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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Hillcrest Better Buzz Workers Vote to Join UFCW

 Better Buzz Coffee’s Hillcrest workers

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Workers at Better Buzz Coffee’s Hillcrest location in San Diego voted on Friday to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 135.

Better Buzz is one of the largest local coffee chains in San Diego County, with locations in Southern California and more new branches opening in Arizona. The unit includes baristas, trainers and shift supervisors, who organized under the name Better Buzz United. Workers started discussing unionizing in January—with core concerns including low pay, inconsistent scheduling and lack of benefits like health care and PTO—then filed a union election petition in April.

“I’m extremely grateful to all of my coworkers for showing up and showing out in support of granting workers a voice,” said barista Jackson Ducksworth in a Local 135 press release. “This is another step towards a bright future of worker empowerment!”