Two staffers at Duck & the Peach say a quick wine taste during service got them fired, and they believe their union organizing helped put targets on their backs. Management insists it was nothing more than a straightforward enforcement of a long-standing no-alcohol policy. The clash has now jumped to the federal arena, with union representation filings and an unfair-labor-practice complaint on file.
Staff say a routine sip turned into a firing
Employees who spoke to the Washingtonian describe the wine tasting as “educational,” saying that sampling a bottle before pouring it for guests is standard behind-the-bar practice. As reported by Washingtonian, bartender HC and server assistant Alice Rubino say they were called into a manager’s office at the end of the night and abruptly let go. They also say managers have grown more punitive since staff publicly pushed to unionize.
According to workers, the company has handed out anti-union materials, and some organizers have joined picket lines outside the restaurant. What started as a small pour at the bar is now part of a much bigger fight over who holds power on the floor.
NLRB petition and election timeline
UNITE HERE Local 25 has filed a representation petition with the National Labor Relations Board covering employees at Eastern Point Collective’s Capitol Hill restaurants. The agency lists the matter as case number 05-RC-380502, showing the petition was filed on Feb. 4, 2026. NLRB records also show a stipulated election agreement was added on Feb. 13, a signal that the process is moving toward a formal vote. The case identifies an approximately 54-person food-and-beverage unit that would be eligible under the proposed bargaining unit.
Management: policy, not politics
In an email cited by the Washingtonian, Eastern Point Collective founder Hollis Silverman said the firings were about workplace rules, not organizing. “The two part-time individuals were terminated for violating the restaurant’s long-held policy against consuming alcohol while working without permission from a manager,” Silverman wrote, adding that the decision was “unrelated to the union.”
How this fits into a larger DC restaurant fight
The showdown at Duck & the Peach is part of a broader wave of restaurant organizing across the D.C. area that has pulled in politicians and passersby alike. Axios has reported that workers at several District restaurants have launched union drives this season, accompanied by public pickets and pressure campaigns from lawmakers. That pattern has, in turn, pushed restaurants from one-off neighborhood spots to national groups to prepare legal strategies as union campaigns advance. Axios detailed the broader push.
Legal implications for workers and management
An unfair-labor-practice charge triggers an NLRB investigation into whether an employer unlawfully interfered with union activity, and federal law specifically bars retaliation tied to organizing. Government guidance notes that if the board finds illegal retaliation, remedies can include reinstating workers and paying them back wages. For a plain-language overview of those protections and potential remedies, see Worker.gov, which summarizes federal labor rights.
UNITE HERE has filed an unfair-labor-practice charge with the NLRB over the Duck & the Peach firings, and federal records show the representation case is active. As the agency processes the petition and any related charges, both sides are expected to sharpen their legal and public arguments, with workers campaigning for votes while management prepares its defense at the board. The organizing effort, which spans The Duck & the Peach and its sister spots, could significantly reshape labor relations on Capitol Hill if employees ultimately choose to join Local 25.
