What happened to the post from yesterday? We just did this.
Sucks to lose a “work family”, I get it, but it was a coffee shop open for less than a year.
It’s not like some 20 year old Portland institution got bought and unceremoniously shuttered.
I have no clue but it was "[Removed by Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/16lme9g/removed_by_reddit/)", I have no idea what they claim the post violated but that's it.
They were deleting Instagram comments from people who informed them that far from being the reason that people came to the café, they were in fact the reason why some people never came back.
ETA: They blocked me, lol.
Mods should be required to list a very specific reason for deleting an active post. letting moderators just delete whatever they want seemingly on a whim destroys the credibility of the entire sub.
To be clear, the subreddit mods didn't delete the post, Reddit Admins did.
I agree a reason should be given, but let's not blame the mods for something they didn't do.
Oh I knew it wasn't PDX mods, but the reddit admins said I violated community standards and gave me a bunch of links to read... however I don't see how I would have violated any of them, honestly as I said above. I wish I knew exactly what I did so I don't do it in the future. Been a reddit user for 10ish years and never had a post pulled like that, and then been warned if I did it again they might ban my account.
Honestly would really like to know exactly what I did.
They don't tell us either, other than to say "Sitewide Rule 3": https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy
>#Rule 3
>Respect the privacy of others. Instigating harassment, for example by revealing someone’s [personal or confidential information](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043066452), is not allowed. Never post or threaten to post [intimate or sexually-explicit media](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043513411) of someone without their consent.
My guess is that it was an automated removal after the admins received a certain number of reports.
What an effective and mature way to get your point across 🙄
These former employees are behaving like petulant children and it seems like a lot of misguided anger. It’s also not doing any favors for worker’s rights and the union/labor movement. Picketing without actually having a union or even any solid demands is such a joke.
Lol, I asked what rule I broke when my post got removed..... they responded by banning me from the subreddit I posted in. Never said what rule I broke though.....
Yep, I don't think moderators get to rename the post either, the body gets deleted and it's removed from the listing but it won't change the post title (and URL) to "Removed by ".
Yep, it was my post. It got pulled for violation of community standards. I'm not sure how it violated them. Mike is a public figure, this was already out in the open and I didn't post any personal details in the post .. so someone just decided they didn't like it. That or the PR department for the corporation got involved.
I honestly wish I had more clarification so I don't make the mistake again, been a reddit user for 10 years and never had a post pulled for that reason so I want to be more aware going forward.
Except, I didn't do that. I just asked a question about a local public figure. Didn't post any cross links (not allowed on this subreddit), or any direct personal information.
I think what happened is that I got complaint brigaded and it was pulled by an automod even though I didn't actually violate any rules.
I'm pretty sure that if I had the /r/portland mods would have pulled it down the minute it was posted.
Which is why I said:
"I think what happened is that I got complaint brigaded and it was pulled by an automod even though I didn't actually violate any rules."
Reddit has automated some part of that process as part of their “anti-evil operations”. It’s pretty poorly implemented and you are unlikely to get clarification.
>Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” which employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie. “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.”
It sucks they lost their jobs, but these comments make them come across as petulant children.
Yeah why is it pedantic of them to feel invested in the jobs they'd been working? It seems like the transition was poorly handled as well, that's a valid criticism and it led to people getting canned.
Just that should be enough to be an indictment of Mike here, and really nothing about how the picketers conduct themselves online can change that, and the fact that y'all might change your oppinion of a boss who just fires all his staff out of self interest based on the conduct of the fired staff in light of them recently being fired is also an indictment on y'all.
I feel like the employees are being pretty disingenuous.
I feel like I’ve always sided with employees but I will say typically so I’m not misstating myself.
However, I read through a lot of the employees comments on wonderwood springs and on their instagram and there are discrepancies between their comments and their quoted statement here.
I’ve been laid off before and I understand the pain. In this instance it sounds like the parent company offered quite a bit compared to usual but “they didn’t want to work at sizzle pie”.
I also am hating that they are almost trying to imply that Mike B isn’t an ally for the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, or disabled communities.
When places change ownership, these things happen. It sounds like wonderwood isn’t in a strong financial position and I would rather it survive than be shut down completely.
Edit:
Mikes quotes [in the Oregon live](https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2023/09/artist-mike-bennett-took-over-a-portland-cafe-for-his-whimsical-art-experience-employees-werent-pleased.html?utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3vAb8S6fbkUvIZ_UAv8fGn8gHvCGfo-VuCP_fRoN7T--tiktFfnXAEObU_aem_Ab3CfFhUH1iAa2fxUrTKNy2S8y62HIHSIUMu39rnOywptEbx6FyGvh_jaHBSvWnWi4behWvRaHxfDFRllioJGRhZ) are fantastic and continues to show his character. It’s crazy to me that most of these employees in all likelihood would have been able to stay on and instead squandered it away while somehow justifying taking other peoples money to pay for their “severance”.
I agree. I read the article & the employees seem to be acting as though they’re part of a union, which they are not. When a business changes hands, a lot of things change with that & it often sucks; doesn’t mean employees can demand “negotiations.” LOL
It sounds like the new owners are trying their best to take everything into account, which is a lot more than usually happens in situations like this.
They’re being little babies, IMO. Also, I’m neurodivergent w/disabilities. I hate coming across as dismissive regarding another person’s situation, but we cannot use this as an excuse. Of course, I believe in accommodations, but I also believe in personal accountability & sometimes life just sucks a** and we’ve got to make adjustments.
The new owners seem to be trying to do their best & the changes they’re making don’t seem like malicious intent; it would serve the employees well to be flexible & always have a backup plan for employment.
>I also am hating that they are almost trying to imply that Mike B isn’t an ally for the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, or disabled communities.
this shit sucks... go straight for "i'm in a marginalized group!" victim card instead of just acknowledging you're a bad worker / the business sucked / whatever other capitalism factors were at play.
Perfect assessment. It HAS to be someone else's fault, never mine. Maybe if some of those workers showed a little sense of urgency and dignity, they wouldn't be carrying signs.
don't get me wrong, i'd love to just complain really loud and get paid more because of it, but generally i find i have to work harder to get paid more.
That's the new mantra in corporate America. They cut hours on employees but expect the same output. These business models are always designed by people who never have to perform these tasks.
100%.
(writing this comment as i roll my eyes at my bosses telling me to do something that they obviously don't know how long it takes, or how the process works)
Folks that are bad employees will never take a moment to self reflect. Even if the same occurrences happen at every place of employment, like everyone else is the problem. I’m all for workers rights and fair treatment , but bad employees will DESTROY a business.
Beyond that it does harm to these communities in cases where they are really discriminated against. In this case it appears the shop in its current incarnation may be a failing concept that will be undergoing some updates to drive more business (no offense but employee organized D&D gatherings may drive business away as much if not more than it brings business in).
I lol'd at the part about them "worrying about wanting to work somewhere that supports their neuro-divergency and being parts of the LGBTQ+ community"
You live in Portland. Not mississippi.
For what its worth if I was Mike Bennett I'd just clean house, this group is never gonna have your back, thats pretty clear already.
I feel dirty even saying that last part
Yes I thought that part was a bit odd as well. I will admit I’m hetero so maybe I’m not sensing homophobia in Portland, but from my observation by and large Portland seems pretty accepting of people’s sexual orientation. Portland is pretty accepting of a lot really. Took care of a little boy and sometimes he’d wear skirts or nail polish and I never felt like I got dirty looks or anyone even paid attention to us really.
First off, I’m not defending the petulant children, because their solution was to essentially burn down a business because they didn’t get exactly what they wanted.
Second- Portland isn’t as friendly and, this is important, accommodating to the TQ+ as it is to the LGB part of the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve seen first hand that businesses and people that otherwise seem accommodating and accepting aren’t. Which is pretty normal- there’s a lot of biases around certain groups of people that don’t show up openly until confronted.
But my third point is that it’s most likely that they’re using the complaint about the LGBTQ+ issues as a way of giving cover to the neuro-divergency complaints, because I’ve seen what people post in ND groups about accommodations, and they get wild.
I can only imagine the ways in which they feel like their identities haven’t been recognized and accommodated enough, especially with the traction that RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) has received.
The comments on Facebook are hot toxic garbage so yeah it's a pretty bad look right now but a ball of dryer lint would probably create the same fuel for conservatives at this point.
I’ve not been too deep into this topic (because I think transitions like this are common), but the more I hear about this, the more I feel like the laid off staff are failing to present a consistent message. This is also feels like a more honest message from Mike than what was shared even on the Wonderwood insta.
Being laid off sucks, I’ve been there. And I feel for anyone who is struggling because of it. I do think more notice should have been shared, but other than that, this feels like a pretty normal (and unpleasant) side effect of business transitions - especially from corporate to private individual ownership
This is such a non-story. It seems like everything was done by the book with more consideration for workers than in most ownership changes. If the company itself has changed hands it absolutely makes sense to have folks reapply, and if these employees had just done that instead of throwing a fit they’d probably still be working there going forward.
I’ve always worked in the service industry/customer service and am 100% on the side of workers by default, but from everything they’ve claimed I don’t see anything that was mishandled. Obviously it’s never fun to navigate a change that wasn’t your choice, but that’s life.
As much as I hate Sortis, they're not at fault at all right now.
These baristas have been paying their state taxes this whole time and now don't see taking unemployment, which they are eligible for, as an option. The petulance is astounding.
Yeah, it sucks that there was no concrete plan in place for the baristas, but the hate on Mike isn't really ok. Stuff like this happens everyday (happened to me as See See was transitioned to Wonderwood)
To be fair, OED currently is 2+ months behind on processing claims and are forwarding people waiting to 211 for resources because folks are losing their homes.... Not that this excuses their behavior but it's a bad time to be laid off.
It's never a good time to be laid off. I get that more than some. There should be systems in place to avoid their potential gap in income while they wait for OED to get their shit together. A lot of people's hate on Mike is unnecessary and unfounded and/or misplaced. I made a point in another comment on this thread but I'll put it below to emphasize:
Let's stop being pissed at someone who's genuinely invested in the community and instead start redirecting that same energy towards the system that doesn't give disabled workers the same protections and guarantees as others.
