Israel: Coffee Bean strike breakthrough labor deal

[Omaha Steve]

There is an article a couple of months back in the archives to see how this started.

http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=200803300801230

Sunday, March 30 2008 @ 08:01 AM PDT
Contributed by: WorkerFreedom

THE LABOR agreement reached between Coffee Bean and the Histadrut is the first of its kind between the union and a restaurant. The Histadrut Labor Federation and the Coffee Bean chain of coffee shops on Tuesday signed a collective labor agreement, the first of its kind between the union and a restaurant. It ends a long work dispute between employees in Coffee Bean's 14 establishments and management.

Histadrut, Coffee Bean strike breakthrough labor deal
By SHARON WROBEL

A very sophisticated and thriving cafe culture has been developing in Israel, but workers' rights in the restaurant sector have been largely unprotected. That is about to change.

THE LABOR agreement reached between Coffee Bean and the Histadrut is the first of its kind between the union and a restaurant.

The Histadrut Labor Federation and the Coffee Bean chain of coffee shops on Tuesday signed a collective labor agreement, the first of its kind between the union and a restaurant. It ends a long work dispute between employees in Coffee Bean's 14 establishments and management.

"The management and owners of the chain should be praised for this breakthrough agreement," Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini said Tuesday. "The Histadrut was able to put its foot in the main door of an area where it had no previous presence."

The agreement should set an example for other workers in the restaurant sector to form unions and protect their rights, he said.

Under the terms of the agreement:

• Ten percent of the coffee chain's annual profits will be granted to its 300 employees.

• An employee who works for at least a year will receive benefits of between half a salary and a full salary.

• Each employee will receive lunch for the symbolic price of NIS 5.

• Management committed to abide by the law and pay transportation fares for employees, or organize transportation during the hours transportation is unavailable.


The international chain first opened in Israel five years ago.

"The chain's customers and employees know today that the chain's employees have the best working conditions in cafes throughout Israel," Coffee Bean Israel CEO Shai Cohen said Tuesday. "The chain's employees are partners in the success of the chain and in its competition in the cafe market."

FULL story at link.