Seattle, WA – On Saturday, June 3 Homegrown workers and community supporters held a picket in front of the Queen Anne location of Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches, amidst their fight for a first contract with UNITE HERE Local 8.

The picket came days after Homegrown workers saw the company’s first response to the economic demands during contract bargaining earlier that week on Tuesday, May 30.

“Homegrown, Homegrown you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side!” called workers from the picket lines. Cafe workers gave their thoughts on the $1.75 proposed raise offered by the company.

“I think it’s disrespectful and insulting and arrogant,” said Dre Say from the downtown location. In their original contract proposed on Tuesday, May 2 the Homegrown workers union bargaining committee demanded a $5.25 raise.

Homegrown Group LLC reportedly purchased Pete’s Milk Delivery in early 2023 while the company was in contract negotiations with their employees.

“I feel we’re being unfairly treated, and I believe we should be getting a fair wage,” said Mia Martin of the University Village location. “If they can buy a milk company they can pay us more.”

In the middle of picketing, workers came together to give speeches stressing the need to continue taking action to put pressure on the company. Then picketers resumed, marching and chanting, “We are not just sandwich makers. Homegrown profits off our labor!” among other chants, until 2 p.m.

A majority of Homegrown workers signed union cards with UNITE HERE Local 8 in June 2022. The Saturday picket marks the one-year anniversary that Homegrown workers have been fighting publicly for a union. Their next scheduled bargaining date is Tuesday, June 13.

#SeattleWA #HomegrownSustainableSandwiches

Seattle, WA – Workers at the Homegrown distribution center began a 24-hour strike on August 17 over invasive surveillance cameras, kicking off strike votes at other locations of the company.

Workers at Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches went public with a union campaign on June 3 and have been fighting for recognition ever since – escalating from delegations to pickets and, as of Wednesday morning, strike action. In response to organized workers, the company installed high-tech facial recognition cameras in delivery trucks, designed to intimidate drivers. Drivers and packers showed they wouldn't be intimidated, by walking off their 5 a.m. shift and on to the picket line.

“We want to be respected as human beings. We want respect while we're at work, like getting rid of cameras that watch our every move,” said Star Bell, a packer at the wholesale distribution site. As workers from UPS to Amazon have been organizing against surveillance on the job, this one-day work stoppage marks the country’s first strike against surveillance cameras. From the picket line, workers shouted “Good morning, Homegrown! Good luck working on your own!” and “Quit spying, Homegrown!”

Workers at Homegrown’s retail cafes – which management has tried and failed to keep separate from the wholesale production and distribution drivers at the company – also voted to authorize one-day strikes this week. So far workers at four out of the ten Homegrown cafes voted overwhelmingly to strike, with issues ranging from extreme heat at the Mercer Island location to extremely hazardous air quality due to smoke at the Redmond store.

Workers are organizing for a $20 per hour, tip transparency, healthcare and paid time off. In the face of disrespect, intimidation and retaliation from management, workers at Homegrown are showing they won't back down, and will fight to win respect and livable wages.

All power to the workers!

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