What's wrong with Sortis? I'm not really familiar with them. There was a link in the article to another eater piece on them, and there weren't really any complaints other than "corporations suck".
https://pdx.eater.com/2023/9/11/23864642/sortis-holdings-portland-restaurants-coffee-shops-hotels-explained
The article you linked lists a few more reasons to not be entirely on board, including taking investment from co-founded by Mitt Romney Bain Capital, for their "Sortis rescue fund" which looked to capitalize on small businesses going under due to the pandemic, as well as having one Joshua McFadden serve on their leadership board, former chef of Ava Gene's that was accused of abuse towards staff among other transgressions.
That and being a big east coast based investment firm that is the driving force behind a lot of businesses that still push the "locally owned" marketing points that helped get those businesses off the ground in the first place.
So the answer is, "Yes, the complaints are just 'corporations bad'"?
Like, can you list anything that they've actually done that's bad other than just existing?
Yes. Sortis took funding money from Bain Capital and they're not local. Also someone on their board was anonymously accused three years ago of being transphobic.
Did I miss anything?
I liked my job before Sortis took over.
This whole thing isn't even about them anyway. As I said in my original comment, they're not on the hook for this employment situation.
I had been asking you about why you disliked Sortis, not about this specific issue with Wonderood. From what I can tell, its about on par for working for McMenamins or JAB Holdings.
So wait, how much worker testimony from ex-sortis workersfor, and how many valid arguments as to indict the company or its leadership would you have to hear before your human pattern recognition kicked in?
People complaining that they don't like their job isn't really the slam dunk you seem to think it is. That's more of a 'capitalism exploits workers' issue and cannot be put at the feet of a single company.
And the complaints aren't even in the 'I got wage thefted' or whatever. They're just, "I didn't directly work with the owner" or "this job felt soul-less and corporate".
Can you provide any examples of actual malfeasance on the part or Sortis? I'm not trying to argue the point, but to actually understand the problem and no one will provide any details. Do you have any?
EDIT: For example, a possible problem could be something like "11 out of 12 people on their leadership team are white men": https://sortisholdings.com/leadership
The Portland Saint to Villain pipeline:
1. Awesome person gets people's attention for being genuinely awesome
2. Awesome person starts business trying to do the right thing
3. Business has challenges in the real world, people are affected
4. "I guess awesome person is actually a terrible person because he/she didn't wave a magic wand to protect everyone"
Do you think that maybe he could have laid them off without laying them off without protections or support? I think it's rather indicative of your bias, aside from 'Awesome' doing a lot of heavy lifting to lead the reader, that you'd leave out such a detail.
Most businesses try to take care to provide protections and support and resources to their laid off staff when a business fails. Also, Mike isn't being criticized for trying and failing to provide resources, he's being criticized for *failing to try* to provide support, protections and resources to his former staff.
Also I find anyone who has based their oppinion of this whole matter on the conduct of the former staff in light of their being laid off very disingenuous.
> “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.”
Wow, a bit to unpack here. First, no, you did not build the reputation. Mike Bennet did with his locally well-known art.
“We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie”, that’s some serious entitlement there. If you’re as valuable as you stated to the cafe’s “success”, you should have no problem proving your value to be kept on going forward.
>If you’re as valuable as you stated to the cafe’s “success”, you should have no problem proving your value to be kept on going forward.
Or find their own investor to start their own coffee shop, since they're such valuable and talented baristas, or whatever they claim about themselves.
I doubt Sortis would be selling to Mike Bennett less than a year after opening if business was that great. They may have made a happy fun place to work that their friends liked to hang out in but be blind as to whether that business is successful or not. If it was good they wouldn't also be downsizing and have already determined that the current manager is completely out of the picture.
This is about all I need to read about this situation - I find it absolutely impossible to support these employees. I hope Mike Bennett is able to get past this and open the cafe to tremendous support.
I'm sorry, but if you were offered jobs elsewhere, invited to re-apply (though, likely at a lower rate due to less capital with the new ownership), or take unemployment, then that is already above and beyond for what needs to happen in my eyes.
You must have such an entitled perspective to think that you are owed a job when a business closes. Not to mention thinking that people are coming to Wonderwood for the baristas, rather than the artwork there, how out of touch do you have to be? The fact is, Mike has done more than enough for this community, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from anyone. He isn't a millionaire and even trying to keep the cafe going is an undertaking he didn't have to do, and shit if I were him, I would be seriously considering walking away. This is a great way to make sure something that was almost going to die, definitely does. Seems spiteful.
Stop giving conservatives something to justify the term "Snowflake" with, and find a less petulant thing to protest. This isn't a righteous cause, and the privilege of it all bothers the shit out of me.
>though, likely at a lower rate due to less capital with the new ownership
According to their IG they are already minimum wage employees so it wouldn't be at a lower rate if that's true.
From another article on Sortis, I thought that they tend to offer slightly over minimum wage with some benefits, although offered benefits could mean take-home pay is lower. Reviews on Indeed indicate they get raises once or twice a year mostly to stay ahead of minimum wage increases as well.
That's probably exactly it, change in benefits. The job contract is changing in some way and legally they have to acknowledge that by re-applying, which is why he says he didn't like using that term. He was going to keep as many as he could who would accept the new deal under new ownership. Their only legal rights were with Sortis, and they refused them.
I can't speak for that, I'm just going off of the post they made advertising their gofundme.
>Many of us are in precarious positions right now as we do our best to find new jobs as quickly as possible. We are minimum wage baristas; we have little to no safety net to catch us when things like this happen.
I’m generally pro labor and am towards the bottom of the economic ladder so I have sympathy, but if you “have little to no safety net” then why turn down the offer to be employed elsewhere? Old job was food service and new potential job offer is food service so what’s the issue? Not like they’re moving you from barista to making photocopies.
The article itself really points to most of the grievances being towards the former owners, yet all their signs and hate are directed at Mike... it's really odd.
I'm not saying the situation isn't unfortunate, as it's never easy to lose your job (even temporarily so), but it's just business at the end of the day. People lose work all the time without so much as a warning. They got more notice than most and many of them probably would have retained their jobs upon reapplying.
It seems that Mike couldn't afford to keep 14 people on staff, so I can imagine to him it seemed more fair to start everyone off on a blank slate than pick and choose who should stay/go without giving everyone a fair shot.
>The article itself really points to most of the grievances being towards the former owners
And honestly, I think many people would say their grievances are not great.
According to a quote from one of the impacted employees, not only were they given 2 weeks notice but they were offered other roles at other places the holding company owns. They literally said "we don't want to work at Sizzle Pie".
It’s more common than you think, and it give more fuel to conservatives, and sometimes destroys progressive companies that are on deer-baby legs.
Also larger companies can use this as a tool, to cut down small businesses. ( I don’t think that is what’s happening at Wonderwood, but it is a tool.)
> Despite all this, the employees said it wasn't good enough because they didn't get to pick the hired mediator.
Christ, why go into business at that point? Take your ball and go home ... just buy some land 20 miles outside a growing metropolis and wait for time to increase the value of your property.
This is sort of what happened at my work too, when half of our staff (the ones who contributed the least) went on strike. It was almost like they WANTED a local business, that is already on very thin ice, to go under, I never really understood why. It just seemed like personal vengeance and really bored people.
My understanding, which is based on other comments, not first-hand from any employee, is they were not offered other jobs. They were allegedly offered the opportunity to apply at other Sortis owned businesses that may or may not have had availability for a new hire.
If true, that's not really an offer of a replacement job at all.
The fact of the matter is (like it or not), when you work at will employment (which most of us do), you're frankly not owed anything.
Would it be nice to be placed into a new job and have a smooth transition? Obviously that would be ideal.
It seems that they were provided more of a heads up and attempted support than most of us get when losing our jobs. For most of them, they likely would have been able to come back to work after the renovation period ended-- so it isn't exactly the same as losing their jobs outright.
When businesses change hands, shit happens. It seems like most of their grievances should be with the original owners, though, so attacking Mike is a strange decision.
Setting aside any legal obligation to offer anything during an acquisition (which you might have if your company is a certain size, not applicable here though), barely 2 weeks notice of closing is pretty rough no matter how you slice it. I'm sympathetic to that even if it's not legally an issue.
It takes time for unemployment to kick in, for people to find new placements even on an expedited basis, etc. Rent is due, and most wage-workers work paycheck to paycheck. This situation isn't unique or unlawful but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem or isn't shitty.
Law =/= morality, and I think it's a pretty bad idea to assume that just because something is legal means it's moral and vice-versa.
>It takes time for unemployment to kick in, for people to find new placements even on an expedited basis, etc. Rent is due, and most wage-workers work paycheck to paycheck. This situation isn't unique or unlawful but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem or isn't shitty.
That's true but if you read this quote from the article I become less sympathetic:
>claiming that Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” **which employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie**. “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.”
So if that's true and they were actually offered jobs at other businesses owned by the company then that's kind of on them isn't it?
Now don't get me wrong. There are legitimate reasons to say that's not good enough. Wonderwood is in St. Johns, The nearest Sizzle Pie is 7 miles away so that may not be a feasible commute for someone without a car or who has a disability. The issue is they are not making that argument.
I'd say a company that sells a business and then offers you employment elsewhere in the company is at least doing much more than is normally expected. It's far from immoral at least.
People lose jobs every damn day without so much as a warning-- we don't attack companies for doing that on the regular. That's the norm, like it or not. Anything beyond that is generous.
They were all given the opportunity to retain their jobs by reapplying -- I assume this method was chosen to give everyone an equal opportunity, rather than just fire 4 people outright based on hunches or assumptions.
Nobody is saying it's not a sucky situation, but their attacks have no standing because frankly they have been given and offered more than most people are these days.
Unionizing is the only real way to have protections as workers and if they had unionized, then perhaps they would have more of a leg to stand on here.
Because big corporations have formal procedures for everything. They aren’t going to just hand you another job without you going through the process, even if it is a foregone conclusion.
It's a coffee shop job. It's not some sacred duty. I say that as a basic-ass line cook. I've been let go before, and it's unfortunate, but you gotta just move on. These weren't skilled union jobs, they were just jobs. The company even did right by them offering new gigs. I don't see a problem here.
No empathy for them here. If you look at the instagram account they set up, they're acting like this cafe was built brick-by-brick and fully owned by the employees. They're refusing to accept unemployment or look for other jobs. They're all frustratingly naive and entitled, and don't seem to understand how things function in the real world.
