Two More Portland Burgerville Locations Vote to Unionize

That brings the total number of local Burgerville unions up to five.

Burgerville near the Oregon Convention Center (Sage Brown)

Late last week, workers at two Portland Burgerville stores, at the Convention Center and in Montavilla, voted to formally unionize.

The elections bring the total number of local Burgerville unionized restaurants up to five. Last April, employees at the chain's 92nd and Powell Street location voted to found the first fast food union in the nation.

In a statement, the Burgerville Workers Union writes that 67 percent of employees at the Convention Center location voted in favor of unionizing and at the Montavilla store 63 percent voted yes.

"This nearly doubles the number of workers formally represented by the union," BVWU notes, "and makes the BVWU undefeated in five straight elections."

Last month, Convention Center employees alleged union-busting from management in the days after demanding formal union recognition. Those allegations included getting written up for innocuous things like wearing name badges in the wrong place and wearing ripped jeans. After WW published a story of the complaints, Burgerville rescinded all write-ups.

On March 16, Burgerville's union efforts also expanded to Portland-based fast-food chain Little Big Burger.

Burgerville says in a statement that it "remains committed to bargaining in good faith," and plans to hold a bargaining meeting with union members on April 10.

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