Hex & Co. Workers To Rally For Union Recognition Saturday

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY - Workers at a popular chain of board game cafes in Manhattan are slated to rally in Union Square Park this weekend in support of union recognition after the chain's owners reportedly refused to recognize the action.

More than 75 percent of employees across Hex & Co's three stores in the Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Greenwich Village signed a petition last month calling for union recognition, a representative for the union said. Despite this, the chain’s owners allegedly "refused to voluntarily acknowledge their workers’ union” and haven’t responded to a public letter signed by 35 elected officials in support of the effort.

Signatories of the Oct. 18 letter include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

"Hex & Co. workers have identified themselves as a union and made clear their intentions," the letter reads. "Instead of meeting with them as partners in a community, we have heard from workers that you have met them with an anti-union meeting, misdirects, and half-truths. Instead of voluntarily recognizing their union, you have taken actions against these workers, ignored their demand, and are now choosing to force them through a months-long gauntlet to a federal election."

In response, management has decided to petition the National Labor Review Board to hold a union election.

Hex & Co. workers have since launched a public petition that has garnered nearly 1,200 signatures to date. The petition includes a letter to owners Greg May and Jon Freeman, which first thanks the pair for their "contributions that you have made to the NYC gaming community" before listing their concerns and demands.

"For years, however, Hex & Co. staff has had to deal with low wages, poor staffing, and a demoralizing lack of upward mobility," the petition reads. "Despite a broken promise to raise wages, rents are soaring, inflation is high, and Hex & Co. baristas and after school staff still earn the same poverty wages."

Workers' demands include a $22.50 an hour wage, a transparent path to promotions and adequate staffing to meet the workload.

The letter adds that employees have tried to meet with management before to try and address these concerns, but says they were met with an uncooperative player.

The petition was delivered to owners on Oct. 12, though neither owner budged. Instead, both insisted on a holding secret ballot election.

"We feel it's important that everyone gets both sides of the story," owner Jon Freeman said in an X video posted by Workers United NY/NJ.

"And a chance to vote," added owner Greg May. "Free and fair, that's all we're asking."

The Union Square Park rally will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. on the south side of the park near 14th Street.

Unionization efforts by Hex and Co workers are led in collaboration with Workers United NY/NJ, a joint board of Worker's United, the same group that has unionized 360 Starbucks nationwide.

Owners May and Freeman did not respond to a request for comment as of Thursday morning.

This will be one of the first union drives since a recent NLRB court decision, referred to as the Cemex decision, which gave unions a more streamlined process when it comes to getting official status and a leg up in protections during the election cycle.

The burden to petition the NLRB for an election if the union is not voluntarily recognized now lies with management, according to Restaurant Business Online. Previously, workers would petition the NLRB for an election if management declined to recognize the union.

-With reporting by Peter Senzamici.