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Aviary by Lavender Falls operates in Farmers Park.
Courtesy Aviary by Lavender Falls
Aviary by Lavender Falls operates in Farmers Park.

Inside a strike at Aviary

Posted online

The dust has cleared on a labor action that saw employees of Aviary Cafe and Creperie LLC picketing their employer July 26.

The eatery’s workers could be seen holding signs demanding wages of $20 per hour. Other signs read: “If we have to work, we have to have our rights,” “Essential NOT exploitable” and “We deserve livable wages & fair treatment from Aviary.”

Organizers in various online forums urged diners not to cross picket lines at the restaurant, which does business as Aviary by Lavender Falls.

When reached reached by Springfield Business Journal yesterday about what had happened to cause the protest, Aviary co-owner Catherine Bersted said, “We’re still trying to figure it out ourselves.”

Bersted said that on the morning of July 25, she had seven employees who were “no call, no show,” meaning that they didn’t show up and didn’t notify her that they were not going to be at work. Bersted reached out – she’d brought doughnuts, she said – and an employee told her they were never coming back.

“I accepted their resignation on the spot,” she said.

She then saw on social media that they were trying to organize.

Bersted recounted some of their demands. She said they wanted maternity leave, which she said Aviary already offers, and health insurance.

“I honestly thought it was a joke,” she said. “I mean, you’re on health insurance, and you have a sign requesting it.”

Bersted said Aviary is one of the few restaurants in town that offers full benefits, including health, vision and dental insurance. She also was surprised by the demand for $20 per hour.

“They wanted an astronomical amount per hour, but we’re already one of the highest-paid restaurants in Springfield,” she said.

The labor action has not caused a problem for Aviary, according to Bersted. She said starting line cooks make $16 per hour, and dishwashers make $13-$14. Servers start with a basic server wage, half the minimum at $5.15 per hour, but if it is a slow day and they don’t make tips, Aviary compensates them up to the minimum of $10.30, Bersted said.

“We have not had to do that in over a year,” she said.

Bersted said some of her more experienced chefs and line cooks had been making upwards of $17-$18 or more per hour, plus benefits.

Ultimately, Bersted ended the employment of all seven no-shows. She said she regarded them as resignations.

Since the walkout, Bersted said she has had no shortage of applicants to fill their positions. “Surprisingly, posting their wrongdoings was probably the most beneficial thing for my business,” Bersted said. “I guess the truth will always come out one way or the other.”

Perry Ashlock was officially a line cook at Aviary, though he said he also worked as prep cook and dishwasher as needed. “We were severely understaffed,” he said in an interview with SBJ after the protest.

Ashlock said he was fired, and it was a move that astonished him and his co-workers.

“The thought was there that because of our relationships we had established that they would be willing to talk with us,” he said. “Before, I could go to Catherine with almost anything, personal problems included. We all thought that there was no way that this was going to be their response – especially not to a team of people who constantly went above and beyond the call for them.”

Ashlock said the action began with a group of employees deciding not to show up to work, since the previous day, the management had left the restaurant in something of a lurch. Bersted said she was attending a wedding showcase event out of town.

“All we intended to do was to let the management feel what it was like to be left in a difficult situation, and then on Monday all of us could have sat down and discussed this further,” Ashlock said.

Former employee Brad Russell explained a few of the grievances of the organizers. He said that his co-workers had to work 12- to 15-hour workdays without a break, that management lied about the wages employees received and that they were understaffed.

Russell also alleged that hosts and bartenders were required to be paid via server tips and that front-of-house servers were overstaffed while their number of tables was reduced, leading to less potential for tips.

“Personally, I have no regrets,” Russell said. “We are standing for not just us but all the workers in the industry. In fact, we stand for all workers period. We want to inspire all workers in their field to unionize and fight for better wages and working conditions.”

Ashlock also expressed no regrets.

“I just want to be able to be the voice of those who can’t stand up for themselves in similar situations for the fear of exactly what happened to us, getting fired,” he said. “I just want to see things improved for the next generation of hospitality workers. We don’t deserve to be treated the way we are, and we sure don’t deserve to be poorly compensated for what we have to put up with.”

One thing is certain: Hurt feelings are being served all around.

Bersted said that it took her 36 hours to stop crying. “I think it shook the rest of the staff here as much as it shook me,” she said.

Bersted said she was not aware of her employees’ dissatisfaction before they took action.

“I truly wish them all the best. I believe they are all good people,” she said.

As for the staff that remains with the Aviary, Bersted said, “I hope we can move forward with everyone knowing they have a voice.” She said she has hired four new kitchen staff, with three more positions to be filled. SBJ reported the restaurant had 31 employees earlier this month.

The Aviary has undergone changes in ownership since its opening. According to past SBJ reporting, Mark and Debbie Burgess first opened the cafe downtown, in 2011, added a south-side location at Farmers Park in 2014, and sold Aviary to Westward Alliance LLC in 2015. Westward is a private equity venture started in October 2014 by Ryan O’Reilly and Reed Hopper. In May 2020, after the hit of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant rebranded as Aviary by Lavender Falls in a joint partnership with Westward and Lavender Holdings LLC. Lavender Falls Farm LLC is a lavender farm in Clever owned by Bersted and her husband, Thor. Catherine Bersted runs Aviary’s day-to-day operations.

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