PORTLAND, Ore.—On the dreary solstice afternoon of Dec. 21, 2024, Sizzle Pie Workers United (@sizzlepieworkersunited) and many community supporters gathered in solidarity and warmth in front of the 624 East Burnside location to celebrate their win at the National Labor Relations Board, to rally for their upcoming union election, and to demand that multiple unjustly fired workers be reinstated.
Ever since these pizza workers filed for recognition of their union on Sept. 19, 2024, management has been engaging in a dragged-out campaign of union-busting to delay the relatively simple demands of the workers: Reinstate all fired workers, stop indiscriminate firings, and increase the pay.
The overwhelming support of the community for the organizing Sizzle Pie workers warmed each and every one of the many, many hearts who stood shivering on East Burnside under a dismal winter sky. They made rousing speeches and chanted for an audience of themselves, customers, passers-by, and a single glowering HR drone seething alone inside the restaurant.
So far, at least four Sizzle Pie workers have been fired during the union campaign, three in the two weeks before Christmas. Union members are clearly being targeted for their legally protected union activity. After the workers declared their intention to unionize, Sizzle Pie management began forcing workers to write letters documenting alleged violations of company policy, then cruelly using these humiliating letters as grounds for the workers’ own dismissal.
On the day before the rally, HR actually threatened to call the cops on one worker, Ruthie, as she gathered her belongings and said goodbye to her beloved coworkers of many years. Ruthie is one of the workers that organizers want reinstated.
In fact, Ruthie was fired the very morning after she and other Sizzle Pie workers marched on the boss. At dinnertime on Dec. 19, they delivered a petition with their demands for reinstatement of their fired coworkers and an end to forcing workers to write letters.
Sizzle Pie management is clearly panicked at seeing the workers’ total unity and is desperately overreacting in a last attempt to disrupt the workers’ hard-fought, long-awaited union election.
Inspired by the Dickensian spirit of his employer’s latest performance, Dylan, another Sizzle Pie worker, wrote an entertaining holiday play that workers and supporters performed to the delight of the community gathered at the rally.
In “A Pizza Carol,” a certain union-busting pizza shop owner is visited by the ghost of three fired workers. “Welcome Ebeneezer, to the graveyard beneath the steeple. Gaze here towards the tomb of those who don’t listen to the will of the people… Wipe away the dust if you are so brave, see what name belongs on the grave,” said one of the ghosts, to cheers from the audience.
“F- YOU SIZZLE PIE” yelled one attendee after talking to organizers and taking a flyer to learn more. Dozens of potential customers decided to get their pizza elsewhere after learning about the actions taken by Sizzle Pie toward their workers, and the store was virtually empty on a Saturday at dinnertime.
Due to the continued firings and horrendous treatment by management, many other workers have decided to leave the company, and few, if any, new employees are starting there. The store has had to close at odd hours due to dwindling staff, leaving workers without pay and customers confused.
Union organizers stated that their goal is to bring Sizzle Pie back to its former glory, which they said was once a great place to work. The organizers also want it to be a better place for customers, having enough staff to be open at consistent hours so customers can actually eat pizza if they want to.
The union election is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025. Workers feel strongly that they will win the election, and they will continue to organize up to and beyond the vote.
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