Minneapolis council member privately encouraged Ann Kim to recognize union at her Uptown restaurant
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Minneapolis City Council member Katie Cashman left a voicemail encouraging chef Ann Kim (right) to voluntarily recognize a unionization effort at her Uptown restaurant. Photos: Kyle Stokes/Axios and Jeff Schear/Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation
Minneapolis City Council member Katie Cashman privately encouraged chef Ann Kim to voluntarily recognize an employee union at her Uptown restaurant, according to a voicemail Axios has obtained.
Why it matters: Cashman made this call in a delicate moment for the council's left-wing majority, which is attempting to notch a big win for the labor community while also building trust with local business owners — including Kim, one of Uptown's most prominent boosters.
The big picture: Cashman is co-author of a proposal to create a labor standards board, which proponents hope could become a powerful vehicle to drive new labor-friendly policies through city hall.
- To work well, the new board would need broad buy-in. But business groups are nervous, fearing new regulatory burdens — and Kim has asked some of the toughest questions about the idea behind the scenes.
- In an e-mail, Cashman told Axios she was calling Kim to follow up. "There was a desire from restaurateurs to be in better communication with council members and this was part of my attempt to bridge that gap."
Behind the scenes: Cashman left the voicemail on May 30 — two days after Kim's employees announced plans to unionize with Unite Here Local 17 — according to a source who shared the voicemail with Axios and asked for anonymity.
- In the message, Cashman asked for a meeting, then brought up the union drive.
- Cashman mentioned First Avenue management's decision last November to voluntarily recognize their employees' bid to unionize, also with Unite Here. That move "led to a really smooth transition" for the music venue, Cashman said.
- "So, wanted to offer that and encourage you to recognize the union [at Kim's]," Cashman continued. "I know the guys at Unite Here Local 17 are really committed to the Uptown development and working together with businesses and workers to do that. So I'm happy to support you in any way."
Catch up quick: Since Kim didn't recognize their petition voluntarily, the workers will now hold a June 27 unionization vote, the Star Tribune reported.
What they're saying: "The idea that a regulator of the restaurant industry who has tremendous power would pressure [Kim] to 'just accept' the union should be concerning," Blois Olson, a spokesperson for Kim, said in a statement to Axios.
Yes, but: It's not unusual for Minneapolis politicians to publicly support labor causes, as Cashman did on social media when the First Avenue union was recognized.
The other side: "I support workers and workers rights and I also support Uptown revitalization," Cashman told Axios.
- "I offered my support and sought an opportunity to be in dialogue with an important progressive business owner in the Uptown neighborhood."
- Cashman added that she's had follow-up meetings about the labor standards board with several restaurant owners "to understand their challenges and needs."
"Progressive businesses in town have set a standard: listening to a supermajority of their workers and recognizing their union quickly," Unite Here Local 17 leaders told Axios in a written statement. "We're glad others have taken notice and agree."
- The union added that Kim's statements against employees' organizing push, both publicly and internally, are "textbook union-busting tactics."
Between the lines: Mark Nelson, an attorney at Spencer Fane who represents employers, told Axios that Cashman's comments were lawful.
- That said, Nelson called Cashman's comments "classic big-city pressure" that he added undercuts a process meant to give employees the right to decide for themselves whether to unionize.