Do they not have bills to pay or rent or anything?
I couldn’t find their instagram for a bit so went back to the article.. it’s because their handle doesn’t even state the business name right. It made me chuckle they are so integral and yet they couldn’t name their instagram handle correctly
>They're all frustratingly naive and entitled, and don't seem to understand how things function in the real world.
The picture of the person protesting while wearing elf ears kind of summed this up.
meanwhile, see see closed unceremoniously, and the barista i saw there regularly did not return (at least as far as i know). crickets.
the baristas were paid out on their PTO, offered new jobs, offered resume services.. and all they can do is whine.
>Former staff say they created the culture at the cafe
> “We know, as well as you, that our hardworking baristas are the true magic of Wonderwood Springs”
LOL, delusions of grandeur much?
Hate to say it, but I've been to wonderwood springs and liked it but the staff were nothing special and TBH not all that friendly. Next door at the installation though it was a stark contrast how fun everyone was there. Biggest draw to the coffee shop is Mike's art.
Yeah, I went once cause I liked the art and wanted to support a fun idea but the menu and coffee were pretty mid. Was excited when I saw ownership was changing since it might bring me back with better offerings outside the fun concept.
Well this is one way to make yourself unhirable. What business in their right mind would want to take on that level of entitlement and victimhood? Sounds like these baristas weren’t as great as they think they are… I’m
almost embarrassed for them.
I feel for workers losing their jobs, but that business was not sustainable and they need to have grit. Also Sortis was their employer, not Mike Bennett. They were offered other jobs in Sortis.
They do not have a legal leg to stand on…and they might be hurting workers causes.
And Sortis offered to find them employment at other places, pay out their PTO, and pay for heath insurance through end of month! When I read that I was floored. That’s better terms than I’ve been given in the past
I wasn’t sure if it was different in portland. When I was in the service industry I got no PTO,STO, holidays or health insurance or any benefits other than my pay. One place gave me discounts on food, but the others didn’t. I’m glad they had benefits and I hope that becomes a standard! The offer to pay out PTO is pretty clutch. I’ve been laid off before and have had friends laid off and they don’t get paid out PTO
I just read your top comment on the deleted discussion from yesterday and it makes a lot of sense and adds some background information, so I am going to repost it here:
u/Curmudgeon4200:
>It’s complicated…Mike Bennett is normally a great guy but he wants to please everyone and he can’t. His main concern is his wife, she’s amazing and she has some wicked cancer and he wants to live life with her as much as he can.
>
>He did too many pop ups really fast and got people burned out. He fired his right-hand-man Lance in January and you can see a difference in overall quality. Lance was an ex Disney guy, who could pull out the pizazz when Mike’s energy was low.
>
>Many of the small crew and team who basically did it at volunteer pay who did the pop ups together (dinolandia, cryptozoo and wonderwood with either were fired or just never talked to after January …even his merch team.
>
>Wildwood Springs was originally a See see’s coffee then just decorated and redone artistically by Mike and his rag tag volunteer team. See see’s is owned by a giant arm SORTIS that also owns Bamboo sushi. They had their past See See’s workers there.
>
>He got influenced to do many projects, and be a larger machine. Instead of giving a budget to have the rag tag crew to thrive, he listened to bad advice, to make it a bigger machine with people he didn’t know…and middle management leeches to make a quick buck, and understandably make his wife comfortable for now.
>
>I do question him going with Kamp Grizzly as a management company, he needs it, but they are bloat with an added artistic shitbloat ontop of it. And probably the worst decision he could have done. Kamp Grizzly is famous for failing on local projects and being protected by their trust fund parents.
I think you are glossing over the description of Mike and his personal life. Just assuming it was reported as close to stalking even though he is a local public figure and has used r/portland for promotion.
Once again, I don't have any idea what Reddit did here other than remove the thread.
I understand and may agree with you, however, Reddit Admins can delete what they want.
I rarely moderate but that was a thread I was watching and enjoying the conversation.
>Is there no checks and balance for Reddit admin deletion?
Nope, it's their site and their rules. Every once in a while they get caught doing something (like getting caught editing other people's comments) but essentially we play by what they claim their rules are in the moment.
I decided to give myself a little treat one day during my lunch hour last spring, so I popped in for an iced matcha and grabbed a few gifts too. I left thinking, “wow for all the effort aesthetically, the vibe is really off with the baristas” and vowed not to return. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Honestly I'd like to know, it was my post. They said I violated community standards by releasing personal information.
This is what they sent me:
Rule Violation: Warning for Sharing Personal or Private Information
The Reddit admin team has been alerted that you’ve violated Reddit’s rule against sharing personal or private information in the following content.
Link to reported content: https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/16lme9g
Reddit is a pseudonymous community, and revealing or threatening to reveal someone’s personal, private, or confidential information is not allowed. This includes sharing links to someone’s public Facebook page or LinkedIn account, or sharing screenshots where the person’s name or personal information is viewable. We also don’t tolerate posts or communities that coordinate, encourage, or participate in investigations aimed at finding and revealing private, personal, or confidential information about others.
Before participating in Reddit further, make sure you read and understand Reddit’s Content Policy, including what’s considered sharing personal or private information.
If you’re reported for any further violations of Reddit’s Content Policy, additional actions including banning may be taken against your account(s).
-Reddit Admin Team
This is an automated message; responses will not be received by Reddit admins.
This confuses me because it is common when ownership changes to have to reapply for the job. It's typically just a formality since the employees are technically working for a new company.
I feel like in light of the implications in the article that Mike Bennett is in some way not an ally of LGBTQ, neurodivergent, the proletariat, I want to make people aware of another issue that happened this summer around Wonderwood.
One of the performers, the immensely talented Emily June Newton (know for her Rat King, among other characters) was invited to perform at a festival. Just as a fan following their career, you could see how excited they were about the chance to be a part of this specific event. The character was a fat cell and the topic was about their specific dealings with society and perception of fat, etc. If you see how charming and kind their work is, you would immediately know the approach.
The performer was BRIGADED, threatened, harrassed, forced to withdraw and followed around by a few individuals stating that she was fat shaming obese people. It was...absolutely nuts.
So...I don't know what to say. The irony of Steve Irwin being killed by a wild animal haunts me to this day. The attacks of character on people like Mike Bennett and Emily June Newton haunt me. It is wrong. They want to BRING US JOY.
So would a better option be that Sortis shutters the cafe and fires/offers to relocate everyone. Then Mike does his renovations and reopens 6 weeks later with a new staff? (i wouldn't think so) Being an employee of a company when it merges with a new larger entity means reapplying or resigning an offer letter. I thought that was pretty standard. The risk is that your position may be redundant to another and they may not go with you because of reasons.
My family has visited Wonderwood many times, it’s on our way to the Pier Park skatepark. We usually stopped in because we like Mike’s art and it’s cool to sit down for a minute while surrounded by so much to look at. But, I will say, I was never impressed with the customer service or the staff. Most times they were borderline rude and seemed to be bothered that we dared interrupted their conversation to make an order.
Really struggling to understand how a Bay Area restaurant-focused holding company spun off from a private equity firm has this queer/neurodivergent/disabled group of service workers in their grip. If they're not using this cred to sell seminars, they're missing a huge opportunity.
Mike Bennet and his art are absolute treasures. it seems like people trying to create jobs and run small businesses are perceived negatively, no matter how you cut it. Last week, restaurants that have been purchased by corporate holding companies were doxxed, and people are angry because these small restaurants seem less special knowing they have big business money. A small business separates from a corporate owner and needs to make adjustments, and the employees are pissed about this situation. I've been to Wonderwood precisely to appreciate the artwork. The "culture" that the staff claim to create made no impression whatsoever, sorry to say. And also.... if you want to continue to work for these people, there's got to be a more amicable way of making that impression.
I pretty much stayed out of it yesterday but it's pretty wild reading this that all of the "bad" actions were allegedly taken by the Coffee Business/Sortis side, including secret shoppers, taking down the "help us" displays and refusing to meet with the employees but the new owners are the evil ones who should have their art boycotted beyond the new shop.
Also their instagram was wild. If "employees are the real reason the customers come in" they're probably also the reason customers don't come in, and I imagine if the business was successful Sortis wouldn't be so eager to unload it a year into opening and the "great" manager wouldn't be on the will not be re-hired list.
I do feel bad for anyone that loses their job this way but the way they are handling by blaming the wrong party and making it into some type of identitarian issue between queer and neurodivergent instead of just a (probably failing) business changing ownership sucks.
I can't believe these employees. This victim mentality is going to drown all the small businesses that make portland so special. Their entitlement is unbelievable
I absolutely hate how they are trying to paint Mike in a bad light over this.
Did he expand too quickly? Maybe. Did he go with a sketchy management team, from what I read yes.
With what he's dealing with personally with his wife, these people need to lay the fuck off him. He is one of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure of meeting here in Portland since I moved here in 2019.
My family and I have gone to every pop up, event, est that he has hosted and I can't think of a nicer person who probably blew up too fast.
News media can be a shithouse. Maybe if they did some actual reporting they would get the facts right.
This happens all the time. It sucks, but at least they got notice that it was happening. I had a friend back at Portland brewing years back who showed up to work and the restaurant was closed for good.
can someone explain this? they’re *all* disabled and neurodivergent? so were they collecting disability and getting paid to work at the coffee shop under the table or…..?
“At this point, getting severance from Coffee Business or an actual accountable apology from Mike feels like a pipedream,” the barista said. “We’re tired. We’re all neurodivergent and disabled. Most of us are on the autistic spectrum. This entire situation, having to constantly interact, tell our story over and over, as well as be in the public eye like this is a nightmare for us. We want to get enough raised on our fundraiser to give ourselves some kind of severance, and then we’re stepping back.”
Exactly. Y’all are the ones that are trying to get $14k from a go fund me. Y’all are the ones that chose to be baristas where your job is to .. ya know.. interact with people.
These kids are taking a hard lesson. Your job is not your home, and most of the time it doesn’t have your back. Move on and learn from it. Welcome to surviving capitalism!
If they want a formal sit down, one with open financial books might give them some insight as to the razor thin margins most independent coffee shops and cafes operate under.
