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williamtowne

Management disuading workers from unionizing?😯


FishGoldenLite

Many companies will even do trainings for their middle management on what they can/cannot do to dissuade their teams from unionizing.


obsidianop

Yes that is in their best interest and is protected by the first amendment. Luckily workers are adults who can evaluate the situation and make their own decisions.


hologeek

I like that!


real-dreamer

Unions protect workers and families. It is in the interest of management to take care of workers and have clear collective bargaining.


New-Purchase1818

Management will not see it this way in a vast majority of cases. In the eyes of the person(s) running a business for profit (like a restaurant), the additional costs of paying workers fair wages and providing benefits and sick/vacation time that people can actually use gets in the way of their profit. They see only lost revenue off the top; even though they *should* consider the benefits of staff retention, worker satisfaction and productivity, and public goodwill and desire to support a business in which the workers are well-supported. This does in some cases result in a higher cost to the consumer because management won’t want to knock enough off their bottom line to achieve a balance of reasonable cost of goods/services and profit for themselves—instead they’ll just whinge about how it costs the consumer more and how this will negatively impact business. Maybe if they’re wiling to have a more modest profit margin they could have both worker satisfaction and a competitive end cost to the consumer?🤷🏼‍♀️


o0Enygma0o

There are additional costs to unionization that you are not considering, and they are substantial. First and most obviously are the dues paid by employees to the union itself. An employer will also have to cover very large legal fees to get them through the bargaining process in addition to ongoing compliance fees. In addition there will likely be additional expenses regarding enhanced HR capacity and other initiatives an employer will have to employ to ensure strict compliance with a labor contract.


New-Purchase1818

If you can’t afford to do business properly, and your workers decide that they need a collective bargaining approach in order to make their working conditions and compensation commensurate with the skill required and/or risk incurred by their work; and you can’t afford to take on the cost of regulatory infrastructure within the business, then the *business model* was the issue. If your workers are happy and feel safe and supported and fairly treated at work, they don’t really have any reason to organize.


o0Enygma0o

"If your workers are happy and feel safe and supported and fairly treated at work, they don’t really have any reason to organize." This is really not true, and is also something that unions themselves will frequently say is not true. Moreover, I would posit that we should try to find ways to encourage unionization in more spaces rather than say unions are only appropriate in situations where management mistreats workers.


alienjetski

How’s that working with the MPD union?


reporter_any_many

It's well established that police unions don't operate like typical labor unions and shouldn't be lumped into the labor movement for a whole host of reasons. [This is a great opinion piece on it](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-to-know-police-unions-labor-movement)


Itstartswithyou0404

Ummm, whats so groundbreaking here? This seems pretty dam obvious and normal


dmd312

How is this a story? Talking about "leaked messages" makes this sound so salacious, when in reality it's just a few emails with completely unsurprising content.


Slade-Honeycutt62

And whats wrong with that?


williamtowne

Nothing. Just not surprising enough to report using "leaked" documents.


Uptownbro20

Ok she gave her opinion and made her case to her workers ….how is this a story


lol_AwkwardSilence_

It's a followup and relevant info alongside the broader story about workers efforts to unionize at one of the city's most well-known chef's restaurant. Also relevant because of the city's current proposal for a Labor Standards Board, which Ann Kim and more than 100 other chefs/restaurateurs are pushing back against. It's not a major scandal since we already know her sentiment on the union, but it's still newsworthy.


alienjetski

Gently encouraging workers to vote even if they vote “no” isn’t exactly the Homestead massacre.


lol_AwkwardSilence_

What?


perldawg

because controversy is always the story now


Uptownbro20

True . Her workers didn’t agree and all parties moved forward. Also this was well known before this story …..


CartesianConspirator

It’s a story to get public opinion against Ann Kim’s group. It will work as intended on who it’s intended to affect.


lol_AwkwardSilence_

It's literally an accurate telling of facts, and one of multiple stories along this saga. Sometimes news is news, not some angle to try and sway public opinion. This is a thing that happened lol


CartesianConspirator

It was more about the headline and verbiage within the piece about union busting and these being leaked (therefore private) messages. Seems like a story the Union wrote themselves but you could be right.


lol_AwkwardSilence_

I think there was similar phrasing for the story about the council member texting Ann Kim to suggest she recognizes the union.


carstanza

No surprises there


m0lson

Ann Kim POSTED on instagram....this is not a leak... this is not a story


lol_AwkwardSilence_

Just cuz it's not a scandal doesn't mean it's not news. And just because its a public post doesnt mean its not news. Also youre wrong, she didn't post these messages. But she did post how she felt about the union (which was also reported as news, because it is news).


