UFCW Local 401 Welcomes Rosso Workers in Historic First for Alberta’s Specialty Coffee Sector
Workers at Rosso Coffee Roasters in Calgary — including baristas, café staff, and roastery workers— have officially joined UFCW Local 401 after a successful certification vote marking a significant milestone not just for the union, but for Alberta’s growing wave of worker organizing in the coffee industry.
Rosso’s team becomes the first unionized specialty coffee shop workforce of its kind in the province. While organizing efforts at coffee shops have steadily gained momentum across North America over the past eight years, Alberta had yet to see a breakthrough in this segment, until now.
Coffee shops have increasingly become a focal point in broader conversations about workplace rights, especially as baristas and café staff push back against low wages, inconsistent scheduling, and limited benefits. High-profile organizing drives at companies like Starbucks have helped spark a wider movement, with successful union efforts at US brands such as Intelligentsia Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Faraway Coffee demonstrating that change is possible across the industry. Despite this, in Canada, only a handful of specialty coffee companies have successfully become unionized, including Matchstick Coffee and 49thParallel in Vancouver.
“Workers in coffee shops are showing real courage right now,” said UFCW Local 401 President, Thomas Hesse. “For years, this sector has been seen as difficult to organize, but Rosso workers are proving that when people come together, they can raise standards and have a real voice at work. This is an important first for Alberta, and it won’t be the last.”
Rosso workers are now part of that momentum, bringing the movement into Alberta and setting a precedent for others in the province’s specialty coffee scene. As newly certified members, they will now have the opportunity to negotiate their first collective agreement, setting clear standards and securing meaningful improvements in their day-to-day working lives.
“This is about more than one workplace, it’s about a shift in an industry,” said UFCW Local 401 Secretary Treasurer, Richelle Stewart. “Across North America, coffee workers are organizing because they want stability, respect, and a say in their working conditions. We’re proud to welcome Rosso workers into our union family and to support them as they build something better.”
UFCW Local 401 looks forward to supporting Rosso workers as they work toward a strong first collective agreement.
Posted on: April 24,2026