DC Coffee Shops Abruptly Close; Employees Accuse Owners of Union Busting

30 workers in D.C. have been laid off after the owners of two local coffee shops, The Wydown Coffee Bar and H Street NE, abruptly closed their doors. Former employees at The Wydown Coffee Bar said they were given only 10 hours’ notice of the closures and believe it was due to their union efforts. The owners sent a message at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, stating that the 14th Street NW and H Street NE locations would be closed permanently. A letter posted from the owners said that a process that began last year has reached its conclusion, and today was the last day of service for both cafes of the Wydown, which are now closed permanently.

Employees expressed shock and expressed their dissatisfaction with the closures, stating that they had a scheduled vote to unionize in five days. They also reported that the owners were not receptive to their concerns, including being underpaid, understaffed, and overworked. Former barista Tom Friedl believed the abrupt closure was due to the union effort, and that the fight is not over. For the now unemployed, the fight is not over, and they are owed severance and damages. DC News Now reached out to the owners but had not received a response as of this article’s publication.

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