Support Taylor After Unjust Firing

On Thursday, July 31st, workers across all East Bay Blue Bottle Cafes voted and won union recognition in a landslide victory through an NLRB election.

Since the union’s launch on June 17, Blue Bottle has fired two union organizer for “being late,” including Taylor Saladino, one of the store’s dedicated and respected baristas who has worked at the company for nearly three years.

Firing Taylor is not only unjust, it’s also self-sabotage. The Berkeley Blue Bottle Cafe cafe where Taylor worked is already critically short-staffed, and removing one of the cafe’s most capable and committed workers only hurts the store and our customers.

We believe the real reason Taylor was fired was simple: Taylor is a union organizer, and played a pivotal role in unionizing all four East Bay cafes. This firing appears to be a clear act of retaliation intended to scare workers and weaken the organizing effort.

Taylor is beloved by the Berkeley community. Regulars know and respect Taylor, and coworkers count on his dedication and support, always stepping in when the team is stretched thin, and helping the cafe run smoothly in even the most hectic times. Taylor has worked hard for Blue Bottle while pursuing a degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering, starting at Laney College before transferring to San Francisco State University. Please support Taylor after this unjust firing.

This is not just about Taylor; it’s about every worker’s right to stand up for fair treatment without fear of losing their job.