At the beginning of the New Year, despite a busy and hopeful holiday season, workers from Milwaukee’s Prospect Avenue Colectivo were notified that their East Side location would be closing its doors on January 18th. Though management has stated that they hope the closure will be temporary, several locations that have closed since the onset of the pandemic have yet to announce plans for reopening.

On January 15th, the same day as Trivia Night (an online social event put on in lieu of our annual holiday party) members of the Colectivo Collective were made aware of at least six additional layoffs. Cafe workers in Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee reported receiving phone calls from the newest member of Colectivo’s HR staff making them aware of their terminations. These calls occurred on Friday night, the coworkers were informed their last day would be Sunday.

With the state of the world as it is, finding a job is very hard. This is amplified if you suddenly have 48 hours notice of your current employment ending. We would like to do our part to help. The Colectivo Collective came together to help Colectivans in need when last the company suddenly left folks without jobs. We raised $4000 with the help of our amazing community and IBEW members from across the country. We hope to do the same now and do our part to take care of our people, to take the good and important parts of the Colectivo culture to heart. To talk the talk but more importantly walk the walk.

If you are one of the Colectivo Coworkers who has recently been terminated and are worried about how you are going to make ends meet, please fill out our Google Form so that we can be sure that you receive your portion of donations. We intend to distribute funds equally to all that have been affected. Once we reach the end of our fundraiser (February 14) we will do our best to contact any recently laid-off employee who has not signed up through our Google Form to establish whether they would like to claim or donate their portion of the proceeds.

Fundraiser for Colectivans Who've Lost Their Jobs Due to COVID-19

By Colectivo Collective

Fundraiser for Colectivans Who've Lost Their Jobs Due to COVID-19

Organized by Colectivo Collective, the employee organizers of the union at Colectivo Coffee Roasters and Troubador Bakery (MKE, MAD, CHI)