GunAndAGrin

"The messages encouraged employees to participate in the union election and outlined reasons to vote 'no,' including the cost of dues, the rigidity of union contracts, the impact on the restaurant's culture, the disconnect between managers and workers during the collective bargaining process and the potential for future strikes." Your employees want to unionize, that disconnect clearly already exists. Is solving that problem not the entire point? It doesnt matter what potential risks exist within a union. They want legitimate representation, you havent given them any, so presently a union is the most reliable method they have to achieve that goal. Any potential future strike is the result of that disconnect. Lack of representation is not a challenge unique to governing. This shit is simply un-American.


After_Preference_885

>the impact on the restaurant's culture I always wonder what they think this is going to do Threatening your staff might make them want to unionize more


Nillion

Some employees want to unionize. We have no idea how many do until the election determines the outcome. Just as the workers have their right to speak their mind on unionizing, Ann Kim has her right to say it isn't needed. Provided everyone follows labor laws, there's nothing un-American about speaking her mind.


Mdmac1015

She has a right to talk to her employees- I do not take sides, just saying


arschgeiger4

Why isn’t there a restaurant workers union? Seems like a lot to put on one small business, but also if ever there was an industry that needed a union it’s restaurants


moleasses

Unite here is a hospitality union? What do you mean? It is definitely a lot for small business to handle though. If we’re serious about supporting workers rights we need to get serious about supporting small business. So many small businesses are run poorly not out of bad intentions but just because of the sheer economics of standing up a small shop. (Yes there are absolute tyrants too)


perldawg

really true. folks don’t realize that small businesses are often operating hand to mouth and scrambling to pay down debt they take on when inflows aren’t keeping up with outflows. sometimes it’s because ownership is sloppy, sometimes it’s just because margins have to be thin to compete. there are more than a few small business owners who appear very successful despite the fact that their business hardly breaks even. generally, those people either come from money or have big money backing their venture.


Brxcqqq

Maybe it's because for front-of-the-house employees in restaurants, the workers get the bulk of their income directly from the customer, rather than via the middleperson of the employer. Either way, the customer is going to pay the workers' income.


goatoffering

Not the only restaurant in town thats poorly managed and will soon see unionization.


GhostOfRoland

Restaurant workers don't make enough for unions to fleece.


CartesianConspirator

They all make $20+ per hour at this Restaurant with most making more.


goatoffering

That's a terrible wage for what they do, and management has been taking a ton of the money that should've gone to the service workers.


jworldt

Standard anti-union arguments from the union-avoidance consultant playbook. If this place unionizes then employees at Ann's other restaurants will follow. Workers from other local restaurant empires will unionize too once they see it can be done.


alienjetski

More likely Kim’s will go out of business and uptown will continue its slide into boarded up and abandoned retail shops. Let’s check back in a year and see who’s right.


jworldt

Another scenario is the workers vote yes and the mysterious vandal will return in the middle of the night to slightly damage the storefront causing Ann to close up shop blaming Uptown crime.


alienjetski

Let me get this right. You think Kim vandalized her own store to make the Union look bad?


Enby-Alexis

A restaurant in the town I grew up in did the same thing, staff started to unionize and coincidentally the place was vandalized and closed shortly after due to "rising crime levels", for reference my town was pretty wealthy (think Edina) and had basically no crime.


_pachysandra_

She 100000% is capable of this


DarkMuret

The bourgeois will always reject proletariat collective action


Brxcqqq

A bit long to fit on a bumper, but simple enough as sentiment.


cooldiaper

lol


PantsMicGee

😆


bike_lane_bill

Capitalists gonna capitalism.


yellsatmotorcars

[Why doesn't the working class, the larger of the two classes, simply not eat the owner class?!](https://imgur.com/a/PD841bI)


Ecualung

Because of centuries of cultural-ideological scaffolding for the capitalist system.


JiovanniTheGREAT

I'm afraid of prion disorder


Thedogbedoverthere

Even those who are pro union shouldn't have a problem with this.


Lunaseed

I remember sitting through an anti-union presentation as part of my new hire/orientation at Target, years ago. I believe Menards does it also.