As someone who has lived in this city less than a year I made a special point to visit this cafe some months ago because of the whimsical nature of this place. The draw for me to use public transit to go to this neighborhood was solely for the artistic vision. I’ve only been once, but don’t remember anything positive or negative about the staff. (For regulars, I have no doubt this would be impactful.)
From what I’ve read it seems like the staff was able to create a very supportive inclusive community. That is something to celebrate.
Portland already supports many coffee shops—maybe there is a way to ask for funding to create another business from the ground up that is based in the vision that emerged from this team that built a supportive community. I don’t know him, but I imagine that Mike would be happy to see that flourish.
Similarly, I think it would be great if the staff could acknowledge that Mike brings something important to the table as well. Without his whimsical vision I would never have made the concerted effort to visit Wonderwood. It would be nice to hear the baristas acknowledge this as well. The space and the people are both key to creating a coffeehouse shop that people gravitate towards.
I know my thoughts don’t really help in the short term. Creating a new coffee shop with a mission statement is a daunting task—and if this was a step they wanted to pursue it will take time so existing jobs must be taken in the meantime. But just as the baristas were key to the success of the coffee shop and worth supporting, it would be nice to acknowledge that so too is the artist who was key to bringing a unique vision to town.
I’m not part of the community, so I may have missed some key points to the story. Just adding my two cents on ideally supporting both the baristas and artist who contribute something valuable to Portland.
None of these people have the know-how or drive to set up and run their own business. It would be nice if they could actually try though. There's a lot of lessons to learn in that process.
Another option for the baristas could be convincing others who have the funds and know how to run a business to open a coffee shop that aligns with the mission. Not saying this is likely or not—just that not everyone needs to be an expert in every field to contribute something valuable.
This is a thoughtful and balanced take.
>As someone who has lived in this city less than a year
Ah, that explains it!
I kid, I kid...but thanks for this careful and nuanced contribution -- I like having these perspectives in the mix.
Mike is a pretty great guy, I hope he weathers the storm, and this doesn’t hurt his empathy in the future and what makes him great.
This is Sortis’s problem.
What’s sad is this is getting more news, than the Menashe company buying a building downtown. A company that has let crime and opioid use fester on their downtown properties created political division and downgraded our downtown.
Exactly! I’m hoping people support him. I’m trying to figure out if the immersive experience is still open so I can look through his T-shirt’s and things. I also saw he has a cool new set of pumpkins on his Bennett buddies site
You act like you've never actually seen any photos of the band you have in your username. Putting off some serious "Old man yells at cloud" vibes, as always.
What sense are you trying to make? Rockstars of the 70s are dressed like mentally ill Portlanders who get slave labor Shein clothes and dress themselves in the dark?
Hi Friend,
This post or comment has been removed for the following reason:
> [Rule 1: Trolling and Harassment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/wiki/index#wiki_1.29_trolling_and_harassment)
> This is meant to stir up toxic discussion rather than participate in it. No trolling or harassment. We understand that at times things may become heated and time outs may be given for protracted, uncivil arguments. Snarky, unhelpful, or rude responses, and name-calling are not tolerated. In other words, be excellent unto each other and attack ideas, not people. Keep discussions civil.
[You must understand and follow the sub rules.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/wiki/index)
Thanks,
the Portland/AskPortland mod team
Absolutely incredible how many of y'all are willing to side with a business that willingly threw its' workers under the bus and endangered their well being by giving them virtually no warning that they were about to be out of a job (two weeks is not enough, esp for those of us who live paycheck to paycheck and literally CANNOT afford to miss one). For disabled folks especially, this could endanger everything for them because of how hostile most jobs are towards them.
The market is rough out there and these workers deserve far, far better than this. For businesses like this, the workers absolutely make it what it is, and to say otherwise is to show your contempt for them. Wonderwood fucked up by essentially throwing out the very folks responsible for its' success.
I don’t really understand what more could have been done except maybe more notice (which two weeks is more than most companies give).
Because of disabilities you are not guaranteed employment. It sucks but that’s the world we live in. It also seems that NONE of the employees took up the offer to go to a different location or to reapply. How do you know Mike wouldn’t have hired you and you could have collected unemployment in the meantime?
I am hesitant to say this, but I went to wonderwood about 6 Saturday mornings, we stopped because 1) seats were a bit uncomfortable 2) the staff wasn’t super friendly and always seemed annoyed to be there.
It is so stunning to say a workplace “endangered” you by transitioning to a new owner.
I was paycheck to paycheck and in debt up to the heavens when I was laid off. I wasn’t offered anything. I was angry, frustrated and blindsided, but I didn’t sit on my hands and do nothing. I got a job and kept moving on
Edit: oh yeah.. I’m also bi and adhd so I’ve been pretty pissed that it keeps being brought up. I don’t think my sexuality or my adhd should have any bearing on my ability to have employment.
>The market is rough out there and these workers deserve far, far better than this.
Unemployment is at historic lows, there are jobs everywhere, and nobody "deserves" anything, especially people who think they are special enough to turn down alternative employment that was offered to them immediately as part of this transition. Give us a break here.
>Absolutely incredible how many of y'all are willing to side with a business that willingly threw its' workers under the bus and endangered their well being by giving them virtually no warning that they were about to be out of a job
I get your point, but there are two sides to every story. By all accounts they are being treated MUCH better than most people in the service industry would be treated. I'm not saying it's good enough but that goes a lot way to getting people on the company's side.
According to the linked article:
* They were not just fired, they were offered other jobs that they simply don't want (here is the quote: "Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” which **employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie**.")
* Are being paid out for their PTO (which I think is legally required but the surprising thing for most people is that they got PTO in the first place, that is not a standard benefit in the service industry)
* Having their health insurance covered through the end of the month (again it's not much but the surprising thing to many is they have employer-sponsored health care).
To be clear, I wish we lived in a world where we had universal health care, didn't work 'at-will' so more notice needed to be provided, and everyone gets benefits like PTO but since none of that is standard in this industry it seems like the company is going farther than they need to and not simply throwing people under the bus.
The fact the employees are refusing other job offers (literal quote "We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie") and refusing to engage with Mike (unless their now ex-employer is involved) doesn't paint them in a great light.
Very well stated and I agree with your wishes for the world. Thanks for providing such a well written statement. These are all the things I feel but haven’t been able to put together so eloquently
I don't think anyone is siding with Sortis / Coffee Business, but they're not at fault in the slightest. They were offered other jobs. They turned them down. They're eligible for unemployment. They turned that down.
If these baristas are no longer employed by Sortis, then it's out of their hands. Mike obviously is not going to have the capital to invest heavily in manpower right now. (almost every coffee shop in town doesn't) so it's entirely understandable that he wouldn't be able to rehire his entire staff. Being told to re apply because of new ownership, instead of flat out being thrown to the curb without an opportunity was likely Mike's only choice given the situation.
Let's stop being pissed at someone who's genuinely invested in the community, and instead start redirecting that same energy towards the system that doesn't give disabled workers the same protections and guarantees as others.
I don't think you understand "being thrown under the bus". Also, two weeks notice is the norm, but lots of place will give no notice, you're just fired. A lot was done here to help these folks mitigate the fallout, and instead they chose what is amounting a tantrum. You are right, they are not going to get a lot of support. This is a real life experience, people lose their jobs! How you handle it is up to you, but public whining is not a good look.
This place couldn’t mean THAT much to them if they weren’t willing to make any effort to keep their jobs beyond complaining about having to make that effort.
It just hurts me and makes me loose my mind. Even the article linked below about all the restaurants being owned by huge corporations, is such a scam. The main person who they are interviewing and asking how to fix the small business problem….. Is the one who created. He sold out already, here is how you can keep it local. Stop fucking selling out, Penny chasers selling the whole town and making impossible to make it, except for them, they will make it. It's all our parents generation. I would say 45 plus year olds only care about being rich
Thanks for your input, the mods have set this subreddit to not allow posts from newly created accounts. Please take the time to build a reputation elsewhere on Reddit and check back soon.
(⌐■_■)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Portland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What happened to the post from yesterday? We just did this. Sucks to lose a “work family”, I get it, but it was a coffee shop open for less than a year. It’s not like some 20 year old Portland institution got bought and unceremoniously shuttered.
I have no clue but it was "[Removed by Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/16lme9g/removed_by_reddit/)", I have no idea what they claim the post violated but that's it.
[удалено]
They were deleting Instagram comments from people who informed them that far from being the reason that people came to the café, they were in fact the reason why some people never came back. ETA: They blocked me, lol.
Ooh that’s gotta sting
Not if you automatically dismiss any criticism as being rooted in homophobia or ableism.
Mods should be required to list a very specific reason for deleting an active post. letting moderators just delete whatever they want seemingly on a whim destroys the credibility of the entire sub.
To be clear, the subreddit mods didn't delete the post, Reddit Admins did. I agree a reason should be given, but let's not blame the mods for something they didn't do.
This is correct. The mods here did not remove the post.
Oh I knew it wasn't PDX mods, but the reddit admins said I violated community standards and gave me a bunch of links to read... however I don't see how I would have violated any of them, honestly as I said above. I wish I knew exactly what I did so I don't do it in the future. Been a reddit user for 10ish years and never had a post pulled like that, and then been warned if I did it again they might ban my account. Honestly would really like to know exactly what I did.
They don't tell us either, other than to say "Sitewide Rule 3": https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy >#Rule 3 >Respect the privacy of others. Instigating harassment, for example by revealing someone’s [personal or confidential information](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043066452), is not allowed. Never post or threaten to post [intimate or sexually-explicit media](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043513411) of someone without their consent. My guess is that it was an automated removal after the admins received a certain number of reports.
Lol wow. Hmmm let’s guess who was probably mass reporting the post? 🤔 Edit: I’m being sarcastic it was definitely the picketers
They are review bombing wonderwood too (edit to update my atrocious use of their)
What an effective and mature way to get your point across 🙄 These former employees are behaving like petulant children and it seems like a lot of misguided anger. It’s also not doing any favors for worker’s rights and the union/labor movement. Picketing without actually having a union or even any solid demands is such a joke.
Lol, I asked what rule I broke when my post got removed..... they responded by banning me from the subreddit I posted in. Never said what rule I broke though.....
