Food service workers at Lawrence retirement community file petition to unionize

Share this post or save for later

Food service workers at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community in Lawrence have filed for an election to join Teamsters Local 696, according to a news release from the union.

The 20 workers include cooks, servers, housekeepers and dishwashers in the independent living facility’s restaurant, according to the release.

“We see what’s going on nationally — at Chipotle, Starbucks, Amazon, Trader Joe’s — and we said, ‘Why not us?’” Jonathan Oliva, a Pioneer Ridge employee and member of the Teamsters organizing committee, said in the release. “We work hard. We care deeply about the residents of this community. We deserve a union just as much as anyone else, and we plan on getting one.”

The National Labor Relations Board will conduct a vote within the next 30 days, according to the release.

“These workers are critical to the residents of Pioneer Ridge, and they deserve respect from their employer,” Local 696 Secretary-Treasurer Matt Hall said in the release. “We are honored to be chosen by these workers, and we look forward to winning recognition and negotiating a first union contract.”

The executive director of Pioneer Ridge could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters


Click here to learn more about our newsletters first

Latest Lawrence news:

MORE …

Previous Article

Lawrence’s Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center to host 50th anniversary soiree this week

Next Article

Lawrence school board approves maximum budget, hears update on future planning committee