Popular D.C. coffee shops close amid union push

The Wydown closed its only coffee shops, both in the District of Columbia, as workers moved to unionize.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday, workers received notice that The Wydown’s 14th Street and H Street NE locations would not be open for business Wednesday.  

The two locations have been popular in D.C., offering more expensive but curated coffee.

The announcement outraged Wydown employees, some of whom protested outside both locations Wednesday. The employees are demanding a sit-down with managers and for them to reopen the stores. 

The abrupt closure comes one month after 30 Wydown employees filed with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union. The employees allege that many of The Wydown’s baristas endure long hours, lower than minimum wage pay and unfair treatment by management. 

The Wydown, however, has said the decision to close up shop predates the workers’ union drive, saying management opted to leave last year.

The closures come as union drives hit coffee shops around the country. Starbucks, the most popular coffee chain in the U.S., has been dealing with a burgeoning labor movement in its stores for years. Starbucks management has been hit with similar accusations to the ones now thrown at The Wydown, with former employees accusing the company of closing profitable stores out of fear of unionization.