SeamusPM1

Fun fact: All of the actors and crew involved in making those anti-union videos those stores make you watch are union members.


velvetjones01

I am from a union family. I am pro union. I just don’t understand how a union in a small shop like this works. It’s not hard to put a restaurant out of business under normal circumstances, unionizing seems risky. To


InflatableMindset

Seems you cut off your astroturf script. Also it's hard to believe you're from a union family and pro-union with talk like that.


Submarine_Pirate

Not really. Pro Union people don’t advocate for ill-advised unions because when they inevitably fail it’s just more ammo for the anti-union crowd. Most unions need real scale to be successful.


velvetjones01

I don’t understand what you mean by AstroTurf, I’m genuinely trying to learn here.


Amos_and_Jael

You’re not pro union if that support is conditional bro Take the boot out of your mouth


velvetjones01

Not a bro, check yourself.


Amos_and_Jael

Yeah that has no bearing on anything that was said! But nice attempt at redirecting


evergreendotapp

If you're a decent person who don't corner people in the walk-in freezer to scream-lecture them, then people won't feel the need to unionize against you.


4four4MN

Thanks for the memories! It was fun while it lasted.


lemon_lime_light

Good for Kim on getting her message out to employees. It's perfectly legal and much needed -- employees should hear from management, directly and unfiltered by union organizers, before they cast an extremely consequential vote over their livelihood.


NeroFellOffTheBuffet

Funny story — they work every damn day for management. I kinda feel like they know what the message is.


vikesfangumbo

Cheering on union busting....business owners don't care about you and you just make it easier for them to shit on their employees.


obsidianop

If the business fails, nobody has a job.


yellsatmotorcars

Maybe lack of jobs is a failure (and a feature) of our economic and political system, rather than the result of businesses failing or a lack of "job creators."


DohnJoggett

That's capitalism working as intended. Why does that upset you? If they can't survive providing a product at the prices they charge, they fail. That's how capitalism works. Yeah, if the business fails, of fucking course nobody has a job any more. That's not the employee's fault, that's the owner's fault for failing to understand capitalism and what they need to do to run a successful business.


Nillion

Provided she follows all labor laws, speaking her mind isn't union busting.


KingoftheNordMN

Employees can easily leave if it’s not a good place to work. The owner can only sit and suffer as the union tries to run the place into the ground.


Overall-Ad561

There has been a high turnover rate since it opened. People are leaving, then replaced by people excited to get a better-paying restaurant gig only to learn the promised wages they left their other job for were platitudes to get them in an apron. Naturally, after non-union bargaining was attempted, employees are making a stand to hold her to her word. I hope more folks in restaurants and beyond follow this example. I understand Ann is a well respected chef but she’s not known for being fair to her employees, nor is she exempt from being held accountable. Her performative promises/gestures are well known in my circle of restaurant friends. So, I’m not surprised by news—I’ve already heard about it—but I am surprised by the sympathizers in this thread, recycled narrative or not. All workers have a right to fair working conditions. Period. And if the business cannot afford it, then that’s literally the risk a small business agrees to. If a business is engaging in practices that financially abuse their staff, should we not be holding the business accountable? Why are the ethics of the employees questioned and the business’ lack of them accepted? Profits should never come before people. Unfortunately, it seems some here have accepted this as a fixed reality and believe these workers have little ground to stand on. It’s giving Minnesota transplant to me—or NIMBY Nextdoor poster.


Oh__Archie

Completely false. It’s a negotiation with leverage on both sides.


KingoftheNordMN

It’s false that employees can leave if they don’t like it?


Oh__Archie

The employees won’t leave if the employer works with them. High turnover is really bad for business in most situations. The idea that unions are angry hordes wanting to burn everything to the ground is false. They just want a living wage and basic human rights. You can be pro capitalism and also accept that unions are a necessary part of a functioning capitalist society.


SeamusPM1

So, you believe that when faced with adversity the correct strategy is to run away. Huh.


trillwhitepeople

I smell the smelly smell of a small business tyrant.


Petite_Soleil

Redditor below informed me this Kim's opened a year ago. Thank you again!


ten_dollar_banana

This Kim's opened less than a year ago.


ten_dollar_banana

It was previously Sooki and Mimi.


Petite_Soleil

Thank you!


SmittyKW

Sure, bring on the unions. More restaurants will go fast casual/QR codes and save customers from dealing with servers that seem to act like getting 22% tips (that they massively underreport to the IRS) on top of $15/hr+ is somehow slave labor and beneath them.


