Slow Bloom Coffee Cooperative has grown up fast in Redlands, California, following the demise of long-running local coffee company Augie’s Coffee.
This past spring, the worker-owned coffee cooperative formed mostly by former Augie’s employees in late 2020 opened its first brick-and-mortar retail shop under its own name.
Not only did the opening on Redlands’ north side give local coffee lovers a much-needed dose of high-quality coffee and food, it also nourished the spirits of workers who’d long sought better working conditions and greater autonomy.
Augie’s made national headlines in 2020 when the 10-year-old company closed all five of its retail locations and ultimately laid off 51 employees, citing pandemic-related issues. A union seeking to represent Augie’s workers accused the company of retaliating against unionization efforts, which led to a formal complaint issued by the National Labor Rights Board. That case is now closed.
Read the rest at Daily Coffee News
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