Some Colectivo employees working to unionize

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Some employees at Colectivo say they'd like to have a platform to have their voices heard, so they're working to unionize. 

They've been working with IBEW Local Union 494. 

CBS 58 talked to two employees working on this. They said they're in the early phases, trying to get the majority on board, before asking the company to recognize the union. 

"We just went public and since then, we have had a lot of positive feedback, a lot of people jumping on board," said Hillary Laskonis, who says she has worked at Colectivo for nearly three years. 

She said everyone has different reasons for getting involved. 

"When COVID started, it took employees emailing HR and a public petition in order for them to finally close and give us two weeks paid time off, and that really got the ball rolling initially," she said. "Workers, we just don’t have a lot of input at this point, we don’t have a platform even to give that feedback."

"I just feel like our concerns on the day-to-day basis aren’t heard as much as they should be," said Mace Guzman, who said she is currently laid off because of the pandemic, but worked for Colectivo for a little over two years. 

She said the goal is to make the experience better for employees and management. 

"We really love our jobs. We like working for this company and like our jobs and that’s why we are doing this," she said. 

"We want to rebuild Colectivo in that partnership and we think that a union will help us kind of move forward and create a Colectivo that is just as strong and ethical as our coffee," said Laskonis. 

CBS 58 reached out to Colectivo on Tuesday and Wednesday, but have not yet heard back.