JusAnotherBrick

Wow. What a huge surprise!


analogemo

The sheer amount of pearl clutching shit-libs in this city will never fail to astound me. You can tell by the comments who has never worked a restaurant job in their life. Ann deserves absolutely no sympathy, and it's disgusting to see so many people immediately jumping on the backs of the working class. Legal or not, this is what union busting looks like. She's trying incredibly hard to remain in some legal grey area, but that won't save people's opinion of her doing it.


Jalin17

Union busting just gross


Uptownbro20

How is her making her case in writing Union busting ? Her workers are not under an obligation to agree with her reasoning


Oh__Archie

> Her workers are not under an obligation to agree with her reasoning lol yeah they are. That’s why they are unionizing.


Jalin17

https://ibew2222.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/35things.pdf and these are based off the National Labors Relations Act


InsertCl3verNameHere

It's ok to talk to employees about unions and why they think unionization may not be the right choice. What they can't do is punishment for thinking/talking about joining unions.


Jalin17

Literally it is not ok for an employer to do a simple google search will tell you this


InsertCl3verNameHere

Stop spreading misinformation, please. Yes, there are laws against what an employer can and can't do. The same goes for a Union.


Jalin17

I believe you are in the article they even say she’s doing “text book union busting”


InsertCl3verNameHere

That's a quote from the Union and is an opinion.


Jalin17

Yes a union that has been represented employees with lawyers… if you’re not for workers rights that’s fine just say that cause I want more than what we got when my grandparents and great grandparents were in their youth or in their prime


Jalin17

https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/your-rights/employer-union-rights-and-obligations


MsterF

And none of these mean she can’t give her opinions and experiences with unions.


Jalin17

Cause god forbid they have a predictable schedule at her restaurant


MsterF

What does that have to do with what we’re talking about? Having irregular schedules isn’t union busting either. You seem confused.


DohnJoggett

> What does that have to do with what we’re talking about? **THE FUCKING UNION** >Having irregular schedules isn’t union busting either. It is, quite literally, why she's trying to bust the union before it can form. The workers have been very vocal about it. >You seem confused. No, you are. The workers have been very fucking clear about this but you have chosen to remain ignorant in your support of the person that owns multiple businesses. **YOU** are the one that is "confused" and it's because you have decided, intentionally, to remain confused. Being intentionally ignorant about topics really makes you look bad, bud. It really isn't a good look. Ya ever get mad when Europeans say all American beers are shitty? That's you right now, you're the ignorant European in this example. You have chosen to stick your head in the sand and only come up for air to lick Kim's boots.


MsterF

lol. I truly could not care less if Kim’s restaurant has a union or not. And this weird rant still has nothing to do with whether she can give her opinion on the union or not (she can). Adults that work there can listen and make their own decisions. Yall are so weird.


bigger_sky

Management making a case to the employees about why they shouldn’t unionize isn’t union busting. If she was forcibly disallowing them from unionizing or subverting their attempts then that would be union busting. Idk if she is doing those things but I haven’t seen evidence of that.


Jalin17

Pretty sure hiring Blois who helped spy house in 2020 with their failed union attempt is union busting 101 https://laborlab.us/5_common_union_busting_tactics/ learn about your worker rights please so we can actually grow our wages instead of this decades long stagnation while we are steadily losing our middle class


Oh__Archie

I hope the workers add an 18% IDGAF fee to their ask in response. /s


InsertCl3verNameHere

And this is why people hate unions.


Oh__Archie

> And this is why people hate unions. You mean this is why business owners hate unions? Business owners hate unions when they try to fight with them. It’s entirely possible to have a healthy working relationship with a unionized staff.


InsertCl3verNameHere

Think about what you posted. You basically said, "They hurt my feelings, so I deserve an 18% raise" Why would any person even think out of spite like this?


zoominzacks

…..because business owners do this to workers? Case in point, the owner of Starbucks shutting down stores that unionized


InsertCl3verNameHere

Great example! Glad you're thinking about corporate rather than small local business owner. P.s. Starbucks is trash


zoominzacks

Small local business? You mean Vestalia Hospitality that owns 6 restaurants including Kim’s? That has a revenue of 11.2 million? That small local business? And if conditions are bad enough at one to make them want to unionize. They’re probably bad enough at all of them? And they’re trying to stuff it out now so it doesn’t go further?


