On Tuesday afternoon, unionized workers at the Walrus and the Carpenter held a strike authorization vote in the sweltering Ballard sun minutes before the acclaimed oyster-centric spot opened for service. Eighteen of 20 union members voted to authorize a strike (with two not voting), so leadership w ill be able to call a work stoppage if progress isn’t being made at the bargaining table with Sea Creatures restaurant group. Negotiations have stretched on for more than a year. The union, United Workers of the Sea, was formed last year by employees at Walrus, the Capitol Hill steakhouse Bateau, and the doughnut shop mini-chain General Porpoise. (Since then, General Porpoise closed all but one of its locations and Bateau shut down temporarily before reopening as Jeffry’s.) In a sometimes chaotic and turnover-heavy service industry, restaurants seldom unionize. The three units are simultaneously bargaining for separate contracts. Walrus employees are the only ones who have authorized a strike to apply pressure on management.  The main contention is the service charge model. In late 2024, it replaced a tip-pool system, which the union claims was effectively a pay cut. Management disputes this. “The restaurant group’s reputation has always been really excellent,” says Kelli Bunch, a bartender and server who’s been at Walrus for two years. “It took a really sharp turn at the end of 2024 when they announced the proposed [service charge] changes. We’ve been fighting ever since.” “We continue to work through a range of issues as part of the bargaining process,” texts Sea Creatures co-owner Chad Dale. “We are very proud of having a compensation plan at the top of the industry both nationally and here in Seattle. The talent and dedication of the restaurant’s employees are key to its success, and we’re committed to bargaining in good faith and working toward an agreement.” Negotiations have resulted in some progress over the issue, according to Jeff Kelley, a union organizer who used to work at Walrus. Given the strike vote, obviously not enough: The union says Sea Creatures management have often cancelled bargaining sessions. It also claims management has repeatedly violated labor laws by changing working conditions without consulting the union. Complaints filed by United Creatures to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) allege these alterations included modifying the health insurance plan and requiring workers sign agreements stating that disputes between them and the restaurant group would be resolved through arbitration, not a jury trial. The union highlighted that last complaint in an Instagram post that called out co-owner Renee Erickson, a James Beard Award-winning chef, by name: “It’s almost like Renee’s company is more concerned with avoiding accountability than protecting her employees… Should your celebrity boss have the power to limit your legal options in the event you are assaulted at work?” Sea Creatures filed its own NLRB complaint in April that accused the union of failing to bargain in good faith. The two sides are convening for another bargaining session today. If it goes poorly, workers at one of Seattle’s most famous restaurants may strike right on the cusp of the World Cup potentially bringing in a wave of hungry tourists, if they come, that is. Walrus bartender Bunch says she’s “choosing to be optimistic,” but adds, “We’ve been working at this for a long time, and we’ve had a proposal on their desk since November. They’ve had ample opportunity to come to an agreement with us, to negotiate in good faith. I do believe they’ve just expected us to give up, and we’re not.” Got something to say? Email us at [email protected]. Want to support this journalism? You can subscribe to The Stranger and get it delivered to your actual, physical mailbox. Or you can donate here! The post Union Workers at Acclaimed Restaurant the Walrus and the Carpenter Are Ready to Strike appeared first on The Stranger. ...read more read less