Thirty-six baristas and roastery workers at eight Highwire Coffee locations in the East Bay are now represented by Local 5 after their employer signed a voluntary recognition agreement on March 5.

The campaign began last August when workers contacted the union with concerns about wages, staffing levels and safety issues at their cafes and the roastery. Nearly all the workers signed union authorization cards which ultimately led to the company’s willingness to bargain with Local 5 on their behalf.

The company was launched in Oakland in 2011 and has expanded quickly with additional cafes in Montclaire, Berkely, Albany, Alameda and Walnut Creek. Two new Oakland locations are slated to open later this year.

The rapid growth has led to workplace issues that are “kind of outside of the area standard”, said barista Sydnie Conner, a member of the organizing committee.

In an industry where “high turnover is so the cultural norm,” it can be challenging for workers to find sustainable solutions, Conner said. “If we want cafes to exist, we need workers who are treated well enough to maintain them.”

While voluntary recognition and the avoidance of a protracted anti-union campaign came as somewhat of a surprise according to Local 5 organizer Althea Brennan, the workers are excited to get to work developing contract proposals in anticipation beginning the bargaining process in the coming weeks.