Indeed Brewing employees and upper management have been in negotations for a union contract for the past year and a half. (Luis de Leon)
If you know Northeast, you likely know Indeed Brewing Company.
In the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, tucked in the corner of the cobblestone stretch of Quincy Street and 15th Ave. NE, and beside the steady hum of the BNSF rail line, a gleaming fermentation tank has marked the spot of its taproom since the brewery’s opening in 2012. Now a fixture in Northeast Minneapolis’ brewery community, beer lovers fill its outdoor patio in the warmer months and seek refuge inside the brick taproom during the winter.
It’s a sight that Lead Bartender and Taproom Admin Jacob Charles Eidem has known for years.
“The atmosphere is a large part of why I love my job,” he said. “Indeed has been a staple of the community, and it’s been a very community-driven brewery.”
His co-worker Cameron Johnson shares the same message, having been a groundskeeper and brand ambassador for eight years at the brewery. They are two of 25-30 employees in Minneapolis.
“When I first walked into Indeed in August of 2012, I thought, ‘this is something I want to be a customer of.’ And later, I got to be a part of it,” Johnson said.
But the two have had an additional title for their roles at Indeed, along with the dozens of other employees at the brewery: recognized members of the UNITE HERE Local 17 union chapter, which represents more than 6,000 hospitality workers in the Twin Cities area. Indeed Brewing voluntarily recognized the union in April of 2024.
Indeed Brewing’s labor movement follows a trend in recent years of Minneapolis’ craft breweries opting to unionize. Surly Brewery workers fell short in their vote to unionize in 2021. However, in 2020, Fair State Brewing Cooperative became the first microbrewery in the nation to unionize. They are also under UNITE HERE Local 17. Johnson said Fair State served as a good template for how to go about navigating such a process.
“I think it’s an important issue because labor unions empower workers, and workers need to proliferate their power, and they need to follow suit or take inspiration from what others have done before them,” Johnson said.
The difference, however, is that Indeed Brewing employees and upper management still have not been able to complete their first union contract, with negotiations continuing for the last year and a half.
“We love Indeed and we want to see it thrive,” Eidem said, “but we want to see it maintain its values for the community and for us — the people that work there and the people that come after us.”
In a written response to the Northeaster, Indeed Brewing’s Chief Business Officer, Ryan Bandy, said negotiations have been mostly civil, a sentiment that Eidem and Johnson agree with.
“This is a new experience for all of us, including myself, and it’s been fascinating to dive into the details of union and business contract negotiations,” Bandy wrote. “Balancing the needs and goals of a company, especially one as small and nuanced as Indeed, with those of our coworkers can be incredibly challenging. It can be tiring, tedious, and delicate, but we believe showing up and doing this work is essential. Indeed cannot be a sustainable company without aligning the needs, abilities, and desires of our people and the brewery.”
While Bandy says a majority of the contract is set, the three main issues still up for negotiation include whether Indeed will require workers to pay dues to UNITE HERE Local 17, overall wage increases and the structure and costs of health care. Eidem and Johnson concurred that these were the main issues still to be negotiated.
“So we’ll keep at it, keep meeting up and talking through the realities of working together, grab a beer or THC together, and work to find progress,” Bandy wrote. “I am certain of Indeed’s long-term commitment to brewing beer and creating experiences in Northeast Minneapolis. Indeed has been and will continue to be shaped by many individuals, both present and future, and I’m always down to engage in those nuanced discussions about Indeed’s identity, potential, and aspirations.”
Eidem and Johnson share a similar message, saying they’ll continue to work for the community in providing lasting memories and ales. They say the prolonged negotiations do not change their outlook on Indeed and they are still happy with their positions, but they hope they can soon reach a consensus.
“We want Indeed to be unionized for the future — this isn’t just for us,” Eidem said. “This is for the people that come after us.”