Four Ultimo Coffee locations in the Philadelphia area approved union representation over the past few years beginning in 2022, but two locations have now filed decertification petitions. All locations are independent in terms of unionization, and at the two locations that remain unionized, owners voluntarily recognized unions, while the two decertified locations voted on unionization in late 2022. A first contract has not been reached between the union and management, and this allowed workers to file for decertification. Many of the workers who signed the decertification petition did not believe that the current tentative agreement was worth the cost of union dues. Employees filed the decertification petition with the assistance of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
See "Two unionized Philadelphia Ultimo coffee shops file for union decertification", Jenn Ladd, The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 19, 2024