A former employee of Barista Parlor's Golden Sound location says she was fired after attempting to organize workers to petition for higher wages, sparking a protest outside the Gulch cafe on Thursday morning.
“I was fired for trying to organize,” Xóchitl Cruz-López told a crowd of roughly two dozen people. Cruz-López had worked on and off at the cafe for seven years, and her employment was terminated on April 19.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Cruz-López said she had been talking to management about raising wages since October 2021, but it wasn’t until January that she realized other employees had similar concerns. Before her termination, she said, the base wage for baristas started at $9 per hour.
Cruz-López said she and her fellow employees had talked about unionizing, but that they didn't have the chance to pursue it before her termination. After she was fired, Barista Parlor employees received a raise. She doesn’t believe any other organizing efforts have continued.
Cruz-López said she was fired via a phone call. The reasons given for her termination were that she had been disrespectful during a managers’ meeting and that she seemed unhappy with work. She said at Thursday's event that she hadn't received a write-up while working for Barista Parlor in the past, and believes the real reason was retaliation for her organizing work.
Federal law protects employees engaging in such activities. Cruz-López said she filed an Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this week. She expects an investigation will show a history of Barista Parlor underpaying employees, and that more workers will come forward with their own stories.
Workers’ Dignity, a local labor advocacy center, helped organize the protest alongside ROC Music City, a group dedicated to supporting workers in the food and drink industry. Speakers associated with the organizations also spoke, as did a member of the successful union drive at Three Brothers Coffee.
Organizers did not appear to be calling for a boycott, with Paige McCay of ROC Music City encouraging people to tip baristas if they went in for coffee. “It's not their fault," said McCay, "and not going in there, that's only going to hurt them.”
In a statement to the Scene, Barista Parlor founder and owner Andy Mumma denied the allegations:
We fully reject the claims that have been made. The allegations are simply not true. Employment at Barista Parlor, like every business, is based on conduct and performance, period. ...
Barista Parlor supports its employees, many of which have been with the company for years thanks to the earning potential and benefits we provide which includes 401k match, health benefits match, vacation pay, and free employee food and drink. In addition, between base hourly rates and tips, our Baristas earn from approximately $15 to more than $25 per hour. We’re proud of our business which we’ve grown organically in Nashville over the last ten years.
Mumma adds that Barista Parlor has not yet received the UPL complaint but "once we receive it, we will vigorously defend against any false allegations in the appropriate forum."
Cruz-López maintains she’s telling the truth. “If they're false, I want to know why did you give everyone a raise after I was fired? Why didn't you communicate with everyone that this raise was coming? Or why didn't you want to meet with us?”
The Barista Parlor brand turns 10 years old this year, and The Tennessean reports it is now planning to expand to Indianapolis and Louisville.