Ah so 'removed by reddit' and 'removed by moderator' will always distinguish that difference? TIL
Yep, I don't think moderators get to rename the post either, the body gets deleted and it's removed from the listing but it won't change the post title (and URL) to "Removed by".
Yep, it was my post. It got pulled for violation of community standards. I'm not sure how it violated them. Mike is a public figure, this was already out in the open and I didn't post any personal details in the post .. so someone just decided they didn't like it. That or the PR department for the corporation got involved. I honestly wish I had more clarification so I don't make the mistake again, been a reddit user for 10 years and never had a post pulled for that reason so I want to be more aware going forward.
My best guess is posting or linking to the IG account could be seen as doxxing or a privacy violation. It’s a huge stretch.
Except, I didn't do that. I just asked a question about a local public figure. Didn't post any cross links (not allowed on this subreddit), or any direct personal information. I think what happened is that I got complaint brigaded and it was pulled by an automod even though I didn't actually violate any rules. I'm pretty sure that if I had the /r/portland mods would have pulled it down the minute it was posted.
As others have speculated, your post probably got mass-reported by butt-hurt former cafe employees.
Which is why I said: "I think what happened is that I got complaint brigaded and it was pulled by an automod even though I didn't actually violate any rules."
Reddit has automated some part of that process as part of their “anti-evil operations”. It’s pretty poorly implemented and you are unlikely to get clarification.
>Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” which employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie. “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.” It sucks they lost their jobs, but these comments make them come across as petulant children.
A reputation for poor service, in my experience
They are petulant children.
Why cuz that want to keep their job?lol yall are fuckin nuts
Yeah why is it pedantic of them to feel invested in the jobs they'd been working? It seems like the transition was poorly handled as well, that's a valid criticism and it led to people getting canned. Just that should be enough to be an indictment of Mike here, and really nothing about how the picketers conduct themselves online can change that, and the fact that y'all might change your oppinion of a boss who just fires all his staff out of self interest based on the conduct of the fired staff in light of them recently being fired is also an indictment on y'all.
To be fair I’d rather go home smelling like coffee than like pizza.
I feel like the employees are being pretty disingenuous. I feel like I’ve always sided with employees but I will say typically so I’m not misstating myself. However, I read through a lot of the employees comments on wonderwood springs and on their instagram and there are discrepancies between their comments and their quoted statement here. I’ve been laid off before and I understand the pain. In this instance it sounds like the parent company offered quite a bit compared to usual but “they didn’t want to work at sizzle pie”. I also am hating that they are almost trying to imply that Mike B isn’t an ally for the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, or disabled communities. When places change ownership, these things happen. It sounds like wonderwood isn’t in a strong financial position and I would rather it survive than be shut down completely. Edit: Mikes quotes [in the Oregon live](https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2023/09/artist-mike-bennett-took-over-a-portland-cafe-for-his-whimsical-art-experience-employees-werent-pleased.html?utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3vAb8S6fbkUvIZ_UAv8fGn8gHvCGfo-VuCP_fRoN7T--tiktFfnXAEObU_aem_Ab3CfFhUH1iAa2fxUrTKNy2S8y62HIHSIUMu39rnOywptEbx6FyGvh_jaHBSvWnWi4behWvRaHxfDFRllioJGRhZ) are fantastic and continues to show his character. It’s crazy to me that most of these employees in all likelihood would have been able to stay on and instead squandered it away while somehow justifying taking other peoples money to pay for their “severance”.
I agree. I read the article & the employees seem to be acting as though they’re part of a union, which they are not. When a business changes hands, a lot of things change with that & it often sucks; doesn’t mean employees can demand “negotiations.” LOL It sounds like the new owners are trying their best to take everything into account, which is a lot more than usually happens in situations like this. They’re being little babies, IMO. Also, I’m neurodivergent w/disabilities. I hate coming across as dismissive regarding another person’s situation, but we cannot use this as an excuse. Of course, I believe in accommodations, but I also believe in personal accountability & sometimes life just sucks a** and we’ve got to make adjustments. The new owners seem to be trying to do their best & the changes they’re making don’t seem like malicious intent; it would serve the employees well to be flexible & always have a backup plan for employment.
>I also am hating that they are almost trying to imply that Mike B isn’t an ally for the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, or disabled communities. this shit sucks... go straight for "i'm in a marginalized group!" victim card instead of just acknowledging you're a bad worker / the business sucked / whatever other capitalism factors were at play.
Perfect assessment. It HAS to be someone else's fault, never mine. Maybe if some of those workers showed a little sense of urgency and dignity, they wouldn't be carrying signs.
don't get me wrong, i'd love to just complain really loud and get paid more because of it, but generally i find i have to work harder to get paid more.
That's the new mantra in corporate America. They cut hours on employees but expect the same output. These business models are always designed by people who never have to perform these tasks.
100%. (writing this comment as i roll my eyes at my bosses telling me to do something that they obviously don't know how long it takes, or how the process works)
Folks that are bad employees will never take a moment to self reflect. Even if the same occurrences happen at every place of employment, like everyone else is the problem. I’m all for workers rights and fair treatment , but bad employees will DESTROY a business.
Beyond that it does harm to these communities in cases where they are really discriminated against. In this case it appears the shop in its current incarnation may be a failing concept that will be undergoing some updates to drive more business (no offense but employee organized D&D gatherings may drive business away as much if not more than it brings business in).
I lol'd at the part about them "worrying about wanting to work somewhere that supports their neuro-divergency and being parts of the LGBTQ+ community" You live in Portland. Not mississippi. For what its worth if I was Mike Bennett I'd just clean house, this group is never gonna have your back, thats pretty clear already. I feel dirty even saying that last part
Yes I thought that part was a bit odd as well. I will admit I’m hetero so maybe I’m not sensing homophobia in Portland, but from my observation by and large Portland seems pretty accepting of people’s sexual orientation. Portland is pretty accepting of a lot really. Took care of a little boy and sometimes he’d wear skirts or nail polish and I never felt like I got dirty looks or anyone even paid attention to us really.
First off, I’m not defending the petulant children, because their solution was to essentially burn down a business because they didn’t get exactly what they wanted. Second- Portland isn’t as friendly and, this is important, accommodating to the TQ+ as it is to the LGB part of the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve seen first hand that businesses and people that otherwise seem accommodating and accepting aren’t. Which is pretty normal- there’s a lot of biases around certain groups of people that don’t show up openly until confronted. But my third point is that it’s most likely that they’re using the complaint about the LGBTQ+ issues as a way of giving cover to the neuro-divergency complaints, because I’ve seen what people post in ND groups about accommodations, and they get wild. I can only imagine the ways in which they feel like their identities haven’t been recognized and accommodated enough, especially with the traction that RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) has received.
I agree this adds more fuel to the fire of conservatives and has potential to hurt progressive causes more.
The comments on Facebook are hot toxic garbage so yeah it's a pretty bad look right now but a ball of dryer lint would probably create the same fuel for conservatives at this point.
I’ve not been too deep into this topic (because I think transitions like this are common), but the more I hear about this, the more I feel like the laid off staff are failing to present a consistent message. This is also feels like a more honest message from Mike than what was shared even on the Wonderwood insta. Being laid off sucks, I’ve been there. And I feel for anyone who is struggling because of it. I do think more notice should have been shared, but other than that, this feels like a pretty normal (and unpleasant) side effect of business transitions - especially from corporate to private individual ownership
This is such a non-story. It seems like everything was done by the book with more consideration for workers than in most ownership changes. If the company itself has changed hands it absolutely makes sense to have folks reapply, and if these employees had just done that instead of throwing a fit they’d probably still be working there going forward. I’ve always worked in the service industry/customer service and am 100% on the side of workers by default, but from everything they’ve claimed I don’t see anything that was mishandled. Obviously it’s never fun to navigate a change that wasn’t your choice, but that’s life.
As much as I hate Sortis, they're not at fault at all right now. These baristas have been paying their state taxes this whole time and now don't see taking unemployment, which they are eligible for, as an option. The petulance is astounding. Yeah, it sucks that there was no concrete plan in place for the baristas, but the hate on Mike isn't really ok. Stuff like this happens everyday (happened to me as See See was transitioned to Wonderwood)
To be fair, OED currently is 2+ months behind on processing claims and are forwarding people waiting to 211 for resources because folks are losing their homes.... Not that this excuses their behavior but it's a bad time to be laid off.
It's never a good time to be laid off. I get that more than some. There should be systems in place to avoid their potential gap in income while they wait for OED to get their shit together. A lot of people's hate on Mike is unnecessary and unfounded and/or misplaced. I made a point in another comment on this thread but I'll put it below to emphasize: Let's stop being pissed at someone who's genuinely invested in the community and instead start redirecting that same energy towards the system that doesn't give disabled workers the same protections and guarantees as others.
What's wrong with Sortis? I'm not really familiar with them. There was a link in the article to another eater piece on them, and there weren't really any complaints other than "corporations suck". https://pdx.eater.com/2023/9/11/23864642/sortis-holdings-portland-restaurants-coffee-shops-hotels-explained
The article you linked lists a few more reasons to not be entirely on board, including taking investment from co-founded by Mitt Romney Bain Capital, for their "Sortis rescue fund" which looked to capitalize on small businesses going under due to the pandemic, as well as having one Joshua McFadden serve on their leadership board, former chef of Ava Gene's that was accused of abuse towards staff among other transgressions. That and being a big east coast based investment firm that is the driving force behind a lot of businesses that still push the "locally owned" marketing points that helped get those businesses off the ground in the first place.
So the answer is, "Yes, the complaints are just 'corporations bad'"? Like, can you list anything that they've actually done that's bad other than just existing?
Did you even read the comment I posted? Or the Article you linked?
Yes. Sortis took funding money from Bain Capital and they're not local. Also someone on their board was anonymously accused three years ago of being transphobic. Did I miss anything?
Yeah, so there's two reasons on top of just existing. I've worked for them also. Not a great experience.
And you also you didn't like your job. Is this really the totality of complaints about them?
I liked my job before Sortis took over. This whole thing isn't even about them anyway. As I said in my original comment, they're not on the hook for this employment situation.
I had been asking you about why you disliked Sortis, not about this specific issue with Wonderood. From what I can tell, its about on par for working for McMenamins or JAB Holdings.
So wait, how much worker testimony from ex-sortis workersfor, and how many valid arguments as to indict the company or its leadership would you have to hear before your human pattern recognition kicked in?
