Employees at the famous Dandelion, a maker of chocolate bars in San Francisco, are trying to unionize, another prominent work effort among popular local food and beverage companies.
They want higher wages, a safer work environment and more transparency at the company, which grew from its original coffee shop in the Mission District to also operate a huge chocolate factory nearby, a retail space in the Ferry Building and several branches in Japan. Workers are likely to hold an election in several weeks to decide whether to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
The effort follows the successful unionization effort at Anchor Brewing in 2019 and the still contested attempt at Tartine Bakery in 2020. Although some Dandelion employees started researching unionization before these offers became public, the idea that several Local companies specializing in craft products can unionize has been “galvanizing,” said Christine Keating, a leading chocolate educator who worked at Dandelion for seven years.
“Togetherness is important because it empowers more incredible, passionate and intelligent people to have more voice and make this company better,” said Keating. “If I want to stay with this company for the next seven years, I really need this.”
About 50 Dandelion workers are at the proposed union unit, although a total of 84 work in San Francisco. Although the chocolate company maintains a position in Japan, it is managed by a separate entity. Despite the recent local movement around the organization, the food industry maintains one of the lowest union membership rates in the U.S., 3.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Dandelion founder Todd Masonis was still processing the news on Wednesday and said he plans to educate himself about the unions “to understand the responsibilities, legally and morally”. The union effort was first reported by Mission Local.
“It looks like there is a desire for change and it looks like a lot of people in the company are really excited to make a positive impact,” Masonis told The Chronicle. “I think this part is very good, so now we need to find out what it means.”
Dandelion employees say they want to have more say in the way the workplace is run. Chocolate maker Tim Ryan pointed to the Valencia Street chocolate factory, where the number of employees has declined significantly, but production targets remain high. When employees asked to hire more people, Masonis responded by closing the operation entirely, officials said. (Although Valencia no longer produces chocolate, it remains open.)
Masonis said that after listening to workers’ concerns, he offered employees similar jobs at the larger factory on 16th Street, which has more efficient machines. But Ryan said he was surprised by the decision and was told there was no guarantee that they would be placed in similar positions for the same pay. Chocolate makers told management that they preferred to work at the Valencia Street facility.
“We express our needs. They used it to justify closing the factory, ”said Ryan.
Wage transparency and career development are also at stake, they said. Employees conduct annual assessments, but cannot ask for increases during assessments, said Keating and Ryan. Keating, who earns $ 50,000 a year, said he has not received a raise in three years and it is unclear how to talk to a manger about how to get one. Ryan said there is also no clear path for promotions for his role. He knows a chocolate maker who was promoted in a few years, while another was not, despite more than five years in office.
“We want a more democratic workplace. Now, we feel that many decisions are made by us by management, ”said Keating. “Our voices and solutions are not really heard in favor of solutions that are easier to manage. We want to have a seat at that table. “
Janelle Bitker is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Serena Dai is a senior editor at the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected], [email protected]