Anodyne Coffee Workers Win Union In Landslide, Blowout Election Victory Despite Company Union-Busting, Delays

MILWAUKEE – Anodyne Coffee workers won their union through an election run by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with balloting conducted and tallied on Wednesday (18-RC-364279). Anodyne Coffee workers won the election in a landslide, blowout victory despite a vigorous union-busting campaign conducted by FairWave Holdings, LLC, the private equity-backed company that has owned Anodyne since 2023. Anodyne workers unanimously voted union yes, 37 to 0 (with an additional 7 voters subject to challenge). Anodyne workers voted to join MASH, the Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union.

Cafe, production and events workers employed at the four Milwaukee-area Anodyne Coffee locations announced they formed a union and requested recognition by their employer on April 14, 2025, backed by a clear, strong supermajority of 94% of employees who signed union authorization and membership cards. The company refused recognition despite overwhelming support and launched an anti-union campaign. When the Employer failed to file for an election with the NLRB, the Union did so on April 23, 2025 – this time backed by 100% of eligible Anodyne workers who had signed cards.

FairWave ran a standard anti-union campaign, from propaganda filled with misleading statements, outright lies, and blatant factual errors, as well as classic attempts to weaponize the procedures of the NLRB. When the labor board attempted to conduct an election on May 21st, the NLRB had to postpone the second half of voting during the middle of the day, even with two-thirds of workers already voting. Instead of allowing the NLRB to resume balloting to complete the election, the employer’s union-busting attorney forced the NLRB to expend additional resources to re-run the whole election, delaying matters another two weeks. Despite spending untold amounts of money on high-priced union-busting consultants and lawyers and delaying recognition by nearly two months, FairWave did not persuade or coerce a single worker to oppose unionization in a testament to the strength and unity of Anodyne workers.

“This victory demonstrates that workers’ determination and unity can triumph. I’m incredibly proud of my coworkers at Anodyne for standing together. Through our union and our contract we’re looking forward to building a stronger and more supportive workplace for all employees.”

• Sabrina Prochaska, Shift Lead

“When we started this process it really reinforced my feelings that we, the workers, have a strong sense of community and camaraderie. We all stood strong together in the face of an aggressive union-busting campaign. I can’t wait to equalize the power dynamic and get to the bargaining table to make real, meaningful change.”

• Nat Otto, Coffee Lead

“The first union organizing meeting I attended in February came after changes in my workplace that felt like being awake during surgery. Around me were three coworkers who felt the same way. Today I’m proud to see the unity amongst Anodyne workers who decided that we needed a voice and seat at the table with FairWave, so that we could protect what we built and love. We’ve become better together each step of the way, and we’re going to keep getting stronger as we prepare to fight for our first contract.”

• Marly Hardie, Shift Lead

“From baristas and bartenders to cooks and cleaners, hospitality and service sector workers in Milwaukee are unionizing to balance the power with their employers and secure a meaningful, effective voice and seat at the table in their workplaces. The only way service and hospitality workers can secure living wages that deal with the cost of living crisis, win and defend decent benefits, guarantee fair schedules and decent hours, and ensure employment security is through a union contract. Anodyne workers have set the standard for unity and strength on the road to unionization while demonstrating that any service sector workplace in Milwaukee can be organized and that every service and hospitality worker should unionize.”

• Peter Rickman, MASH President/Business Manager

The National Labor Relations Board will certify Wednesday’s election after seven days, pending any objections filed by either party. Absent objections, the NLRB will certify MASH as the bargaining agent for the collective bargaining unit, thereby obligating the employer to recognize the union and begin negotiating in good faith to settle a first contract for Anodyne workers.

The NLRB will conduct post-elections hearings on the employment status of five Anodyne workers that FairWave Holdings, LLC claims are supervisors (and therefore ineligible to be union-represented), despite entering no evidence in the record to support their claim of supervisory status and demand for exclusion.

Anodyne Coffee workers join employees of Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea who have unionized with MASH recently.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.