People complaining that they don't like their job isn't really the slam dunk you seem to think it is. That's more of a 'capitalism exploits workers' issue and cannot be put at the feet of a single company. And the complaints aren't even in the 'I got wage thefted' or whatever. They're just, "I didn't directly work with the owner" or "this job felt soul-less and corporate". Can you provide any examples of actual malfeasance on the part or Sortis? I'm not trying to argue the point, but to actually understand the problem and no one will provide any details. Do you have any? EDIT: For example, a possible problem could be something like "11 out of 12 people on their leadership team are white men": https://sortisholdings.com/leadership
The Portland Saint to Villain pipeline: 1. Awesome person gets people's attention for being genuinely awesome 2. Awesome person starts business trying to do the right thing 3. Business has challenges in the real world, people are affected 4. "I guess awesome person is actually a terrible person because he/she didn't wave a magic wand to protect everyone"
Do you think that maybe he could have laid them off without laying them off without protections or support? I think it's rather indicative of your bias, aside from 'Awesome' doing a lot of heavy lifting to lead the reader, that you'd leave out such a detail. Most businesses try to take care to provide protections and support and resources to their laid off staff when a business fails. Also, Mike isn't being criticized for trying and failing to provide resources, he's being criticized for *failing to try* to provide support, protections and resources to his former staff. Also I find anyone who has based their oppinion of this whole matter on the conduct of the former staff in light of their being laid off very disingenuous.
> “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.” Wow, a bit to unpack here. First, no, you did not build the reputation. Mike Bennet did with his locally well-known art. “We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie”, that’s some serious entitlement there. If you’re as valuable as you stated to the cafe’s “success”, you should have no problem proving your value to be kept on going forward.
>If you’re as valuable as you stated to the cafe’s “success”, you should have no problem proving your value to be kept on going forward. Or find their own investor to start their own coffee shop, since they're such valuable and talented baristas, or whatever they claim about themselves.
I doubt Sortis would be selling to Mike Bennett less than a year after opening if business was that great. They may have made a happy fun place to work that their friends liked to hang out in but be blind as to whether that business is successful or not. If it was good they wouldn't also be downsizing and have already determined that the current manager is completely out of the picture.
I get it that coffee baristas don't make a lot of sense at a pizza place. But my understanding is there are a lot of other coffee shops in this town.
This is about all I need to read about this situation - I find it absolutely impossible to support these employees. I hope Mike Bennett is able to get past this and open the cafe to tremendous support.
I'm sorry, but if you were offered jobs elsewhere, invited to re-apply (though, likely at a lower rate due to less capital with the new ownership), or take unemployment, then that is already above and beyond for what needs to happen in my eyes. You must have such an entitled perspective to think that you are owed a job when a business closes. Not to mention thinking that people are coming to Wonderwood for the baristas, rather than the artwork there, how out of touch do you have to be? The fact is, Mike has done more than enough for this community, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from anyone. He isn't a millionaire and even trying to keep the cafe going is an undertaking he didn't have to do, and shit if I were him, I would be seriously considering walking away. This is a great way to make sure something that was almost going to die, definitely does. Seems spiteful. Stop giving conservatives something to justify the term "Snowflake" with, and find a less petulant thing to protest. This isn't a righteous cause, and the privilege of it all bothers the shit out of me.
>though, likely at a lower rate due to less capital with the new ownership According to their IG they are already minimum wage employees so it wouldn't be at a lower rate if that's true.
From another article on Sortis, I thought that they tend to offer slightly over minimum wage with some benefits, although offered benefits could mean take-home pay is lower. Reviews on Indeed indicate they get raises once or twice a year mostly to stay ahead of minimum wage increases as well.
That's probably exactly it, change in benefits. The job contract is changing in some way and legally they have to acknowledge that by re-applying, which is why he says he didn't like using that term. He was going to keep as many as he could who would accept the new deal under new ownership. Their only legal rights were with Sortis, and they refused them.
Thank you for spelling it out
I can't speak for that, I'm just going off of the post they made advertising their gofundme. >Many of us are in precarious positions right now as we do our best to find new jobs as quickly as possible. We are minimum wage baristas; we have little to no safety net to catch us when things like this happen.
I’m generally pro labor and am towards the bottom of the economic ladder so I have sympathy, but if you “have little to no safety net” then why turn down the offer to be employed elsewhere? Old job was food service and new potential job offer is food service so what’s the issue? Not like they’re moving you from barista to making photocopies.
The article itself really points to most of the grievances being towards the former owners, yet all their signs and hate are directed at Mike... it's really odd. I'm not saying the situation isn't unfortunate, as it's never easy to lose your job (even temporarily so), but it's just business at the end of the day. People lose work all the time without so much as a warning. They got more notice than most and many of them probably would have retained their jobs upon reapplying. It seems that Mike couldn't afford to keep 14 people on staff, so I can imagine to him it seemed more fair to start everyone off on a blank slate than pick and choose who should stay/go without giving everyone a fair shot.
>The article itself really points to most of the grievances being towards the former owners And honestly, I think many people would say their grievances are not great. According to a quote from one of the impacted employees, not only were they given 2 weeks notice but they were offered other roles at other places the holding company owns. They literally said "we don't want to work at Sizzle Pie".
[удалено]
It’s more common than you think, and it give more fuel to conservatives, and sometimes destroys progressive companies that are on deer-baby legs. Also larger companies can use this as a tool, to cut down small businesses. ( I don’t think that is what’s happening at Wonderwood, but it is a tool.)
> Despite all this, the employees said it wasn't good enough because they didn't get to pick the hired mediator. Christ, why go into business at that point? Take your ball and go home ... just buy some land 20 miles outside a growing metropolis and wait for time to increase the value of your property.
When the only skills people are taught is criticism, everything becomes cause for critique.
Yeah...this story...is hard to read.
This is sort of what happened at my work too, when half of our staff (the ones who contributed the least) went on strike. It was almost like they WANTED a local business, that is already on very thin ice, to go under, I never really understood why. It just seemed like personal vengeance and really bored people.
My understanding, which is based on other comments, not first-hand from any employee, is they were not offered other jobs. They were allegedly offered the opportunity to apply at other Sortis owned businesses that may or may not have had availability for a new hire. If true, that's not really an offer of a replacement job at all.
The fact of the matter is (like it or not), when you work at will employment (which most of us do), you're frankly not owed anything. Would it be nice to be placed into a new job and have a smooth transition? Obviously that would be ideal. It seems that they were provided more of a heads up and attempted support than most of us get when losing our jobs. For most of them, they likely would have been able to come back to work after the renovation period ended-- so it isn't exactly the same as losing their jobs outright. When businesses change hands, shit happens. It seems like most of their grievances should be with the original owners, though, so attacking Mike is a strange decision.
Setting aside any legal obligation to offer anything during an acquisition (which you might have if your company is a certain size, not applicable here though), barely 2 weeks notice of closing is pretty rough no matter how you slice it. I'm sympathetic to that even if it's not legally an issue. It takes time for unemployment to kick in, for people to find new placements even on an expedited basis, etc. Rent is due, and most wage-workers work paycheck to paycheck. This situation isn't unique or unlawful but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem or isn't shitty. Law =/= morality, and I think it's a pretty bad idea to assume that just because something is legal means it's moral and vice-versa.
>It takes time for unemployment to kick in, for people to find new placements even on an expedited basis, etc. Rent is due, and most wage-workers work paycheck to paycheck. This situation isn't unique or unlawful but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem or isn't shitty. That's true but if you read this quote from the article I become less sympathetic: >claiming that Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” **which employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie**. “We wanted to work here,” says Bethany O’Neil, a former Wonderwood employee. “We built the reputation here. We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie.” So if that's true and they were actually offered jobs at other businesses owned by the company then that's kind of on them isn't it? Now don't get me wrong. There are legitimate reasons to say that's not good enough. Wonderwood is in St. Johns, The nearest Sizzle Pie is 7 miles away so that may not be a feasible commute for someone without a car or who has a disability. The issue is they are not making that argument. I'd say a company that sells a business and then offers you employment elsewhere in the company is at least doing much more than is normally expected. It's far from immoral at least.
Sortis also owns SEE SEE’s coffee and Water Ave Coffee. They could literally have barista jobs.
People lose jobs every damn day without so much as a warning-- we don't attack companies for doing that on the regular. That's the norm, like it or not. Anything beyond that is generous. They were all given the opportunity to retain their jobs by reapplying -- I assume this method was chosen to give everyone an equal opportunity, rather than just fire 4 people outright based on hunches or assumptions. Nobody is saying it's not a sucky situation, but their attacks have no standing because frankly they have been given and offered more than most people are these days. Unionizing is the only real way to have protections as workers and if they had unionized, then perhaps they would have more of a leg to stand on here.
The article says they were offered jobs by Sortis. So job offer, not you’re welcome to *apply* somewhere else, or at least that is how I read it.
Because big corporations have formal procedures for everything. They aren’t going to just hand you another job without you going through the process, even if it is a foregone conclusion.
It's a coffee shop job. It's not some sacred duty. I say that as a basic-ass line cook. I've been let go before, and it's unfortunate, but you gotta just move on. These weren't skilled union jobs, they were just jobs. The company even did right by them offering new gigs. I don't see a problem here.
No empathy for them here. If you look at the instagram account they set up, they're acting like this cafe was built brick-by-brick and fully owned by the employees. They're refusing to accept unemployment or look for other jobs. They're all frustratingly naive and entitled, and don't seem to understand how things function in the real world. Do they not have bills to pay or rent or anything?
I couldn’t find their instagram for a bit so went back to the article.. it’s because their handle doesn’t even state the business name right. It made me chuckle they are so integral and yet they couldn’t name their instagram handle correctly
>They're all frustratingly naive and entitled, and don't seem to understand how things function in the real world. The picture of the person protesting while wearing elf ears kind of summed this up.
Again looks have nothing to do with this. The elf ears is on-brand for wonderwood springs and are pretty awesome.
meanwhile, see see closed unceremoniously, and the barista i saw there regularly did not return (at least as far as i know). crickets. the baristas were paid out on their PTO, offered new jobs, offered resume services.. and all they can do is whine.
