjust firing, a grievance procedure, and a commitment from the owners to work towards the establishment of livable wage increases. Most importantly, the workers now have an organized and democratic voice at work and in the community.

A clear shop majority has also demanded union recognition at Karma Imports, The State Street Market, La Pizzeria, Charlie O’s tavern, and Rivendell Books. At Rivendell Books, every worker has joined the union, making it the first unanimous shop in town. The union also now claims members in dozens of other shops including La Brioche, Capital Grounds, Brooks Pharmacy, Yankee Spirits, and M+M Beverage, to name but a small few. Workers expect to have a number of other signed contracts by the arrival of summer. Tenaya Lafore, an organizer assigned by the Workers’ Center and UE to this historic union drive, told CT News "When the union drive was first made pubic, there was a brief period where workers were intimidated by their bosses. This backlash is now over. People are coming around. They are coming out of the woodwork and getting very excited and active in the union."

At J. Morgan’s, an upscale restaurant of more then 40 workers, management has hired the notorious interstate union busting firm Gallager and Flynn in an attempt to stifle the demands of the majority of employees who have joined the union. J. Morgan’s owners, the Bashara family, have already spent well over a quarter of a million dollars fighting the drive, and are on course to surpass half a million in the foreseeable future.

In addition to bringing in professional union busters, the Basharas have also continued a campaign of fear and intimidation against the workers. Inside sources have confirmed that management has repeatedly threatened pro-union employees, installed security cameras in the kitchen to spy on workers, had union supporters followed after work, and has even fired server Val Tofani (a mother of two small children) for her union activity. In response to these repeated and confirmed practices, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) attorneys based out of Boston have filed 28 serious charges against the Busharas. These charges are scheduled to be heard by a federal judge in March. If convicted, the Busharas could face a number of penalties, ranging from the posting of signs publicly acknowledging their wrong and illegal doings, the hiring back of union worker Val Tofani and providing her with back pay, to an immediate and unconditional recognition of the union. Failure to comply with such orders could result in jail time.

The NLRB aren’t the only ones going on the attack. Workers and union officials have launched a counter-offensive of their own. Throughout the winter numerous large demonstrations, ranging from 30 to 250 workers and community members, have been held outside the restaurant demanding union recognition. At times, allied Montpelier workers have also disrupted J. Morgan’s Business during peak hours. Their methods have been diverse. One was the holding of a ‘coffee in’ during a Friday dinner rush. There, union supporters filled up nearly all the restaurant’s tables, and stayed for hours, drinking (and paying for) nothing but coffee, while leaving sizable tips, and pro-union messages on napkins and paper for the wait staff. Another means used to disrupt business was demonstrated just days before Christmas. There, a union member from another shop entered the restaurant dressed as Santa Claus, while being accompanied by two labor supporters and Dennis LaBounty, the Political Director of the Vermont AFL-CIO. After attempting to deliver a bag of coal to Fred Bashara (who was not forth coming), ‘Santa’ delivered an impromptu speech, for all to hear, calling the Busharas ‘The Grinch of The Year’ and chastising the richest family in town for "their deplorable behavior towards the J. Morgan’s workers."

To date, many organizations and individuals, including the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA), and the Older Woman’s League have informed the Basharas that they will no longer hold functions or spend money at the restaurant or adjacent hotel (also owned by the Busharas) until the union is recognized. The UE and other Montpelier workers are also promising to hold regular pickets outside the premises.

While the Basharas have dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into their unsuccessful campaign to defeat the organizing efforts of the workers, some small business owners are quietly asking themselves, and each other, if such actions are feesable for anyone other than the few multi-millionaires in this capital city. While it is true that the wealthy owners of J. Morgan’s have, in the short run, been able to absorb the lost revenue that the unofficial boycott has brought, many wonder how long a smaller business such as the State Street Market could financially holdout under such conditions.

In response to this reality, sources have informed CT News that a number of smaller anti-union business owners have pooled their resources in order to retain the services of an organization dubiously called the Capital City Justice Center. The anti-union owners are planning to have persons from this organization "mediate the different interests of the owners and workers" in hopes of convincing employees that they do not need their own citywide organization. However, workers from the union’s organizing committee are quick to point out that such moves by business owners are nothing but an insult to the democratic aspirations of the union, and that such moves are likely to provoke nothing more then outrage among workers.

Sean Damon, a rank and file union member on the Organizing Committee, and employee of Brooks Pharmacy told CT News, "The bottom line is that we, as workers, are entitled to have our union. You don’t hear about the Chamber of Commerce inviting a cashier from Shaw’s to join their organization. And you won’t. Us workers need our own organization, and the Montpelier Downtown Workers’ Union is it."

Labor organizer Tenaya Lafore added, "Soliciting grievances from workers in order to keep them out of a union is an unfair labor practice, it is illegal. Bosses cannot set up a company union. If the anti-union business owners attempt to do so, we will file charges against them with the federal government."

The fight between the anti-union business owners and the union is likely to take many twists and turns in the coming months. Only one thing is certain; the Downtown Workers’ Union is growing, and although the frontline of the struggle is currently at J. Morgan’s, other serious fronts should be expected to emerge as other business owners continue to drag their feet in regards to official recognition of the union, and the signing of a fair labor contract.

To contact the Montpelier Downtown Workers Union write or stop by:

Montpelier Downtown Workers’ Union
C/O The Vermont Workers’ Center
7 Court Street, 4th Floor
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
Phone: 802.229.0009
downtownunion@workerscenter.org