The Inland Empire Labor Council, representing over 400,000 working families and union members in the region, stands in full solidarity with the Birdcage Workers Union as they face job loss shortly after receiving union recognition.  

As workers held a fundraiser in support of the cafe after receiving recognition, management was preparing to close the cafe and fire all employees. We won’t accept anti-worker narratives that pin the workers for the business’ financial state. Workers did not ask for wage increases in their demands and instead were committed to improving working conditions to continue their work at the cafe.  

Community spaces such as the Birdcage Comics Cafe should be positive environments for everybody, especially the workers who are essential to the day-to-day operations. These workers are also members of the community and deserve the support of all at this time.  

The Inland Empire Labor Council will continue to offer our support and are 100 percent committed to standing with the Birdcage Workers Union as they move forward, however they see fit. As we have seen before in our region with the Slow Bloom Coffee Cooperative, when workers are under attack, they will stand up and fight back. We call on the Working-Class community to support them and any workers that are looking at improving their working conditions. 

In Unionism,  

Ricardo Cisneros  

Inland Empire Labor Council, AFL-CIO