San Francisco vegan food company becomes battlefield for workers, union, executives
Unions, leadership and workers split on future of company factory
San Francisco food company Amy's Kitchen is deadlocked as its workforce, leadership and a local union vie for control of a factory.
Amy's Kitchen of San Francisco produces frozen meals for vegan-vegetarian diet restrictions. Workers in the company's factory began expressing dissatisfaction with leadership around the beginning of this year. The conflict made national headlines after a Jan. 17 investigation by NBC News.
Amy's Kitchen employees have accused the company of "serious violations of health and safety regulations," claiming "workers continue to get injured." The company, still headed by its 1987 founders — CEO Andy Berliner and wife Rachel — disputes the claims.
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"We brought in third-party auditors, we reviewed our internal practices and safety record and, most importantly, I met with over 500 employees in small groups to learn more about the experience of working for Amy's," Andy Berliner wrote in a March statement denying accusations of limited bathroom breaks and a lack of water on the work floor.
Workers on strike have claimed injuries are common on the factory floor, and many have alleged mistreatment by managers.
Teamsters Local 665 has stepped up to take in the disgruntled employees, pushing protestors to join the union. Many workers have shown support for the move as a way to protect their interests.
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has also stepped in to represent employees who feel they have not been given a fair chance to vote against the union.
Customers enter an Amy's Kitchen restaurant in Rohnert Park, Calif., June 24, 2020. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Following multiple inquiries by Amy’s Kitchen employees, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has issued a special alert to California and Oregon employees of the vegetarian-prepared food company, which is currently the subject of a top-down campaign by Teamsters Local 665 union officials to install union control," NRWLF wrote.
The NRWLF claims that Teamsters Local 665 has attempted to circumvent workers' right to a secret ballot vote.
"It has been said that we are union busters," Andy Berliner said of the push to unionize. "This couldn’t be further from the truth. I have told every one of our employees who has asked that unionization is their choice — whether yes or no. And what was resoundingly clear is that our employees are not asking for boycotts and, in fact, are saddened and scared by this negative campaign led by the union."
Fox News Digital contacted Teamsters Local 655 but did not receive a response.