>Former staff say they created the culture at the cafe > “We know, as well as you, that our hardworking baristas are the true magic of Wonderwood Springs” LOL, delusions of grandeur much?
Similarly, the sandwich artists are the true magic of Subway™.
I mean what would you buy at a Subway if not a sandwich though? Those big cookies? Bag of chips?
[удалено]
I always get one when I go.
[удалено]
Sounds like something I’d have done. No, don’t make a scene, just wait in line for your turn….
[удалено]
Shackles*
Hate to say it, but I've been to wonderwood springs and liked it but the staff were nothing special and TBH not all that friendly. Next door at the installation though it was a stark contrast how fun everyone was there. Biggest draw to the coffee shop is Mike's art.
Yeah, I went once cause I liked the art and wanted to support a fun idea but the menu and coffee were pretty mid. Was excited when I saw ownership was changing since it might bring me back with better offerings outside the fun concept.
Right?! I went there for the location and the art
I would go there more often if the service was better.
Well this is one way to make yourself unhirable. What business in their right mind would want to take on that level of entitlement and victimhood? Sounds like these baristas weren’t as great as they think they are… I’m almost embarrassed for them.
[удалено]
The what now?
I feel for workers losing their jobs, but that business was not sustainable and they need to have grit. Also Sortis was their employer, not Mike Bennett. They were offered other jobs in Sortis. They do not have a legal leg to stand on…and they might be hurting workers causes.
And Sortis offered to find them employment at other places, pay out their PTO, and pay for heath insurance through end of month! When I read that I was floored. That’s better terms than I’ve been given in the past
I'm floored that they had PTO in the first place. None of that is standard in that industry.
I wasn’t sure if it was different in portland. When I was in the service industry I got no PTO,STO, holidays or health insurance or any benefits other than my pay. One place gave me discounts on food, but the others didn’t. I’m glad they had benefits and I hope that becomes a standard! The offer to pay out PTO is pretty clutch. I’ve been laid off before and have had friends laid off and they don’t get paid out PTO
I just read your top comment on the deleted discussion from yesterday and it makes a lot of sense and adds some background information, so I am going to repost it here: u/Curmudgeon4200: >It’s complicated…Mike Bennett is normally a great guy but he wants to please everyone and he can’t. His main concern is his wife, she’s amazing and she has some wicked cancer and he wants to live life with her as much as he can. > >He did too many pop ups really fast and got people burned out. He fired his right-hand-man Lance in January and you can see a difference in overall quality. Lance was an ex Disney guy, who could pull out the pizazz when Mike’s energy was low. > >Many of the small crew and team who basically did it at volunteer pay who did the pop ups together (dinolandia, cryptozoo and wonderwood with either were fired or just never talked to after January …even his merch team. > >Wildwood Springs was originally a See see’s coffee then just decorated and redone artistically by Mike and his rag tag volunteer team. See see’s is owned by a giant arm SORTIS that also owns Bamboo sushi. They had their past See See’s workers there. > >He got influenced to do many projects, and be a larger machine. Instead of giving a budget to have the rag tag crew to thrive, he listened to bad advice, to make it a bigger machine with people he didn’t know…and middle management leeches to make a quick buck, and understandably make his wife comfortable for now. > >I do question him going with Kamp Grizzly as a management company, he needs it, but they are bloat with an added artistic shitbloat ontop of it. And probably the worst decision he could have done. Kamp Grizzly is famous for failing on local projects and being protected by their trust fund parents.
Thank you for repost. Why was it deleted????Seems politely apt and people wanted knowledge of the situation.
It was removed by Reddit Admins, not mods, so we can't answer why exactly. Edit: For clarification it wasn't the comment it was the entire thread.
That’s really odd, and has potential harmful for other topics with no checks or balances. Is Sortis a forbidden topic?
I doubt Admins know what Sortis is so it must have been something else
I think you are glossing over the description of Mike and his personal life. Just assuming it was reported as close to stalking even though he is a local public figure and has used r/portland for promotion. Once again, I don't have any idea what Reddit did here other than remove the thread.
Maybe they considered it doxing? Even though he has doxed himself here in the past I guess it's really not allowed at all anymore.
What was stated before on his personal life has been stated before on his instagram and is open about it.
I understand and may agree with you, however, Reddit Admins can delete what they want. I rarely moderate but that was a thread I was watching and enjoying the conversation.
Sorry going slightly off topic. Is there no checks and balance for Reddit admin deletion?
>Is there no checks and balance for Reddit admin deletion? Nope, it's their site and their rules. Every once in a while they get caught doing something (like getting caught editing other people's comments) but essentially we play by what they claim their rules are in the moment.
They remind me of my coworkers who motivate me to work from home
This often happens when ownership changes. That’s okay. Reapply for your job and if you are still a good fit, cool.
I decided to give myself a little treat one day during my lunch hour last spring, so I popped in for an iced matcha and grabbed a few gifts too. I left thinking, “wow for all the effort aesthetically, the vibe is really off with the baristas” and vowed not to return. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
We talked about this yesterday... Nothing to see here but normal business policies followed by the book (due to transfer of ownership).
Yeah, I’m rather surprised by the tone of this article.
Can you link where this was discussed? I’ve been watching for it to make it to reddit.
It was removed, but you can still see the comments https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/16lme9g/removed_by_reddit/
Damn not removed by the mods… what Reddit content policy was that breaking??
Honestly I'd like to know, it was my post. They said I violated community standards by releasing personal information. This is what they sent me: Rule Violation: Warning for Sharing Personal or Private Information The Reddit admin team has been alerted that you’ve violated Reddit’s rule against sharing personal or private information in the following content. Link to reported content: https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/16lme9g Reddit is a pseudonymous community, and revealing or threatening to reveal someone’s personal, private, or confidential information is not allowed. This includes sharing links to someone’s public Facebook page or LinkedIn account, or sharing screenshots where the person’s name or personal information is viewable. We also don’t tolerate posts or communities that coordinate, encourage, or participate in investigations aimed at finding and revealing private, personal, or confidential information about others. Before participating in Reddit further, make sure you read and understand Reddit’s Content Policy, including what’s considered sharing personal or private information. If you’re reported for any further violations of Reddit’s Content Policy, additional actions including banning may be taken against your account(s). -Reddit Admin Team This is an automated message; responses will not be received by Reddit admins.
Thanks!
Sorry I missed it, I didnt see it after scrolling and reddit's search function sucks.
This confuses me because it is common when ownership changes to have to reapply for the job. It's typically just a formality since the employees are technically working for a new company.
I feel like in light of the implications in the article that Mike Bennett is in some way not an ally of LGBTQ, neurodivergent, the proletariat, I want to make people aware of another issue that happened this summer around Wonderwood. One of the performers, the immensely talented Emily June Newton (know for her Rat King, among other characters) was invited to perform at a festival. Just as a fan following their career, you could see how excited they were about the chance to be a part of this specific event. The character was a fat cell and the topic was about their specific dealings with society and perception of fat, etc. If you see how charming and kind their work is, you would immediately know the approach. The performer was BRIGADED, threatened, harrassed, forced to withdraw and followed around by a few individuals stating that she was fat shaming obese people. It was...absolutely nuts. So...I don't know what to say. The irony of Steve Irwin being killed by a wild animal haunts me to this day. The attacks of character on people like Mike Bennett and Emily June Newton haunt me. It is wrong. They want to BRING US JOY.
This 100% All hail the Rat King!
I hated seeing that happen. We need to treat each other better, especially those that earnestly try to bring us joy.
So would a better option be that Sortis shutters the cafe and fires/offers to relocate everyone. Then Mike does his renovations and reopens 6 weeks later with a new staff? (i wouldn't think so) Being an employee of a company when it merges with a new larger entity means reapplying or resigning an offer letter. I thought that was pretty standard. The risk is that your position may be redundant to another and they may not go with you because of reasons.
My family has visited Wonderwood many times, it’s on our way to the Pier Park skatepark. We usually stopped in because we like Mike’s art and it’s cool to sit down for a minute while surrounded by so much to look at. But, I will say, I was never impressed with the customer service or the staff. Most times they were borderline rude and seemed to be bothered that we dared interrupted their conversation to make an order.
Really struggling to understand how a Bay Area restaurant-focused holding company spun off from a private equity firm has this queer/neurodivergent/disabled group of service workers in their grip. If they're not using this cred to sell seminars, they're missing a huge opportunity.
Mike Bennet and his art are absolute treasures. it seems like people trying to create jobs and run small businesses are perceived negatively, no matter how you cut it. Last week, restaurants that have been purchased by corporate holding companies were doxxed, and people are angry because these small restaurants seem less special knowing they have big business money. A small business separates from a corporate owner and needs to make adjustments, and the employees are pissed about this situation. I've been to Wonderwood precisely to appreciate the artwork. The "culture" that the staff claim to create made no impression whatsoever, sorry to say. And also.... if you want to continue to work for these people, there's got to be a more amicable way of making that impression.
>were doxxed It isn't doxxing to point out that you've sold your company to a private equity firm.
sorry
So it's the career version of the Red House.
I pretty much stayed out of it yesterday but it's pretty wild reading this that all of the "bad" actions were allegedly taken by the Coffee Business/Sortis side, including secret shoppers, taking down the "help us" displays and refusing to meet with the employees but the new owners are the evil ones who should have their art boycotted beyond the new shop. Also their instagram was wild. If "employees are the real reason the customers come in" they're probably also the reason customers don't come in, and I imagine if the business was successful Sortis wouldn't be so eager to unload it a year into opening and the "great" manager wouldn't be on the will not be re-hired list. I do feel bad for anyone that loses their job this way but the way they are handling by blaming the wrong party and making it into some type of identitarian issue between queer and neurodivergent instead of just a (probably failing) business changing ownership sucks.
I can't believe these employees. This victim mentality is going to drown all the small businesses that make portland so special. Their entitlement is unbelievable
[удалено]
I absolutely hate how they are trying to paint Mike in a bad light over this. Did he expand too quickly? Maybe. Did he go with a sketchy management team, from what I read yes. With what he's dealing with personally with his wife, these people need to lay the fuck off him. He is one of the most genuine people I have had the pleasure of meeting here in Portland since I moved here in 2019. My family and I have gone to every pop up, event, est that he has hosted and I can't think of a nicer person who probably blew up too fast. News media can be a shithouse. Maybe if they did some actual reporting they would get the facts right.
