DC coffee chain lists CEOs and Uber lobbyist as baristas to halt union drive

Compass Coffee is accused of hiring 124 additional people before union election next month

A coffee chain in the Washington DC area is accused of hiring dozens of friends of management, including other local food service executives and an Uber lobbyist, in an effort to defeat a union election scheduled for 16 July.

Workers at seven Compass Coffee locations, more than a third of the company's stores, announced their intent to unionize in May 2024. The company has 18 cafes in Washington DC and northern Virginia and its coffee can be purchased in grocery stores throughout the area.