Minneapolis-based Surly Brewing’s hospitality employees will not be unionizing after their election to join Unite Here Local 17 failed this week.
“We began this journey hoping for a different outcome,” the organizing employees wrote on their Unite Surly Workers Instagram account. “Despite what people will say, our attempt to unionize was in direct relation to the love we had for the jobs we did.”
Voting took place on Friday, Monday and Wednesday, Surly bartender and organizer Megan Caswell told Brewbound. Surly and union representatives identified and agreed upon which employees were eligible to vote, a Surly spokesperson told Brewbound.
Although employees voted 56-20 in favor of joining Unite Here Local 17, a Twin Cities hospitality workers union that has unionized staff members at Minneapolis-based Fair State Brewing Co-Op and several distilleries in the city, “the rules declare we need over 50% of all eligible employees to vote in favor of the union to win,” Unite Surly Workers wrote.
“After debating who could and could not vote, we had 112 eligible voters,” they said. “If you do the math, that means we lost by one vote.”
Surly acknowledged the election took place, and thanked patrons for their support of the beer hall during its six years of operation.
“Surly Hospitality employees have completed their free and fair election conducted by an independent third party,” Surly wrote on Facebook. “A majority of the eligible employees did not cast ballots in favor of representation by the union.”
On Sunday, Surly announced an employee tested positive for COVID-19 and the temporary closure of the beer hall until October 13, three weeks before the company plans to indefinitely shutter the venue on November 2 due to pandemic-related financial difficulties.
After weeks of negotiating, management and organizing employees announced a compromise on September 24. Surly management allowed the election to proceed, and the workers withdrew their unfair labor practice charge.
Unite Here Local 17 wrote that it is “forever proud of the Surly workers for standing up.”
“Over the next few days workers will decide what they think is the best way forward but we know that the plight of the worker does not stop with one vote,” the union wrote on social media. “Surly workers will keep fighting in solidarity with each other.”
Surly workers announced their intention to unionize on August 31. Two days later, Surly said it would shutter its beer hall on November 2 due to financial struggles. The company projected it would lose $750,000 by the end of the year if the beer hall remained in operation.
The closure had been planned for weeks and its announcement was coincidental, Surly founder and owner Omar Ansari said at the time. However, some employees called the closing of the beer hall a union busting tactic.
“The results do not affect the beer hall’s stark financial reality that led to the plan and the need to close indefinitely,” Surly wrote on Facebook. “We’ll continue to provide guests with exceptional service and the highest safety measures until our final night of service.”
Surly isn’t alone in deciding to close its taproom indefinitely during the pandemic. Frederick, Maryland-based Flying Dog Brewery announced in June it would close its taproom until at least June 2021. Two weeks prior to that announcement, Indiana-based Three Floyds said it would indefinitely close its brewpub in Munster, citing safety concerns related to the pandemic.