Workers at Daniel del Prado’s Restaurants Colita and Café Cerés Plan to Unionize | Eater Twin Cities

"Workers at Colita delivered a petition on June 18 as part of a tandem effort with Café Cerés to unionize with Unite Here Local 17; although both are part of chef Daniel del Prado’s group, organizers say they would form separate bargaining units. I spoke with kitchen worker Segundo Vintimilla, who rotates the smoker, flat top, and sauté stations and says he feels overwhelmed, lacks job security, and lost about a month of income after hernia surgery earlier this year. Server Sara Zabinski — with roughly 10 years in the industry — described the job as her primary form of stability but said seasonal swings and Minnesota winters make income unpredictable and sick pay doesn't replace normal shift earnings; workers also want improvements to the restaurant's health-insurance plan to address mounting hospital bills. Silvia Jimenez, who immigrated from Mexico three years ago and was promoted from food runner to server, said cuts from five to four scheduled days threaten her ability to pay for school, rent, and bills. Staff at Colita broadly want higher wages, more consistent scheduling, better health care and flexible PTO, improved communication and mutual respect from management, and a genuine seat at the table to help improve day-to-day operations." - Justine Jones