One year to the day after Anodyne Coffee employees went public with a union drive on April 14, 2025, workers say their battle has shifted from winning a vote to forcing their employer to actually sit down and talk. Staff and organizers accuse Kansas City based parent company FairWave of spending the past 12 months fighting recognition instead of bargaining, a posture they bluntly describe as union busting.
How the union win unfolded
The organizing campaign went public on April 14, 2025, according to Urban Milwaukee. Less than two months later, a National Labor Relations Board tally showed workers voting 37 to 0 in favor of unionizing on June 4, 2025, according to the NLRB.
Company objections and delay tactics
Instead of acknowledging the unanimous result, FairWave challenged the election and filed objections that triggered hearings and administrative reviews rather than immediate recognition, organizers and local reporters say. "The strategy here is delay, first and foremost," Matt Bruenig, a lawyer for MASH, told WUWM.
Board rulings moved the case forward
Documents in the NLRB case file show a hearing officer report and a regional director post election decision recommending that the employer's objections be overruled and that the union move toward certification. The public docket for case 18-RC-364279 lists the hearing officer report and a September 16 post election decision, according to the NLRB.
Workers press the issue publicly
Union organizers say that even after those rulings, FairWave has not come to the bargaining table. In response, workers launched a public contract campaign and organized rallies around Milwaukee, according to CBS58. They marked the April anniversary with events and a social media push highlighting the one year milestone.
"It's time for the company to join us at the bargaining table," MASH president Peter Rickman said, as quoted by FreshCup.
What happens next
If the board certifies the union and FairWave still refuses to bargain, organizers can file unfair labor practice charges and seek remedies through the NLRB. Labor experts say objections and appeals are often used as a way to stall. Analysts told WUWM that prolonged legal fights frequently push first contract talks far down the calendar.
The standoff has also become a local snapshot of a national pattern in the coffee world, where private equity backed groups buying up regional brands are sparking organizing drives in cities like Milwaukee. Coverage of the June vote, republished by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, connected Anodyne workers' push to pay cuts and other changes that followed FairWave's 2023 acquisition.
