Meta food service workers organize union

Workers at Bellevue and Redmond campuses announced their union, organizing for wage parity and job security

BELLEVUE, WA (August 6, 2025) — Food service workers at Lavish Roots on Meta campuses in Bellevue and Redmond have organized a union with UNITE HERE Local 8, which represents workers food service workers at Google, Microsoft, and other Meta locations in the greater Seattle area.

Announcing their union drive at a July 24 rally, workers called on Meta and Lavish Roots to commit to remain neutral and respect workers’ rights to decide for themselves whether to support the union.

Workers cite lack of job security, respect, and parity with other tech food workers as motivations for their efforts. Already unionized tech food service workers on Google, Microsoft, and even another Meta campus in the Seattle area earn higher wages and have access to free, quality health care benefits.  Workers at the Bellevue and Redmond locations must pay out of pocket for high-cost, high-deductible health insurance that costs as much as $1,520 per month for family coverage.

Food service workers announce their union at a rally on July 24. Photo: UNITE HERE Local 8

“I went to culinary school for my craft. Still, I haven’t been to a doctor for ten years. I injured my shoulder several years ago. Every day that I work I feel it get worse, but I’m not able to get treatment for it. I want to change that for me and for all my coworkers,” said Liz McKinney, Pastry Cook at Lavish Roots.

UNITE HERE Local 8 reports that workers at the Bellevue and Redmond Meta locations are also paid less than other comparable workers in the metro area; a dishwasher makes $21.50 instead of the $25.90 paid to employees at Meta in Seattle and $27.80 paid to Compass employees at Google in Seattle. Meanwhile, the unionized food service employees at Microsoft and Google are paid a minimum of $27.50 per hour.

“Workers at these locations do the same work as cafeteria workers at Meta, Microsoft, and Google cafeterias in the region and there’s no reason they should be paid less than the rest. Lavish Roots and Meta should commit to remain neutral and respect workers’ right to organize a union,” said UNITE HERE Local 8 President Anita Seth.

TAKE A STAND: workers are asking supporters to sign their petition to management, urging Meta and Lavish Roots to remain neutral and respect workers’ right to organize.