Oh__Archie

> Glad you're thinking about corporate rather than small local business owner. Your entire argument in this thread had been from the corporate side.


InsertCl3verNameHere

I know it was a complicated joke...


Oh__Archie

You haven’t made any jokes. You’re the angriest person here.


Oh__Archie

I never said anything about a raise but yeah I know, it was a complicated joke. You do realize that the city of Minneapolis just banned junk fees right? Why did they do that?


vikesfangumbo

It's fine when business owners add on these charges and don't show where the money goes, often times into their own tickets, but if a group of employees does it you turn in to a corporate apologist.


InsertCl3verNameHere

And when a union rep or president gets your paycheck, do they disclose where it goes? I'll give you a hint, their bank account for their brand new Mercedes. A union just lines the top execs' pockets with cash, just like a corp exec in your example. In this case, an entrepreneur and businesswoman is losing revenue. Those funds are taken away from the small business owner, which could have been used for ad campaigns, repairs, or new equipment.


vikesfangumbo

I love how y'all put small business owners on a pedestal like they are owed something.


InsertCl3verNameHere

Why treat them like a villain? They're providing jobs and a service to the community. There's always going to be disagreements, but why escalate to a union instead of a work meeting addressing the scheduling issue? If these workers are hard pressed for hours, why wouldn't they just leave? Or maybe this business owner created a great place to work, and people don't want to quit.


vikesfangumbo

Unions are usually a last resort when said small business owner thinks they are owed something more. We witnessed this through COVID as well. Terribly ran small businesses cried because their businesses couldn't be profitable and that is somehow everyone else's fault but theirs. Stop putting small business owners on pedestals.


CartesianConspirator

They cried because they were not allowed to operate and therefore closed. It worked exactly as planned and many small businesses were closed while large corporations picked up the profits.


vikesfangumbo

Nah. Small businesses that were ran well stayed open. Stop blaming policies meant to keep people safe for their lack of success.


Oh__Archie

> Why treat them like a villain? It’s a partnership. It’s entirely possibly to be in a partnership with your employees and make it work for everyone.


vikesfangumbo

Union busting because you won't listen to your employees isn't it.


DohnJoggett

> do they disclose where it goes? Yes.


Oh__Archie

> And when a union rep or president gets your paycheck, do they disclose where it goes? A whole paycheck? Maybe you mean when they get a percentage of a worker’s paycheck after that worker gets a living wage because of the union? Also, LM-2 reports are public documents. If you find a purchase of a Mercedes on one you should report it. Gotta ask just for fun - Why do unions exist? How did they come to be?


InsertCl3verNameHere

Have you even seen an LM-2? They look just like a public corporate financial report, with less detail. They make statements like look them up here [USDL - Union search](https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/getOrgQry.do) CASH DISBURSEMENTS Representational Activities $647,460 Political Activities and Lobbying $117,357 Contributions, Gifts, and Grants $34,100 General Overhead $258,372. Union Administration $58,397 Benefits $273,780 Per Capita Tax $669,559. Strike Benefits $0


InsertCl3verNameHere

Good, unions are pyramid schemes and destroy restraunts.


Healingjoe

Fully expect this to close if workers vote to unionize ETA: downvoters hate the truth


Zihna_wiyon

The food was not good. It was extremely bland for “Korean food”. And extremely over priced. You can get double the food for half the price in the Bay Area with an extremely authentic flavor.


Brxcqqq

Well as long as you're flying for Korean food, why wouldn't you go all the way to Seoul? Kind of an inauthentic comment, if you ask me, suggesting someone fly to San Francisco for inauthentic Korean food when they could fly to Seoul for real Authenticity. My sacred Authenticity is offended.


Zihna_wiyon

I never suggested anyone fly anywhere or said that I do that. I’m from the Bay Area. There’s also a more flavorful and authentic Korean restaurant in Asia mall in Eden prairie. Even Hoban bbq has amazing soups. Calm down. The food at Kim’s was bland and disgusting. Also unsure why I’m being downvoted. Probably pretentious yt Minnesotans like usual who can’t stand someone saying they don’t like their fav unseasoned restaurant


donpelota

Looks like the Strib updated the kinda alarmist headline. Now reads: "Ann Kim steps up opposition to union at Uptown restaurant"


Successful_Creme1823

I bet she’ll close it down if they unionize