First Avenue venues agree to voluntarily recognize employees' union
UPDATE: First Avenue has voluntarily recognized its employees' union with UNITE HERE. What follows is a modified version of the original story.
MINNEAPOLIS -- More than 200 service workers at First Avenue, 7th Street Entry, Depot Tavern, Turf Club, Fine Line Music Café, Palace Theatre, and Fitzgerald Theater petitioned to unionize on Thursday.
"I think we're the best clubs in the Cities, so I want to be treated like we're the best," said Pauli DeMaris, a bartender and event staff who's worked at First Avenue clubs for 18 years.
The workers delivered the petition to management with a super-majority of signatures, and the company voluntarily recognized their union with UNITE HERE Local 17.
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"I'm organizing because I love this job. I care so much about this place and about live music. I want to make First Ave better for me and my coworkers, I would love to not have to work three jobs," said Maddy Loch, an employee of First Avenue.
According to a press release from UNITE HERE Local 17, workers at the seven venues organized for fair wages, more training, and respectful scheduling that would allow them to better plan for their lives.
They say that many service and event staff work multiple venues and different jobs shift to shift. Additionally, their take home earnings can look dramatically different depending on whether or not workers get assigned tipped or non-tipped positions, making financial planning a struggle.
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The press release went on to say that even seniority doesn't matter when it comes to securing tipped positions. According to the union, schedules for these venues can be unpredictable and are released with only four days' notice.
"I get both tipped and minimum wage shifts, and budgeting is difficult. Recently, there was a good month and a half where all my bar shifts were bad. It was like 'Guess I'll wait to go to the grocery store,'" said DeMaris.
"I've missed out on helping my family because of the way the schedule works. I can't let people know if I'm free until as little as four days before, so I don't really make plans," said Tony Bosak, who has worked at First Avenue for four and a half years. "I love my job, I put a lot of effort in, and I don't feel appreciated. We all want support and recognition."
The next step is for First Avenue and its workers to come together and negotiate their first contract. It's not clear when that process will begin.