The Board and Brew has been a staple of Drexel’s campus since its opening in 2019, with many students and staff having passed through for coffee or a bite to eat. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the workers of the coffee shop and eatery announced their intentions to form a union, while asking for recognition from leadership.
“What we have done is essentially ask ownership if they will voluntarily recognize. And within 24 hours, they can choose to do that. And if they don’t, we move to an election where everyone will vote for the recognition of the union,” one of the restaurant employees and union advocates, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Triangle.
The restaurant, located on 32nd and Chestnut St., is well known for its downstairs café and upstairs restaurant that houses over 500 board games for customers to play. They’ve advertised themselves as a “board game restaurant” that serves “Specialty Coffee & Cocktails, Craft Beer, [and a] Full Menu,” on Instagram.
“We need management that supports us,” one worker emphasized during the union’s announcement.
“We get no direction or backup, and we feel unheard and undervalued. We want this workplace to function, and that can’t happen unless you, along with our management, step up and take responsibility and support the people who run the place when you aren’t around: which is most of the time,” the worker said to the establishment’s co-owner, Michael Chmar.
Chmar, one of the three owners of the Board and Brew, declined to recognize the union until he conferred with his co-owners. When requested by employees to call the other co-owners, Chmar said he did not believe he would be able to get them on the phone.
He was given 24 hours by the workers to get a response, or the union would attempt to hold an election for recognition.
“We do have a supermajority, which is at least 71% of the total staff,” the union advocate continued, which would be overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
The union will be part of the Philadelphia Joint Board, Workers United, which is a local affiliate of the Service Employee International Union, which has nearly 2 million members.
Chmar declined to provide comment for The Triangle, reiterating the need to discuss with his fellow co-owners.