Burgerville Workers at Unionized Portland Restaurants Say Contract Negotiations Have Broken Down | Eater Portland

"I note that Burgerville, opened in 1961 by founder George Propstra, has for the past five years been the battleground for a contentious union fight between ownership and staff: the Burgerville Workers Union formed in 2018 and secured its first contract in 2021, making those workers the first fast-food employees ever protected by a collective bargaining agreement. That contract expired in May 2023, and since then the union has been negotiating a new agreement while alleging that Burgerville’s leadership is stalling talks and retaliating against staff; according to the Portland Mercury, the union has filed 10 unfair labor practice suits with the NLRB since the start of the year. Workers claim the company hired new employees at much higher pay in anticipation of the July 28 strike, that some who participated in the strike were locked out or had shifts canceled (a potential labor-law violation), and that non-unionized stores were offered better staff meal rates and hours in 2023. In the most recent bargaining round workers were pushing for higher wages, increased meal allowances, and other protections, and organizers hope an NLRB ruling will force management back to the table." - Paolo Bicchieri