The Louisville Workers Brigade Celebrates May Day with the City's Working People
Benjamin A. Berry
5/6/2024
The Louisville Workers Brigade celebrated its official launch on International Workers’ Day (May Day), May 1st. Our organizers called out of work and traveled around the city, visiting with workers in our community. In addition to handing out informational literature about the Brigade, organizers also sought to hear the stories of working people in Louisville, paying particular attention to workplaces where workers are currently organizing or have just recently organized a union.
Included among the numerous stops were all of the union coffee shops in town: Heine Brothers, Sunergos Coffee, and the Starbucks locations who have voted to unionize. It was only a few months ago, in November 2023, that Sunergos workers went on strike during their contract negotiations. Organizers who walked the picket lines then can attest to the particularly nasty atmosphere created by the owners’ friends during that strike where scab workers kept some of the locations open and those supporting management—mostly friends of the owners connected through church and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—would hurl foul insults at the workers on the picket line. Thankfully, the workers persevered in their work stoppage and secured their first contract at the conclusion of the strike. Organized Starbucks workers from over 400 locations are currently engaged in collective bargaining with the company—a recent positive development after years of management refusing to come to the negotiating table with Starbucks Workers United. Heine Brothers workers are currently represented by SEIU and are enjoying the benefits of the contract they secured in March of 2023.
Brigade organizers also visited numerous union locals throughout the city, including the Iron Workers Local 70, SEIU-NCFO Chapter 320, IBEW Local 369, and the UAW Local 862. At the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 89, an especially friendly and kind staff member greeted organizers with a “Happy May Day!” and provided organizers with free union bracelets and ink pens; Dalton, one of the Brigade’s organizers and a Teamster with Local 89, purchased an IBT T-shirt. At the UA Local 502, a friendly staff member offered Brigade organizers UA stickers in celebration of International Workers’ Day. Staff at each local were hospitable, welcoming, and helpful, providing Brigade organizers with contact information for their union organizers.
The Brigade took special care to visit recently organized workplaces where workers are currently negotiating their first contracts. These stops included Rainbow Blossom (Gardiner Lane), Feast BBQ, Royals Hot Chicken, Pizza Lupo, and Lush Cosmetics. The Brigade was fortunate to meet workers on the bargaining committee at Lush and Feast, both offering positive reports on the state of contract negotiations. One worker at Feast BBQ became immediately enthused upon seeing The Louisville Workers Brigade and Haymarket Affair buttons one of our organizers was sporting.
The Brigade did not forget about our public sector workers, either. In addition to attending a practice picket organized by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1447 for public transit workers (see Dalton Nolan’s article about that event), organizers also visited branches of the Louisville Free Public Library to speak with the workers organized under AFSCME Council 962. Organizers visited the Main, Crescent Hill, Iroquois, J-Town, Shawnee, and West branches and received overwhelming support from the wonderful workers of our city’s public library system. One worker, at the West branch, commented on the appropriateness of the Brigade’s launch on what she rightly labeled “the real Labor Day.” The Brigade was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm for organized Labor among those working at our public libraries and thank them for the invaluable service they provide for working people in our community!
Brigade organizers also visited The Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op, a worker-run and -owned coffee shop in downtown Louisville. The worker-owners at the co-op were gracious enough to offer space for Brigade pamphlets and copies of our publication, The Class Struggle Chronicle. Additionally, organizers visited the AT&T store in St. Matthews, organized under the CWA, and Trader Joe’s where workers voted to unionize in January 2023; Trader Joe’s management still refuses to recognize the legitimacy of that election, despite the NLRB certifying the result in January of this year; workers at Trader Joe’s, led by Connor Hovey, the National Organizer for Trader Joe’s United, are pushing for the company to come to the bargaining table to negotiate a contract.
Overall, The Louisville Workers Brigade enjoyed a wonderful reception from Louisville’s Labor community on May Day and was able to interact with hundreds of workers across the city. There is a real upsurge in Labor militancy in our community and the Brigade is looking forward to further educating, supporting, and uniting working class forces to build a radical, class struggle Labor Movement in Louisville. The Brigade offers its heartfelt thanks for all of the love and encouragement, both online on social media and in-person.
Solidarity forever and always!