Better Buzz Hillcrest employees lead unionization effort

Kasia Gregorczyk
·2 min read

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Better Buzz employees from the Hillcrest location have filed an election petition with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 looking to unionize.

The coffee shop has grown rapidly with more than 20 locations, including expanding to Arizona.

“We think that since we are the backbone of their company, we deserve more than what they are giving right now,” Ben Leighton said.

Leighton, a barista with the company for two years, shares what he believes are employees’ biggest hurdles.

“They are still paying us minimum wag, we get barely any time off, only get the sick time required by the state of California. We don’t have any benefits,” he said.

Barista Katy Jae Waldman says scheduling and hours have become unpredictable.

“Schedules are so inconsistent that people don’t know what their next paycheck is going to be, it’s scary when you rely on every single paycheck,” she said.

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Better Buzz has not responded to our requests for comment, but employees shared a letter from leadership sent out last Friday. The letter acknowledges the effort to unionize, says they recognize they need to do “more when it comes to the employee experience,” and promised updates in “the coming week.”

Union organizers have dropped off flyers at other Better Buzz locations, opening the door for other stores to join the effort.

In the meantime, Hillcrest just has to get enough votes come election day.

“Vast majority of my coworkers are definitely on board. I am very confident that we will win this election and will go to negotiation as soon as we can,” Leighton said.

Better Buzz will have a meeting with the National Labor Relations board and UFCW Local 135 and then an election day will be set for employees in Hillcrest to vote on whether they want the union or not. The vote could potentially happen in early May.

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