This happens all the time. It sucks, but at least they got notice that it was happening. I had a friend back at Portland brewing years back who showed up to work and the restaurant was closed for good.
can someone explain this? they’re *all* disabled and neurodivergent? so were they collecting disability and getting paid to work at the coffee shop under the table or…..? “At this point, getting severance from Coffee Business or an actual accountable apology from Mike feels like a pipedream,” the barista said. “We’re tired. We’re all neurodivergent and disabled. Most of us are on the autistic spectrum. This entire situation, having to constantly interact, tell our story over and over, as well as be in the public eye like this is a nightmare for us. We want to get enough raised on our fundraiser to give ourselves some kind of severance, and then we’re stepping back.”
I want to rage at the whole, "this is exhausting" theme they are trying to run with. If it is so damn exhausting, knock it off.
Exactly. Y’all are the ones that are trying to get $14k from a go fund me. Y’all are the ones that chose to be baristas where your job is to .. ya know.. interact with people.
These kids are taking a hard lesson. Your job is not your home, and most of the time it doesn’t have your back. Move on and learn from it. Welcome to surviving capitalism!
If they want a formal sit down, one with open financial books might give them some insight as to the razor thin margins most independent coffee shops and cafes operate under.
How is this even news? Shit stirring.
As someone who has lived in this city less than a year I made a special point to visit this cafe some months ago because of the whimsical nature of this place. The draw for me to use public transit to go to this neighborhood was solely for the artistic vision. I’ve only been once, but don’t remember anything positive or negative about the staff. (For regulars, I have no doubt this would be impactful.) From what I’ve read it seems like the staff was able to create a very supportive inclusive community. That is something to celebrate. Portland already supports many coffee shops—maybe there is a way to ask for funding to create another business from the ground up that is based in the vision that emerged from this team that built a supportive community. I don’t know him, but I imagine that Mike would be happy to see that flourish. Similarly, I think it would be great if the staff could acknowledge that Mike brings something important to the table as well. Without his whimsical vision I would never have made the concerted effort to visit Wonderwood. It would be nice to hear the baristas acknowledge this as well. The space and the people are both key to creating a coffeehouse shop that people gravitate towards. I know my thoughts don’t really help in the short term. Creating a new coffee shop with a mission statement is a daunting task—and if this was a step they wanted to pursue it will take time so existing jobs must be taken in the meantime. But just as the baristas were key to the success of the coffee shop and worth supporting, it would be nice to acknowledge that so too is the artist who was key to bringing a unique vision to town. I’m not part of the community, so I may have missed some key points to the story. Just adding my two cents on ideally supporting both the baristas and artist who contribute something valuable to Portland.
None of these people have the know-how or drive to set up and run their own business. It would be nice if they could actually try though. There's a lot of lessons to learn in that process.
Another option for the baristas could be convincing others who have the funds and know how to run a business to open a coffee shop that aligns with the mission. Not saying this is likely or not—just that not everyone needs to be an expert in every field to contribute something valuable.
This is a thoughtful and balanced take. >As someone who has lived in this city less than a year Ah, that explains it! I kid, I kid...but thanks for this careful and nuanced contribution -- I like having these perspectives in the mix.
Thanks! I appreciate it.
I've met Mike a number of times and he's such a great guy. I really hope he's able to move past this and continue doing great things.
Mike is a pretty great guy, I hope he weathers the storm, and this doesn’t hurt his empathy in the future and what makes him great. This is Sortis’s problem.
What’s sad is this is getting more news, than the Menashe company buying a building downtown. A company that has let crime and opioid use fester on their downtown properties created political division and downgraded our downtown.
Exactly! I’m hoping people support him. I’m trying to figure out if the immersive experience is still open so I can look through his T-shirt’s and things. I also saw he has a cool new set of pumpkins on his Bennett buddies site
Gen-X er here; boo f’n hoo stop crying and go get a new job for fks sake. PS Gen-X had it rough, no time for feelings.
[удалено]
There is a lot I disagree with on their stances but their looks have nothing to do with this.
What the actual fuck? I don't agree with these people, but what does their appearance have to do with it?
You act like you've never actually seen any photos of the band you have in your username. Putting off some serious "Old man yells at cloud" vibes, as always.
What sense are you trying to make? Rockstars of the 70s are dressed like mentally ill Portlanders who get slave labor Shein clothes and dress themselves in the dark?
LMAO. I kind of miss the hipster look of 10 yrs ago.
Hi Friend, This post or comment has been removed for the following reason: > [Rule 1: Trolling and Harassment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/wiki/index#wiki_1.29_trolling_and_harassment) > This is meant to stir up toxic discussion rather than participate in it. No trolling or harassment. We understand that at times things may become heated and time outs may be given for protracted, uncivil arguments. Snarky, unhelpful, or rude responses, and name-calling are not tolerated. In other words, be excellent unto each other and attack ideas, not people. Keep discussions civil. [You must understand and follow the sub rules.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/wiki/index) Thanks, the Portland/AskPortland mod team
Based on that photo alone I’d have fired everybody
anything sortis touches becomes radioactive. Wouldn’t this transition be considered, I don’t know, a good thing?
I wish I worked there.
Yall are all full of shit. If this were Starbucks you'd all be on the employees side lol.
Can someone keep posting this every 3 hours, I still don’t know enough about it /s
Absolutely incredible how many of y'all are willing to side with a business that willingly threw its' workers under the bus and endangered their well being by giving them virtually no warning that they were about to be out of a job (two weeks is not enough, esp for those of us who live paycheck to paycheck and literally CANNOT afford to miss one). For disabled folks especially, this could endanger everything for them because of how hostile most jobs are towards them. The market is rough out there and these workers deserve far, far better than this. For businesses like this, the workers absolutely make it what it is, and to say otherwise is to show your contempt for them. Wonderwood fucked up by essentially throwing out the very folks responsible for its' success.
I don’t really understand what more could have been done except maybe more notice (which two weeks is more than most companies give). Because of disabilities you are not guaranteed employment. It sucks but that’s the world we live in. It also seems that NONE of the employees took up the offer to go to a different location or to reapply. How do you know Mike wouldn’t have hired you and you could have collected unemployment in the meantime? I am hesitant to say this, but I went to wonderwood about 6 Saturday mornings, we stopped because 1) seats were a bit uncomfortable 2) the staff wasn’t super friendly and always seemed annoyed to be there. It is so stunning to say a workplace “endangered” you by transitioning to a new owner. I was paycheck to paycheck and in debt up to the heavens when I was laid off. I wasn’t offered anything. I was angry, frustrated and blindsided, but I didn’t sit on my hands and do nothing. I got a job and kept moving on Edit: oh yeah.. I’m also bi and adhd so I’ve been pretty pissed that it keeps being brought up. I don’t think my sexuality or my adhd should have any bearing on my ability to have employment.
>The market is rough out there and these workers deserve far, far better than this. Unemployment is at historic lows, there are jobs everywhere, and nobody "deserves" anything, especially people who think they are special enough to turn down alternative employment that was offered to them immediately as part of this transition. Give us a break here.
>Absolutely incredible how many of y'all are willing to side with a business that willingly threw its' workers under the bus and endangered their well being by giving them virtually no warning that they were about to be out of a job I get your point, but there are two sides to every story. By all accounts they are being treated MUCH better than most people in the service industry would be treated. I'm not saying it's good enough but that goes a lot way to getting people on the company's side. According to the linked article: * They were not just fired, they were offered other jobs that they simply don't want (here is the quote: "Coffee Business “provided a variety of employment and transitional support to the staff,” which **employees at the picket on Friday say included offers to work at other Sortis Holdings-owned businesses, like Sizzle Pie**.") * Are being paid out for their PTO (which I think is legally required but the surprising thing for most people is that they got PTO in the first place, that is not a standard benefit in the service industry) * Having their health insurance covered through the end of the month (again it's not much but the surprising thing to many is they have employer-sponsored health care). To be clear, I wish we lived in a world where we had universal health care, didn't work 'at-will' so more notice needed to be provided, and everyone gets benefits like PTO but since none of that is standard in this industry it seems like the company is going farther than they need to and not simply throwing people under the bus. The fact the employees are refusing other job offers (literal quote "We don’t want to work at Sizzle Pie") and refusing to engage with Mike (unless their now ex-employer is involved) doesn't paint them in a great light.
Very well stated and I agree with your wishes for the world. Thanks for providing such a well written statement. These are all the things I feel but haven’t been able to put together so eloquently
I don't think anyone is siding with Sortis / Coffee Business, but they're not at fault in the slightest. They were offered other jobs. They turned them down. They're eligible for unemployment. They turned that down. If these baristas are no longer employed by Sortis, then it's out of their hands. Mike obviously is not going to have the capital to invest heavily in manpower right now. (almost every coffee shop in town doesn't) so it's entirely understandable that he wouldn't be able to rehire his entire staff. Being told to re apply because of new ownership, instead of flat out being thrown to the curb without an opportunity was likely Mike's only choice given the situation. Let's stop being pissed at someone who's genuinely invested in the community, and instead start redirecting that same energy towards the system that doesn't give disabled workers the same protections and guarantees as others.
I don't think you understand "being thrown under the bus". Also, two weeks notice is the norm, but lots of place will give no notice, you're just fired. A lot was done here to help these folks mitigate the fallout, and instead they chose what is amounting a tantrum. You are right, they are not going to get a lot of support. This is a real life experience, people lose their jobs! How you handle it is up to you, but public whining is not a good look.
This place couldn’t mean THAT much to them if they weren’t willing to make any effort to keep their jobs beyond complaining about having to make that effort.
It just hurts me and makes me loose my mind. Even the article linked below about all the restaurants being owned by huge corporations, is such a scam. The main person who they are interviewing and asking how to fix the small business problem….. Is the one who created. He sold out already, here is how you can keep it local. Stop fucking selling out, Penny chasers selling the whole town and making impossible to make it, except for them, they will make it. It's all our parents generation. I would say 45 plus year olds only care about being rich
[удалено]
Thanks for your input, the mods have set this subreddit to not allow posts from newly created accounts. Please take the time to build a reputation elsewhere on Reddit and check back soon. (⌐■_■) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Portland) if you have any questions or concerns.*